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Personal Economics helps students assess their personal skills and interests, explore career options, learn job-hunting skills, and discover the value of an education. They also learn about budgets, personal and family financial management, and the use of credit. The activities reinforce economic concepts taught in career, life skills, and other social studies electives.
The learning objectives listed beside each activity state the skills and knowledge the students will gain.
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Activity One: Marketing Yourself
The students recognize their role in the U.S. market system. They are introduced to the program through an activity that reveals the importance of marketing oneself.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
 define market
design business cards to market themselves |
Activity Two: Identifying Your Skills and Interests
The students identify personal skills and interests and relate them to various careers. They realize that their choices today will influence their future roles in the marketplace.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
identify personal skills and interests
relate personal skills and interests to career options |
Activity Three: Job Opportunities
The students discover the steps involved in finding a job. They read employment ads and practice filling out a job application. They discuss the value of jobs and volunteer experiences to their future career plans.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
identify the steps involved in getting a job
discover ways people learn about job opportunities
complete job applications |
Activity Four: Job Interviews
The students discuss the characteristics employers want in potential employees, especially those characteristics that go beyond the basic knowledge and skills needed to perform the job. They observe and evaluate successful and unsuccessful interviews, and they review a list of interviewing suggestions.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
identify basic skills and characteristics employers look for in potential employees
recognize do's and donts in an employment interview |
Activity Five: Personal Budgeting
The students work in small groups and use hypothetical information to develop a personal budget for a teen-ager. They learn the reasons for creating a budget and the basic features and characteristics of all budgets.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
explain why budgets are important
give examples of items found in a budget
identify examples of opportunity costs associated with balancing a budget |
Activity Six: Family Finances
The students discuss financial planning and budgeting. They create a budget in which they establish priorities and estimate costs based upon expected income and expenses.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
create a budget for a family
describe the benefits of following a budget
identify choices families must make as they budget their income and expenses |
Activity Seven: Paying the Bills
The students are introduced to financial institutions. They discuss the use of checking accounts and practice writing checks.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
recognize that checks are written against funds deposited in a checking account
describe the purpose of a checking account
write checks and maintain a check register |
Activity Eight: Using Credit Wisely
The students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using credit to make everyday purchases. In small groups the students examine a credit card statement.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
identify the costs and benefits of using credit
calculate the cost of a loan |
Activity Nine: Stock Market
In the first of two activities about the stock market, the students explore the stock market as a way to add value to the money they have made in the marketplace.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
identify investment opportunities
read a stock market table
purchase stocks and record their transactions |
Activity Ten: Analyzing Your Investments
The students sell their stock from the previous activity and determine whether they made or lost money.
| Key Learning Objectives
The students will
determine whether they made or lost money from the sale of stock
describe their role in the U.S. market system |
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Personal Economics enhances the students learning of the following concepts and skills:
Concepts Budgets Buying Careers Choice Credit Demand Economic institutions Economy Employment Exchange Expenses Human resources Income Income distribution Investing Jobs Markets Money Opportunity costs Prices Profit Saving Selling Stock Supply
Skills Analyzing information Analyzing situations Budgeting Building self-esteem Charting Conceptualizing and designing Critical thinking Decision making Filling out forms Following directions Formulating a plan Interpreting information Interviewing Listening responsively Making observations Mathematical interpretation and computation Problem solving Role playing Teamwork
All JA programs have technology enhancements and are designed to support the skills and competencies outlined in the SCANS (Secretarys Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) report. These programs also augment the school-based, work-based, and connecting activities for communities with school-to-work initiatives.
Personal Economics |
Enterprise in Action
The International Marketplace |
The Economics of Staying in School
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