The following links provide primary and secondary teachers with resources and ideas for implementing consumer and financial literacy.
Understanding Money:
www.understandingmoney.gov.au
The Australian Government's 'Understanding Money' website aims to build the capacity of people to better understand and manage financial risk. There is information about building financial skills and knowledge related to budgeting, saving, credit and its use, debt control, investing, superannuation, getting financial advice and looking out for scams and insurance. There are links to many quality educational resources and professional learning programs that can help you deliver financial literacy programs.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission consumer education:
www.fido.asic.gov.au
As the consumer protection regulator for financial services, ASIC's aim is to improve the financial literacy of Australian consumers so that they can make informed decisions about financial products and services, and identify and avoid financial scams and rip-offs. There is also valuable information relating to saving, budgeting, travelling, credit, insurance and exercising your rights. The teacher resources section under publications includes materials about becoming confident consumers and managing money for middle school, levels 7-10, NSW Business Studies syllabus resources for Years 11 and 12 and contacts for speakers.
Assessment for Learning:
http://cms.curriculum.edu.au/assessment
The Assessment for Learning site provides professional advice and activity related to formative assessment and provides Australian teachers in all learning areas, at both primary and secondary levels, with assessment tasks designed to be used for formative purposes.
Primary
Consumer Affairs Victoria:
www.consumer.vic.gov.au/consumerstuff
The Consumer Affairs Victoria website provides a collection of useful resources for primary and secondary teachers and students.
Finance First MakingCents:
www.financefirst.net.au
MakingCents provides education resources for students aged 7-12 matched to Social Studies and Maths curriculums for each State and Territory. The upper primary resource involves students in investigating the financial traps in managing mobile phone costs. These financial literacy skills are then used for planning an enterprise involved in fundraising. The middle primary resource focuses on organising a birthday party. Students are involved in three steps: planning; budgeting and auditing the party budget. The lower primary resource focuses on a pocket money scenario. There is also a section designed to assist parents in talking to their children about money.
Secondary
Australian Securities and Investments Commission – Your Money Starter
http://www.fido.gov.au/yourmoneystarter
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s Your Money Starter is a resource exploring superannuation and insurance for teachers and students in Years 9-12. It would be useful in the curriculum areas of Studies of Society and Environment, Accounting, Business, Commerce and Mathematics. There are five modules of work: two units for Years 9-10 and three investigations for Years 11-12. These modules are supported by a series of photocopiable fact sheets and two multimedia learning objects: Plan for the party - Super and Safe or Sorry - Insurance
Commonwealth Bank Foundation:
www.commbank.com.au/foundation
The Commonwealth Bank Foundation encourages the financial literacy skills of young Australians through a number of programs. Available on their website is a 12-module teaching resource which covers earning an income, spending and saving, customer protection, buying a car, managing finances and planning and running a business. There is the Australian Financial Literacy Assessment (AFLA) an online pre-learning and post-learning assessments for Year 9 and 10 students with results directly linked to the teaching modules. The website also showcases financial literacy programs which have received a Commonwealth Bank Foundation Financial Literacy Grant. The StartSmart http://www.startsmart.com.au/ programs provide workshops and forums for young people aged 13 - 17 and teachers to improve their skills.
Dollars and Sense:
www.dollarsandsense.com.au
The Commonwealth Bank Foundation's Dollars and Sense website provides financial management information on topics including borrowing and lending; jobs, work and money; getting things you want; running your own business and mobile phones. The material is designed for students aged 14-17 years.
Consumer Affairs Victoria:
www.consumer.vic.gov.au/consumerstuff
The Consumer Affairs Victoria website provides a collection of useful resources for primary and secondary teachers and students.
Financial Basics Foundation, ESSI (Earning, Saving, Spending and Investing) game:
http://www.essimoney.com.au/
The ESSI Money game engages upper primary / lower secondary students in learning about Earning, Saving, Spending and Investing. The player is required to make selections on goals, financial choices, calculations and other matters to achieve the most assets at the end of the '26-week' period The playing time is about six hours.
Financial Basics Foundation:
www.financialbasics.org.au
The Financial Basics Foundation is a registered charity established to help educate secondary students about the credit system and responsible financial management practices. The website has sections for teachers and students, useful links, and offers two financial literacy teaching resources. Operation Financial Literacy contains 10 modules covering topics such as financial planning, income, budgeting, financial protection, credit and borrowing and mobile phones.
Money Stuff:
http://www.moneystuff.net.au/nsw/Teachersresources/Videoresources/tabid/92/Deafult.aspx
This financial literacy site contains factual resources, a glossary, and a quick quiz. Topics relate to advertising, buying a car, a mobile phone or a house, renting a flat and starting work. The Money Stuff teachers' resources section contains print resources and video resources.
NatWest Bank MoneySense:
http://www.natwestf2f.com/natwest/schools.asp
The Natwest's MoneySense program teaches children money management life skills. Material and ideas are age grouped: 11-14, 14-16 and 16-18. There are four modules (lesson plans, activities, resources) which cover how to open a bank account, how to manage money on a day-to-day basis, budgeting and how to run a business.
Phone Choice:
www.phonechoice.com.au
This site provides useful advice about plans, rates, providers, scams and deals for mobile phones, landlines, VoIP and other telecommunications.
The Real Game:
http://www.realgame.gov.au/index.htm
The Real Game is a career development program that integrates financial literacy concepts across key learning areas. There are five versions for different year levels. This comprehensive interactive learning kit offers a stimulating theme-based approach to life-like experiences as students explore the concepts and strategies that will enable them to make better informed decisions on education, income and job satisfaction, and gain a realistic understanding of adult life, work and society.
Spendwell:
http://www.spendwell.com.au/
This animated program for Years 6-9 students uses problem-solving activities suitable for cooperative, group work and individual learning. Students explore the obligations, implications and consequences of making financial choices in the realms of buying, living away, mobile phone usage and online shopping.
Victorian Essential Learning Standards - Support Materials:
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/teaching.html#teaching
This resource is designed to provide advice on teaching and learning theory, principles and strategies for teachers. The activities in the sample units provide examples of varied teaching and learning approaches and contexts that meet individual learning needs of students.
