02/15 (SYNCH): Junior Achievement Finance Park Introduction

 

JA Finance Park students build a foundation for making intelligent, lifelong personal-finance decisions. Students will use this program online through JA Finance Park virtual.

JA FINANCE PARK VIRTUAL LINK
Try To Complete All Four (4) Sections & Work On Some Of The Level EXTRA!

A student who completes activities on the JA Finance Park Virtual program should be able to:

• Identify personal interests, skills, work preferences, and values. 
• Identify career interests. 
• Evaluate the risks and benefits of saving and investing. 
• Evaluate risk and recognize insurance as a way to minimize it. 
• Define taxes; explain their purpose, and understand how they affect everyone. 
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using credit and debit cards. 
• Explain who uses a budget and why. 
• Identify the components of a successful budget. 
• Create a successful budget using hypothetical life situations.

During this hands-on, computer-based simulation, students are asked to manage a fictitious life situation. The details of their assigned life scenario include marital status, number of children, education background, employment, and income. 

Given their career and family situation, students use banking services; pay for housing, transportation, utilities, groceries, and health care; contribute to charities; and budget for education expenses. They work to create and balance a personal family budget. 

EMAIL ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

Go to your GMAIL and click COMPOSE.  Send an email to Mr. Scribner (harvey.scribner@techfriere.org) with the following information:  (SUBJECT: JA Finance Park Activity, Today's Date).   The body of the email should contain a well-written full-paragraph essay that explains the major decisions you faced in the simulation, the choices you made, and how completing this activity will help you as you navigate your personal financial health in the future (3-5 years).  Make sure to be specific about the actual major decisions you will face over the next few years, and how you will face them.  Good Luck! 

ACADEMIC/LEARNING OBJECTIVE

SWBAT to use the link provided above to create an account on the public version of the Junior Achievement Finance Park Simulation.  Students will then work through the decision-making process for completing the simulation, at their own pace in class.  For more information please click the following link:  Junior Achievement Finance Park Academic Standards

SCHOLARS WILL ENTER THE CLASS QUIETLY AND BEGIN WORKING! 

Project:  Students will READ ALL DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY for this activity.  They will proceed to the Junior Achievement Financial Park Public Simulation Link.  They should create an account with a password THEY CAN REMEMBER!  Once established, they should log in and begin the simulation.  Working independently, they should work through all the decision processes outlined in the simulation, and when complete, they should begin to craft their Email Assessment Response.  They can use scratch paper to brainstorm but should email their final response directly to Mr. Scribner (harvey.scribner@techfriere.org).

READ ALL DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!