BUILDING BLOCKS TEACHER GUIDE Reflecting on what’s worth saving for Using the strategies of reflective writing, students create personal statement sharing their hopes and dreams of things they would like to have or accomplish in the future.

Learning goals KEY INFORMATION

Big idea Building block:

Saving money can help you achieve financial Executive Function well-being. Financial habits and norms

Essential questions Grade level: High school (9–12)

§ Why is saving money a good financial Age range: 13–19 strategy? Topic: Save and invest (Saving for § What do you feel is worth saving for? long-term goals)

Objectives School subject: CTE (Career and technical education), English or language § Use the reflective writing process to identify arts, Social studies or history savings goals Teaching strategy: Personalized § Begin to plan for spending and savings instruction, Direct instruction decisions that are aligned with personal goals and values Bloom’s Taxonomy level: Create

Activity duration: 45–60 minutes What students will do

§ Describe one or two things they’d like STANDARDS to have but can’t afford right . § Analyze why these things are worth Council for Economic Education saving for. Standard III. Saving § Explain how having these things will Jump$tart Coalition enhance their life. Spending and saving - Standard 1

To find this and other activities go to: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau consumerfinance.gov/teach-activities 1 of 4 Winter 2020 Preparing for this activity

□ While it’s not necessary, completing the “Storing my savings” and “Evaluating savings scenarios” activities may make this one more meaningful. □ Print copies of all student materials for each student, or prepare for students to access electronically.

What you’ll need

THIS TEACHER GUIDE § Reflecting on what’s worth saving for (guide) cfpb_building_block_activities_reflecting-whats-worth-saving_guide.pdf

STUDENT MATERIALS § Reflecting on what’s worth saving for (worksheet) cfpb_building_block_activities_reflecting-whats-worth-saving_worksheet.pdf

Exploring key financial concepts

Saving money is a strategy for achieving financial goals that is appropriate for people of all ages. To stay motivated to save money, it helps to have a idea of what is worth saving for. Saving is a personal experience. Different people are motivated to save for different things. Many things influence both our short- and long-term financial decisions. Core values are underlying principles that help people prioritize how they their time and money. Values inform how we decide what is more important when alternatives compete for our time, energy, and — importantly — money. It helps to reflect on what’s important to you, so you can make spending and savings decisions that are aligned with personal goals and values.

Reflection is when you allow yourself to think meaningfully about an idea, an experience, or an event so you can explore it in more detail and consider how it affects or relates to you personally. Reflective writing provides you an opportunity to describe and analyze a topic or issue you’re reflecting on so you can make observations about your thoughts or experiences and then connect them with your beliefs and understanding. It is a personal type of writing that encourages you to think about what you have learned and how you have learned it.

BUILDING BLOCKS TEACHER GUIDE Reflecting on what’s worth saving for 2 of 4 Winter 2020 Teaching this activity

Whole-class introduction

§ Distribute the “Reflecting on what’s worth saving for” worksheet. § Tell students that this activity will help them to reflect on what they’d like to save money for. Setting clear savings goals often motivate to be diligent savers (and avoid overspending), since we’re working toward something that is meaningful to us. § Be sure students understand key vocabulary:

° Needs: Basic things people must have to survive (such as TIP food, clothing, and shelter), resources they need to do their Visit CFPB’s financial jobs (such as reliable transportation and the tools of the education glossary at trade), and resources to help build and protect their assets consumerfinance.gov/ so they can meet future needs (such as emergency savings financial-education-glossary/. and insurance).

° Wants: Upgrades and other things that would be nice to have but aren’t necessary for living, earning, or protecting what you have.

§ Introduce the worksheet and explain that reflective writing gives us a chance to think carefully about how we feel about something by analyzing it and considering how it affects us personally. It is a personal kind of writing aimed at helping us understand something, or ourselves, better. § Write three headings for students to see: “Description,” “Explanation,” and “Outcome.” § Explain that reflective writing includes three parts: ° A “description,” where they expand in detail what they are thinking or reflecting on. In this case, they’ll share or discuss a few things they think are worth saving for. They should to be as specific as possible.

° An “explanation,” where they analyze or describe why the items they’ve selected are worth saving for and why these items are this important to them. As part of their explanation, students should identify whether their selected items are needs or wants.

° An “outcome,” where they explain what they believe their life will be like and how things will be improved once they have what they’ve saved for. This will serve as the conclusion of the reflection.

§ If necessary, review your expectations for writing an effective paragraph.

Individual work

§ Students will complete the “Reflecting on what’s worth saving for” worksheet.

3 of 4 § Be sure students write at least one paragraph for each of OPTIONAL the three parts of the reflective writing process: description, You may have them use explanation, and outcome. their worksheet as a first draft and turn their response Wrap-up into a more formal three- to Take a few minutes to bring students back together to discuss five- paragraph essay. how thoughtful reflection can be a good strategy for creating a savings plan.

Suggested next steps

Consider searching for other CFPB activities that address the topics of save and invest, such as choosing how to save, saving for long-term goals, and saving for short-term goals.

Measuring student learning

Once students complete the “Reflecting on what’s worth saving for” worksheet, you’ll have an idea of their learning and understanding.

If you choose to use the scoring rubric below to grade this activity, be sure to share it with all students so they know what criteria matter most and they can plan accordingly.

Keep in mind that students’ answers may vary, as there may not be only one right answer. The important thing is for students to have reasonable justification for their answers.

Criteria Possible points Point earned

Grammar/style: Uses correct grammar and appropriate sentence, 10 This cell is empty. paragraph, and writing conventions.

Vocabulary/word choice: Selects words and language to get 10 This cell is empty. their points across effectively.

Description: Clearly describes at least one thing worth saving for. 10 This cell is empty.

Interpretation: Provides a thoughtful analysis of why the selected 10 This cell is empty. items are important to them.

Outcome: Offers a detailed conclusion illustrating how their life 10 This cell is empty. will be improved by having the item(s) described.

Total points 50 This cell is empty.

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