|
Mike Smith
Exploratory
Personal Finances
A great man once said, “Money makes the world go ‘round.” Whether you agree with him or not, there is no escaping the fact that making, saving, and using money plays a major role in nearly everyone’s lives. Having money allows you to purchase goods you desire, travel the world, pay for a good education, obtain medical care, build social status, buy a nice home and car, and generally live in comfort. There is certainly no guarantee that it will bring you happiness and for many people having too much money has led to misery, but most people would tend to agree that having money is a lot better than the alternative.
In this class we’ll explore the topics you see listed below. The list isn’t completely comprehensive in terms of what you should know about money in your life, but hopefully you’ll learn enough to build a solid financial foundation. At the end of this six-week course, my goal is for you to have an idea about how you can get ahead in the world of money so that you aren’t overwhelmed by all the financial decisions you’ll have to make once you’re on your own in life. I also hope your parents find this a worthwhile class as we often teach very little about money skills in schools these days.
Just for the record, I get a lot of help from two websites that we’ll access from time to time. They are both loaded with information on money and how to save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off.
· http://www.fool.com/Teens/Teens01.htm
· http://clarkhoward.com
Economic Terms
Saving Money
· Bank accounts (internet banking, credit unions, etc.)
· CDs
Buying a House
Stocks
Buying a Car
Budgeting Money
Retirement Saving
College Funds
Careers and Taxes
News Articles—how you can get ahead starting now
Credit Cards
So……what is this class going to be like? Well, here are the basics.
Grades
Grades will be based as follows:
Daily assignments 30%
Quizzes 20%
Projects 40%
Portfolio 10%
94-100% A-
90-93% A-
87-90% B+
84-87% B
80-84% B-
77-80% C+
74-77% C
70-74% C-
67-70% D+
60-67% D
0-60% F
Materials
All materials will be provided since we don’t have a textbook. I do require that you keep a portfolio of all work that you do. Some of our assignments will be on-going so keeping organized will be essential.
Having internet access will also be important. If you don’t have access at home, feel free to use a computer in class when one is available, or at the library before or after school.
Notes
If you or your parents have questions, comments, or money advice, please feel free to call me at 228-4978 or email me mismith@cvsd.org. My homepage is updated often and I also provide a monthly calendar to help you keep up to date on assignments if you miss school.
.jpg) 
|
.jpg)
