1. Welcome to JA Finance Park™
Teacher Training
Text found at the bottom of each of these screens is recommended verbiage to be used with the teachers. You will also find notes to the JA Staff.
Note to JA Staff:
•This screen should be visible as teachers report for training.
•Welcome the teachers, and introduce yourself and any other accompanying staff. Do a short introductory speech on Capstone Programs, experiential education, etc. and the role they plan in the JA mix of programs.
•Describe:
--the elementary program JA Biztown™
--the middle grades program, if applicable in your area, JA Finance Park. Which is recommended as a follow-up to the elementary program JA BizTown™.

2. JA Finance Park Teacher Training
By the end of this session, you will understand:
The purpose of JA Finance Park
How to efficiently and effectively use the program materials
The operation of the JA Finance Park facility
Teacher responsibilities necessary for a successful JA Finance Park student visit
“Before beginning, I’d like you to understand our goals for this teacher training session. (Go over the PPT slide and each goal.)”
Feel free to ask questions at any time as we move forward. Please stop me and ask me to clarify any information as it is presented.”

3. Goals of JA Finance Park
Help students think creatively, analyze tasks, and solve problems at grade level or above.
Encourage students to develop and demonstrate personal responsibility for learning and self-management.
Actively involve the business community and parents in helping students achieve at their highest level.
Communicate and work with schools to promote the highest student achievement.
Help students develop and follow a monthly budget.
“Along with understanding our goals for this training, I would like you to understand the program goals for the students.” (Briefly discuss each of the student goals as found on the slide.)

4. Teacher Resource Guide
“Let’s start by looking at the Resource Guide for Teachers. You should have a copy in front of you. I don’t plan to move through the Guide word for word, but rather I want to highlight sections of the Guide to help you understand its organization and make it more user-friendly for you.”

5. Begin Collecting These Unit Four Materials Early!
Calculators
Markers or colored pencils
Glue, tape, scissors
Large envelopes or Ziploc bags
Newspapers (especially Sunday), magazines, catalogs, advertisements
Fliers from grocery stores, mailed food advertisements, etc.
Grocery store receipts
•Go over the materials listed above and relate them to the Unit Four activity.
•Describe the activity and tell them what the students will be doing with the materials.
•Explain that the large envelopes (manila or some sort) will be used for group storage of materials and completed work in between class sessions. Point out that the timeline allots several days for completion of this activity, and most teachers have several classes in one day.
•Keeping projects separate requires some manner of storage.

6. Based on 45-50 minutes of daily instruction
Suggested Timeline
Based on minutes of daily instruction
Remember to:
Send Volunteer Recruitment Letters Home with Students
Send Volunteer Response Forms to JA Finance Park
“Let’s look at the recommended JA Finance Park teaching timeline. You’ll notice that the timeline is visually divided into weeks with the lessons assigned to days of the week. This allows you to quickly see how much time should be allotted to each lesson and how soon one needs to start teaching the program to be prepared on the day of the visit. Each of the daily lessons is based on 45 to 60 minutes of class time. You’ll note also that the on-site visit comes on the 19th day of study. Since this is the first time you are teaching this program, you may want to begin earlier than than the recommended 19 days, because you may find that some of the activities take longer on your first time teaching.
Volunteers play a crucial role in the JA Finance Park program. Their participation is mandatory, and we will talk more in-depth about them later in this training. But you’ll notice that on the timeline, we have attempted to remind you of some necessary communications involving this volunteer piece. We know that you are busy with many things and that this program is not the only thing on your plate. Use the timeline and its reminders, keep it handy, plan ahead, and we think you’ll find it very useful.
Note to staff: Continually throughout the remainder of this PowerPoint, we recommend that you add visual clues such as arrows, fly-ins, etc. to make a more interesting presentation. We have elected to omit those add-ins knowing that you will change the presentation to suit your own style.

7. Program
Introduction
“Prior to beginning the study of Unit One, Financial Institutions, you will find provided for you a short program introduction. This introduction recommends the use of a short DVD to help the students understand more about JA Finance Park. Try to use the DVD because it gives students a clear picture of what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Following the introductory lesson, you’ll move right into Unit One lessons about Financial Institutions. In each Unit, you’ll always find, in the right hand margin, a listing of the concepts, terms, and skills that are involved in that lesson, along with a Unit overview.”
Note to staff: Briefly go over each of the pieces of the Introduction: overview, objectives, time, materials, concepts and skills, etc. You may want to add “fly in” arrows, etc. as you highlight each piece giving the visual learners the ability to zero in on what you are talking about and thereby better remembering the discussion. If you are not providing a copy of the DVD to each teacher, be certain to provide them with the web address where they may go to download it. (

8. Presentation/ Lesson Plans
Class Period
“Following the Introduction accompanying each lesson, the curriculum moves immediately into the actual lesson plans. Each lesson begins with an introduction giving any background information helpful to the teacher’s understanding of the topic. The lesson plan itself comes next, followed by the summary and review.”
Note to staff: Again, as you briefly review each of the sections of the lesson plan: introduction, activity, and summary and review, you may want to add “fly in” arrows, etc. as you highlight each piece giving the visual learners the ability to zero in on what you are talking about.

9. Found in the Guide for Teachers and the Student Workbook
Student Overview
Found in the Guide for Teachers and the Student Workbook
“Looking at this Unit One Student Overview, I want to point out to you that all student workbook pages are also found in the Teacher’s Resource Guide. You’ll note above in the upper left hand corner that the Student Workbook page number will always be found in the Resource Guide with the actual Resource Guide page number found in the lower right hand corner.”
Note to staff: If you opt to use “fly in” arrows, etc. highlighting each piece, you would highlight the Title of the activity as found in the Student Workbook, the Student Workbook page number in the top left hand corner, and the Guide page in the lower right hand corner. (This PPT was created prior to the completion of the final curriculum so you may want to replace this page with a picture of the newly revised page.)

10. Pre- Test and Post-Test
“The Pre- Test and Post- Test are the same test. Students have a copy of the the Test in the Student Workbook, and you may use your copy as a test master should you need extras.”
The Pre-Test and Post-Test are the same test. Use your copy as the test master. Students have a copy of the Test in the Student Workbook.

11. The Pre-Test/Post-Test Key also is located in the Guide for Teachers.
“ The accompanying Pre- Test/Post- Test answer key is found in the Resource Guide. For Teachers.”

12. Sample Activity
Student worksheets are located in the Student Workbook and the Guide for Teachers.
“All student worksheets are found not only in the Student Workbook but also in the Resource Guide.”

13. Each worksheet has an Answer Key.
“An Answer Key for each student worksheet is also found in the Teacher’s Resource Guide.”

14. ATM/Debit Card What is it? Why use it?
“In Unit 1, Lesson 2, you will be working with thestudents on learning the differences between a Debit card and an ATM card.”

15. Credit Card What is it? Why use it?
“…..and in Unit 1, Lesson 3, you will help your students to understand how a credit card compares to an ATM/Debit card.”

16. Advantages and Disadvantages
Credit
Advantages and Disadvantages
“In Unit 1, Lesson 4, you will continue to work with your students on the topic of Credit helping them to understand the advantages and disadvantages of credit. It will be necessary to stress the responsibility that accompanies the use of a credit card and the consequences of irresponsible credit card use.”

17. Always an Answer Key
“Again, just to remind you that for every student worksheet, you will find an accompanying Answer Key in the Teacher’s Resource Guide.”

18. PYF Savings and Investing Time Means Money
“IN Unit 1, Lesson 5, you will introduce your students to the options available for creating a healthy savings.
Let’s look at the letters PYF. Often you hear these letters representing Pay Yourself First, and we understand that representation, but we also find that another good meaning for these letters, especially with eighth grade students, is Plan Your Future. We want them to understand that it is up to them, when handling their money, to realize that a certain amount of their dollars must be “put back” or saved for the future. You will be helping your students to understand the importance of the amount of money, the rate of interest, and the period of time over which the savings takes place.”

19. Resource Sheets in Student Workbook Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds
“Here you see an example of a Student Resource Sheet found in the Student Workbook. A Resource Sheet is a document developed for the sole purpose of giving information. There will be no written work required on these sheets, but rather it is a “read-only” document.”

20. Calculating Stock Value
Locating stock
Determining day’s price
Multiplying closing price by number of shares
“Students will learn about stocks and various other types of investments. They will learn to locate stocks in the daily newspaper to determine their current price as well as learn how to calculate their total value.”

21. Unit Two: Taxes and My Salary
Skills
Active listening
Brainstorming
Charting
Comparing
Math computation
Reading
Teamwork
Concepts
Government
Income
Salary
Taxes
Wages
“In Unit two, students will study the purpose of taxes and their effect on salaries.”

22. Where Is All My Money? Taxes Social Security Medicare
“Students will be introduced to taxes with an emphasis on income, property, and sales tax. They will also learn about Social Security and Medicare.”

23. Calculating NMI Gross Annual Income Gross Monthly Income
3. Net Monthly Income
“After discussing taxes and their effect on our income, students will learn how to take their gross annual income and calculate their net monthly income.”

24. Unit Three: Budgeting Concepts Budget Expenses Income Needs
Opportunity cost
Savings
Taxes
Wages
Wants
Skills
Active listening
Comparing
Decision-making
Math computation
Reading
Teamwork
“During Unit Three, students will discuss the components of a successful budget and learn why budgeting it is so important to a family.”

25. Case Studies
“By reviewing budgeting individual scenarios, students will discuss and think about the process of creating a budget that will help them to meet their future goals.”

26. Unit Four: Preparing for JA Finance Park
Concepts
Budget
Expenses
Income
Needs
Savings
Taxes
Wages
Wants
Skills
Active listening
Comparing
Interpersonal skills
Math computation
Reading
Role-Playing
Teamwork
Verbal communication
“In Unit 4, using the information learned in the first three units, students will work in groups to practice creating a budget in preparation for their onsite visit to JA Finance Park.”

27. Begin Collecting These Unit Four Materials Early!
Calculators
Markers or colored pencils
Glue, tape, scissors
Large envelopes or Ziploc bags
Newspapers (especially Sunday), magazines, catalogs, advertisements
Fliers from grocery stores, mailed food advertisements, etc.
Grocery store receipts
“Remember the recommendation to begin collecting these materials prior to the beginning of the curriculum? If that was done, you are ready to begin Unit 4.”

28. Groups Unit Four is a group project.
Groups of two to six (2-6) are recommended.
“Groups of 2-6 are recommended for this activity in Unit 4. We also recommend that you walk the students through the beginning of this group project by thoroughly going over the directions and the project Checklist.”

29. Life Situation Card
“You will distribute to each group a Life Situation Card found in your Teacher Resource Guide. The life situation found on this card will be the basis for their group budget.”

30. Student Checklist
Prepares students for JA Finance Park on-site Checklist.
Assures students will finish group work.
“In their Student Workbook, students will find a Checklist to be used during this activity. With your thorough introduction before students start the group project ,and by following this Checklist carefully, the group should be able to create their budget with little confusion. We also want them to get accustomed to the benefits of a checklist because they will be using one when they come to JA Finance Park”

31. NMI Worksheet
“Early in this Unit 4 project, groups will need to complete an NMI worksheet using the information found on their Life Situation Card.”

32. Budget Guidelines Worksheet
“Next, they will calculate percentages as found on the Budget Guidelines Worksheet to create their Minimum and Maximum Guidelines for each of their budget categories.”

33. Actual Budget Decisions
“Here is a sample of an Option Sheet found in the Student Workbook. The groups will be completing several Option Sheets as they collect information in search of those options that their group can afford. You will need to decide whether you want each student in the group to complete all of the work and create a packet of their own, or assign a group recorder to track all of the paperwork ensuring that one group packet is turned in upon project completion.”

34. Investments
“Part of the work will also require the group to select several real stocks that they would like to track by reading the stock section in the daily newspaper and recording these findings on a Personal Investment Report. Remember that most of the work that the group is completing during this Unit at school will be required of each student personally during the onsite JA Finance Park visit.”

35. Before the Visit Account Number Business Assignments
“Following completion of the group project and as a conclusion to Unit Four, in preparation for the onsite visit, you will assign an account number and business to each student. It is important that each student knows these assignments when arriving onsite. We will be sending you these Account Number and Business Assignment sheets prior to your visit and will discuss them again later in this training.”

36. Concepts Budget Expenses Income Needs Savings Taxes Wages Wants
Unit Five: The Visit
Concepts
Budget
Expenses
Income
Needs
Savings
Taxes
Wages
Wants
Skills
Active listening
Critical thinking
Interpersonal communication
Math computation
Teamwork
Unit Five is the onsite visit. Volunteers will be necessary for this onsite visit, and we will discuss the recruitment of these volunteers as we move forward.”

37. JA Finance Park On-Site Visit
4.5 hours on-site.
Students must know their account numbers and assigned businesses on arrival.
Students should bring their own lunches.
A JA Finance Park staff member will lead the opening activity.
Students report to their assigned businesses.
Just as a reminder, a few points concerning the JA Finance Park onsite visit:
(discuss above)
We will be taking a closer look at the onsite visit very shortly.

38. Unit Six: After the Visit
Concepts
Budget
Expenses
Income
Needs
Savings
Taxes
Wages
Wants
Skills
Active listening
Critical thinking
Self-reflection
“Following the onsite visit comes one of the most important pieces of any experiential education experience: the reflection. During this one day reflection piece, students will be asked to use their writing skills to journal about their newfound financial knowledge. They will also be asked to conference with their parents about their newly acquired knowledge.”

39. Unit Seven: Career Goals
Concepts
Career
Goals
Income
Values
Skills
Active listening
Critical thinking
Research writing
Self-assessment
“Unit 7 is an optional unit of study. After studying the importance of budgeting and learning the basics of creating a balanced budget, students are at an optimal time for considering how they will earn that future income.”

40. Glossary
“A Glossary is found in both the Resource Guide and the Student Workbook.”

41. Account Number Information Sheet
Visit Information
Account Number Information Sheet
Provided to you by JA Staff.
Must be completed and returned to JA prior to visit.
Keep a copy for yourself and bring to simulation.
Note to JA Staff:
Review with the teachers how you will be using this Account Number and Business Assignment Form. This form is generated from the JA Finance Park software program. You should send this Form to teachers at least 2 weeks prior to the onsite visit giving them sufficient time to complete the Form and return it to you. You can then make 2 copies of the Form.
•One copy, for the appropriate business, should be given to the Volunteer as he/she arrives early on the morning of the visit.
•One master copy of all assigned businesses should be made for JA Staff to use during the visit.

42. Customize on your Teacher CD
Parent Consent Letter
Customize on your Teacher CD
Note to JA Staff:
This JA Finance Park consent letter should be sent home at least six weeks prior to the visit. You may also want to send home the Introduction to Finance Park Letter found in the Volunteer Information section of the Curriculum Guide. This letter assists you to identify parents who will be willing to serve as JA Finance Park volunteers on the day of the onsite visit.

43. JA Finance Park
Visit
“To give you a better understanding of the expectations for your students on the day of the onsite visit, let’s experience the visit. You should have a JA Finance Park student folder in front of you. Let’s get that folder out and begin to do some work.”

44. Sample Daily Schedule
“This is the approximate schedule we will follow. It is approximate because JA Staff will set the exact schedule by observing the students during the visit.
Note to JA Staff:
•Discuss the following:
--The Truth Revealed:
- Adult volunteer is in charge
- Students receive life situation stickers
--The Big Search:
- Students move around the Park
- Students collect budget options sheets
The Budget Puzzle:
- Students determine how to budget their available money
The Final Commitment:
- Students pay bills
Closing:
- Clean up and collecting materials
The exact time to move from one activity to another will be announced by the JA staff.

45. The Truth Revealed
“Upon arrival from school, students will take part in a brief 15 minute introductory session after which they will be dismissed to their pre-assigned businesses for the time period The Truth Revealed.”

46. Life Situation Sticker
Debit Card
Life Situation Sticker
“Each student was assigned a unique account number prior to arriving. Each account number has a corresponding life situation. Life situations stickers and debit cards will be distributed to to the students by the volunteers during The Truth Revealed.”
Note to JA Staff: Instruct teachers to find their Debit Card and Life Situation sticker in their folder.

47. JA Finance Park Student Worksheets
“Found in the Finance Park student folder are 4 worksheets: A Student Checklist (lavender), an NMI Worksheet (light blue), a Guidelines and Actual Budget Worksheet (green), and a Checkbook Register (yellow or buff). Each of these worksheets will be very important to the students’ budgeting process.”

48. Should be used during the entire day!
Student Checklist
Should be used during the entire day!
“This Student Checklist should be used during the entire day. It will insure that if the students use it and work carefully, they will be able to finish their budget.”
Note to JA staff: Briefly, go over the tasks as outlined on the Checklist. Discuss it with the teachers as they look at the one in their Teacher Training packet.

49. NMI Worksheet Round off all answers to the nearest dollar.
Volunteers initial worksheet only when NMI is correct.
“Using the NMI Worksheet and the gross annual income found on their life situation sticker, students will calculate their net monthly income (NMI). The NMI is a very important number because student budget decisions will be based upon this amount of monthly income.
When students have completed this NMI Worksheet, their volunteer will verify that it is correct with their initials at the bottom letting the student know that they may move on to their Guidelines and Actual Budget Worksheet.” Students should round off all figures to the nearest dollar.”
Note to JA Staff: Allow teachers to work through their NMI Worksheet. They usually enjoy doing this, and of course the experience gives them a better understanding of the process.

50. Guidelines and Actual Budget Worksheet
Line 9 from NMI worksheet becomes Line 1 on Guidelines and Actual Budget worksheet.
“There are 16 budget categories found on the Guidelines and Actual Budget worksheet. Each of these category values is expressed as a percentage of the students’ NMI. Using these percentages and the NMI, students will calculate a minimum and maximum monetary guideline for each budget category. These guidelines will set the parameters for their budgetary decisions later in the day. Let’s take a few minutes, and you may go ahead and calculate perhaps 4 or 5 of your budget categories. Remember to round all amounts off to the nearest dollar.””
Students complete Steps 1 and 2 by calculating percentages to nearest dollar amount.

51. Must be used during The Final Commitment.
Checkbook Register
Must be used during The Final Commitment.
“The final Worksheet found in the Finance Park folder is a Checkbook Register. During the later part of the day, when all budget decisions have been made and payments are being paid, students will need to record their expenditures on this Checkbook Register. We want them to understand that whether writing checks or using a debit card, whenever they spend money from their checking account, these expenditures should be tracked.”

52. The Big Search
“The next time period of the JA Finance Park visit is The Big Search.”

53. Sample Option Sheet
Students will pick up one Option Sheet from most businesses.
“During The Big Search, students will leave their business and visit each of the other businesses (each representing a budget category) to collect Option Sheets. Some of these Option Sheets will be conveniently ready to be collected, and some of them will need to be printed requiring that questions be answered on the computer first.
Note the line number in the upper right hand corner of the Option Sheet. These line numbers will be very important to the student during The Budget Puzzle. If you will look in the right hand pocket of your folder, you should find some sample Option Sheets from the onsite visit. Let’s take a look at them.”
Note to JA Staff: Briefly discuss the Option Sheets and answer any questions.
Note line number in top right hand corner of Option Sheet.

54. Student Checklist
The Student Checklist should be used during the entire day. √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
“Their Checklist will tell them what to expect during The Big Search. They need to use it carefully.”

55. The Budget Puzzle
“After all Option Sheets have been collected, students return to their business groups to begin a real thinking time: a brain drain, better known as The Budget Puzzle.”

56. Guidelines and Actual Budget Worksheet
Budget decisions are made.
Step 3 is completed.
Budget is balanced.
“During this time period, students will be completing Step 3, or making their final budget decisions. They will study each of their collected Option Sheets basing their final decisions on the needs of their family. These decisions will be recorded in the far right hand column of the Guidelines and Actual Budget Worksheet.”

57. The Final Commitment
“Students have worked hard to complete their budget decisions. When those decisions have been made, it is time for them to commit to their decisions by paying their monthly bills. This happens during The Final Commitment.”

58. Checkbook Register must be completed!
NMI is the beginning balance.
Final balance must be 0 or a positive number.
“Students may elect to work on their Checkbook Register during the end of The Budget Puzzle if time allows, they may complete it as they pay their bills, or they may return to their work area after paying all of their bills and complete it. It must be completed with an ending balance of 0 (which happens very seldom) or a positive number. This balance should be the same as the Balance Remaining At Month End on the Guidelines and Actual Budget worksheet.
If the figures do not match or are less than zero, help them figure out what needs to be done to correct the situation.”

59. A JA Finance Park staff member must check the completed Checkbook Register.
“When the Checkbook Register has been completed and all payments have been made, the students must visit the Finance Park check-out stations manned by the JA staff. The staff at these stations will compare the Checkbook Register with the computer readings and verify that all payments have been made and the balance is indeed either 0 or a positive number. If payments are not completed, JA staff will inform the students what they have left to complete.”

60. End of Day Budget Review
“An End of the Day Budget Review for each student, generated from the JA Finance Park software system, is available to be printed if you request them. This End of the Day Report makes a great review lesson after the onsite visit.”

61. Questions
Note to JA Staff: Allow time for questions.