Title of Unit

Understanding consumer credit and

financial institutions
Finance
Michael Martinez

Curriculum Area
Developed By

Grade Level

High School

Time Frame

3 week unit

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards
CO Social Studies: Standard 3.4.b - Analyze financial information for accuracy, relevance, and steps for identity protection (DOK 2-3)
Standard 3.6.a - Analyze various lending sources, services, and financial institutions (DOK 1-2)
Standard 3.6.c - Make connections between building and maintaining a credit history and its impact on lifestyle (DOK 1-3)
Literacy: Employ standard English language properly and fluently in reading, writing, listening, and speaking
21st Century Skills: Collaboration

Understandings

Essential Questions

Overarching Understanding

Possessing a sense of personal financial literacy is an

important part of becoming an informed citizen.
There are numerous ways to build, maintain, and protect
consumer credit.
There are multiple types of financial institutions that offer
different services for people in various walks of life.
Collaboration is an important 21st century skill that teaches
teamwork, responsibility, accountability, achieving a
common goal.
It is important to remember that the decisions we make
impact those around us.

Overarching

What role does

responsibility play in
personal finance?
How is collaboration
used in todays society?
How does someone live
within their means?
How does literacy affect
our everyday lives?

Topical

Related Misconceptions

Identity theft only happens to older people.

The spending habits I create today wont affect my future.
Banks are the only place to keep money.
Its easy to get a loan for a new car or house.
Collaboration is dumb and Ill never use it after high school.
Being literate is easy for everyone.

Knowledge

Skills

Students will know

Students will be able to

What is credit and how

does it impact your
personal finances?
Why is it important to
build and maintain a
strong credit history?
How can credit impact
your life?
Why are there multiple
types of financial
institutions?
How can you protect
yourself and loved ones
from identity
theft/fraud?
How does working
collaboratively help you
in a career?

How to protect their personal and financial information from

identity thieves.
What kind of information goes on their credit report.
What creditworthiness is.
How creditors evaluate the creditworthiness of someone.
The 5 Cs of Credit.
What different types of financial institutions exist.
Why different types of financial institutions exist.
The types of services offered by different financial
institutions.
How to maintain accurate financial records and balance a
checkbook.
How literacy is important in every aspect of education and
life.
How collaboration an important factor that impacts their
future.
How the decisions they make will impact the world and
others in it.

Take the necessary precautions to protect their personal

and financial information.
Report to the proper authorities if their identity is stolen.
Evaluate a loan applicant and determine if they are
creditworthy by using the 5 Cs of credit as a guideline.
Identify which type of financial institution(s) and services
would be best for them.
Keep accurate financial records and balance a checkbook.
Evaluate how literacy impacts their lives and the lives of
others.
See how collaboration is influenced by common purpose,
leadership and teamwork skills.
Discuss how collaboration will affect their success in the
future.

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)

Performance Task Description
Students will be able identify and evaluate the components (the 5 Cs of credit) of a creditworthy person.

Goal

Students will be able to identify the different types of financial institutions and determine which services work
best for their own situation.
Students will be able to maintain detailed records and balance a checkbook.

Role
Audience
Situation

Student will be able to analyze the purpose of collaboration.

Citizens/consumers/members of society
Students
Students must demonstrate retention of knowledge and complete calculations on a written exam, collaborate
in a group activity, and write a multiple reflections.
A Blackboard and written exam testing content knowledge and ability to calculate simple transactions.

Product/Performan
ce

A group project and Socratic Seminar where students use collaboration to create the questions for a pop quiz.
Handwritten reflections to assess understanding after each lesson or class period.
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Standards

CO Social Studies: Standard 3.4.b - Analyze financial information for accuracy, relevance, and steps for identity
protection (DOK 2-3)
Standard 3.6.a - Analyze various lending sources, services, and financial institutions (DOK 1-2)
Standard 3.6.c - Make connections between building and maintaining a credit history and its impact on lifestyle (DOK 1-3)
Literacy: Employ standard English language properly and fluently in reading, writing, listening, and speaking
21st Century Skills: Collaboration

Other Evidence
See individual lesson plans.

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Where are your students headed? Where
have they been? How will you make sure
the students know where they are going?

Students will be able to identify and emulate responsible habits to build credit. They
will also know what steps to take to protect themselves from identity thieves. They
will know what to do if their identity is every stolen. They will know what kind of
financial institution and services are best for their personal situation.
Students have already learned how to measure their net worth and budget/manage
money responsibly. Money management, precise record keeping, and responsibility
are key to helping build good credit. Students already have some experience with all
three of these subjects. Also, most of the students have a bank account. It is
important for students to know the different options they have when it comes to
banking.
I will make sure students know where our lesson is heading by referring to our daily
objectives and by using real life examples as often as possible. This will help
students see relevance and how what we are learning is more than just content. We
are learning about things that will impact them in all stages of life.

How will you hook students at the

beginning of the unit?

At the start of the unit, I will show a video about the consequences of mismanaging
money/failing to manage credit responsibly. The following video gives a first person
account of a young woman who was irresponsible and racked up thousands of
dollars in credit card debt. It focuses on the struggles she faces even after she
learned from her mistakes. It shows the long term consequences one can face when
they make impulsive and rash decisions.
I will also lead a brief class conversation with students. In the discussion I will ask
students what their personal post-education/college goals. Hopefully some students
will say they wish to have a fancy car or become a homeowner. Ill then ask
students how they expect to pay for all of the nice things they want. This will lead
to a discussion about how most large purchases are made by getting a loan from a
financial institution. Well then talk about the criteria that many lenders look at
when considering a loan applicant. This will be the foundation for the unit.
3

What events will help students experience

and explore the big idea and questions in
the unit? How will you equip them with
needed skills and knowledge?

After the students have the basic concepts for the unit, they will work
collaboratively to analyze fictional loan applicants. At first students will look at the
loan applications without knowledge of the criteria that financial institutions use.
Students will use their instinct or background knowledge to either approve or deny
applications. Class discussions will be used to inquire students about common
criteria they used. Once data has compiled, students will learn about the 5 Cs of
Credit. After learning about the 5 Cs, students will evaluate new loan applications
paying specific attention to the 5 Cs. This will show students what to do (and what
not to do) to build credit and entice lenders.
Sharing personal experiences about identity theft and financial institutions will also
help students. Encouraging students to think critically about what they need from a
financial institution will help them make decisions that will impact their future.

How will you cause students to reflect and

rethink? How will you guide them in
rehearsing, revising, and refining their
work?

Students will reflect daily. Sometimes reflections will be written and collected, but
other times students will reflect verbally through group discussion. Students will
reflect on their answers and those of their peers and then rethink where necessary.
Students will be challenged to look at topics from a different perspective. I will help
the students to look at their thinking by discussing the concepts as a group and in
small groups and pushing questions back to them so that they have the ability to
rethink their concepts.

How will you help students to exhibit and

self-evaluate their growing skills,
knowledge, and understanding throughout
the unit?

I will utilize formative assessments including ticket-out-the-door activities, Socrative

quizzes, and independent practice. Students will participate in an online simulation
in which they have to manage money responsibly. They receive weekly updates on
their level of engagement, class ranking, and national ranking. The decisions they
make in the simulation and the results they see will guide them through the lesson
and let them self-evaluate.

How will you tailor and otherwise

personalize the learning plan to optimize
the engagement and effectiveness of ALL
students, without compromising the goals
of the unit?

These lessons are designed to maximize student engagement. By providing relevant

examples and including activities that simulate real situations, students can
immerse themselves in the unit. To help students that are struggling to stay
engaged, I will monitor students by circulating through the room to see if they are
on task and help them get back on task when necessary. Ill try to build relationships
with students to find out what interests them personally. If they are struggling I will
come up with an example using something they are familiar with. Students will have
individual and group work. Students will be held accountable individually and in a
group setting. Student engagement will be optimized by varying the type
instructional delivery, including Presentation, Demonstration, Inquiry Learning,
Simulation, and Group Learning.

How will you organize and sequence the

learning activities to optimize the
engagement and achievement of ALL

1. Introduction to Credit (Group discussions and individual research)

2. The 5 Cs of Credit (Group and individual activities)
3. Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft (Individual activity)
4

students?

4. Introduction to Financial Institutions (Group and individual activities & solo

quiz)
5. Managing Personal Finances (Group discussion and Individual activity)
6. Unit 2 Study guide
7. Unit 2 Exam (2 parts: Blackboard multiple choice/true-false and
practical/written)

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)