Pacific NW Federal Credit Union

School Resources

This financial education curriculum makes learning about money fun and engaging for each grade level. All modules include worksheets, instructions, and everything you need to teach online or in the classroom. Contact Kristin to learn more or have her visit your classroom.

All Lessons – Listed Alphabetically

Banking Services
This lesson will provide students with knowledge about different options they have in the banking world, including how to write a check, how to compute interest on a savings account, and the difference between a bank and credit union.

Budgeting
This lesson teaches students to prioritize spending by setting goals and thinking about how to be intentional with their money. Students will reflect on current habits and think about how changes might benefit their future. Lesson includes a budget game.

Budgeting and Spending Wisely (High School)
Creating a budget is easy. Sticking to one? Much harder. Learn to build a budget that matches your needs, wants, and income. Lesson includes an income and spending tracker, and a weekly budget planner.

Building Credit
Learn how to build credit and maintain a positive credit score, what factors into your credit score, what is a good score, and why a good score is important.  Learn how to check your credit score for free. 

Career Planning
Students will explore different career paths and interests by reflecting on their likes and dislikes to see which careers fit their personality. By the end of the lesson, students will understand the path they need to take to be qualified for the careers they are interested in, the availability of landing a job in that specific career, and what day to day life looks like once hired into the role.

College Essay Writing
Writing essays for college applications and scholarships can be the biggest hurdle of applying.  This course will take you step-by-step to write effective and compelling essays.

Compound Interest
Students will learn the importance of compound interest and how time impacts their future investments. They’ll see that investing early can lead to future wealth.

Creating Your Budget
Students will learn how to save money and prioritize their spending. They’ll create a budget book and track their spending in different categories. Over several months, students will form a habit of reflecting on their financial decisions. Lesson includes a fun budget game they can play with candy.

Credit and Credit Cards
What is credit? How do you use it? Is it really “free money” or is there a price you pay for it? Are all credit cards the same? Should you just get a cool looking credit card? All these questions will be answered in this financial education lesson.

Earning
How can you earn money? Even as a young person you can be creative to help around the house or neighborhood (in safe ways). This interactive lesson includes a Shark Tank exercise and can span the elementary grade levels through middle school.

Earning Potential
Students will understand how their earning potential increases with different levels of credentials. The first half leads students through an in-class discovery of personal potential. The second half teaches students about earning potential and possibilities.

Employee Benefits
Students will learn how to evaluate a job based on all the benefits of the job offer. Students will also think about which preferences are most important when looking for a job, like location or hours.

Exponential Decay
Students will learn that some items depreciate over time, using the example of a vehicle. Students will learn how to change the exponential growth formula to represent decay, helping them understand the true cost of a new car.

Exponential Growth and Purchasing a Home
Students will learn how to calculate exponential growth, discovering how much they will pay for a home over the life of a loan. Worksheets feature Portland area homes and their sale prices.

Financial Decision Making
This lesson will teach students to reflect on their money habits and determine if an item is a want or a need. They will consider how wants and needs can affect happiness, and how to find balance in life.

Financial Education and Persuasive Writing
This lesson gives students a chance to practice their powers of persuasion. They will debate the value of making pennies and the importance of financial education in schools. 

Interviewing Skills
Learn how to research jobs and internships, prepare for and practice interviews, answer common questions, dress for success, ask follow-up questions, and send a thank you letter. Don’t let education, experience or age stop you from applying!

Intro to Personal Finance
Many high school students don’t spend their time worrying about finances, but they are at the age where financial decision making is starting to impact their lives. This lesson will help students understand why personal finance is important, and gives the instructor an idea of each student’s comfort and knowledge of financial literacy. Lesson includes a pre- and post-assessment.

Investing & Compound Interest
Who will earn more? Use loan and compound interest calculators to learn about interest in a fun and interactive way. Students should complete Module 9 before this lesson.

Investing & Cryptocurrency
Learn the basics of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, discuss blockchain, learn cryptocurrency vocabulary, and explore what has been driving the increased popularity of the digital currency.

Investing & Risk vs. Reward
Students will learn to assess risks of different investments and learn about common investment terms. Lesson includes a game to teach different investment strategies.

Life Stages
Students will review the stages of their financial life and the potential impact certain actions can have on their life. Students will also reflect on their current spending habits to see if those habits align with the goals they have for the future.

Living on Your Own
This lesson shows students the reality of the expenses involved in moving out on their own. Students will interview friends and family, and also look at a sample lease and answer comprehensive questions about what to look for in a lease.

Making Financial Decisions
Every day we are faced with many decisions – What to wear? What to eat? Where to go? Who to hang out with? We are also faced with decisions involving our money. How do you go about deciding what the best way to spend (or not spend…) your money is? This lesson will help give you guidance.

Making Money
To make decisions about how to spend your money, you first must earn money. This is a multiple part lesson leading students through the entire process of earning money – including picking a career, landing a job, assessing the job offer, and then deciding how to spend the money you earn!

Marketplace Addition & Subtraction
Students will master addition and subtraction with decimals utilizing the real-world concept of money. This module features a classroom marketplace activity, making learning practical and fun.

Money Dominoes
Students can use this game to learn that there are many ways to make or write different amounts of money. Module includes a printable dominoes game that students play by matching amounts using different symbols, words and coins.

Money – What Is It?
Students will look at all the coins that are part of the U.S. currency and learn what each is worth. Lesson includes flash cards, a PowerPoint about the history of money, and a song about coins. Check out a fun video of kids singing the song here.

Penny Day Activities
This lesson is part of our “Money – What Is It?” (linked above) module but can be taught as its own lesson. It’s a perfect lesson for National Penny Day on May 23! Students can learn and have fun while making coin books, singing the classic Magic Penny song, playing with money flash cards, and designing their own coins.

Producers and Consumers
Students will learn the difference and the relationship between an economic producer and consumer, and goods and services. Lesson includes an interactive game with account transaction sheets.

Resume Building
Create, format, and distribute a complete resume that accurately represents your skills, experience, and educational background. This lesson includes 8 important tips to get an interview!

Rule of 72
This mini lesson shows students an easy way to estimate how long it will take an investment to double. They’ll compare rates to see the difference in earnings.

Spending
Students will learn the different types of spending (and saving!), the value of their money, and how to keep track of spending. This module includes an interactive Price is Right game, which gives students the chance to have fun and wear costumes as contestants!

Stock Market – NEW!
What is a stock and an IPO? What causes stock prices to change and how do you make money in the market? Learn important investment tools with this lesson.

Take Home Pay
Students will understand the parts of their paycheck and why the amount they earn is not the amount they get to keep. Net Pay and Gross Pay will be key components of the lesson.

Taxes
Learn how taxes are created, the purpose of taxes, how taxes are used locally and nationally, the difference between gross and net taxes, and how to read a W-4. 

The Great Depression and Recession
Learn the trends within the market that have led to previous crashes and the differences and similarities between the Great Depression (1929) and the Great Recession (2007).

Understanding Oregon Student Aid Application
The ORSAA is an alternative to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for undocumented students in Oregon, including students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Learn how the ORSAA gives students access to state grants and scholarships.

Questions or Suggestions? Get in Touch

Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or to request Kristin to teach in your classroom.