The availability of personal financial information is of greater importance now than ever before. Your pupils will discuss how public and private records are accessed by various organizations, particularly considering direct mail, credit...

Understanding the US government's role proves very important in the American economy, especially for consumers. Scholars learn about how varying government agencies help them when facing an issue. The third and final resource in the...

Consider how to use consumer reports to review performance, price, reliability and safety information about specific cars. Young learners review how life styles and economics affect car choices. They then find solutions for car-buying...

Get the facts about credit and take a close look at what factors into a consumer credit report with this fantastic instructional activity. Your pupils will read informational texts, read sample financial documents, and...

Young journalists investigate the various ways to share news about a disaster and evaluate the pros and cons of each of these types of news. Individuals then select two different forms of media reports of a recent disaster. Using the...

How cool, an interactive personal finance game! Young consumers play a real-life scenario game to practice making credit decisions. They play the game then discuss good and bad credit choices. The scenarios revolve around the use of a...

Students explore the concept of credit. In this credit lesson, students read an article about 'free' credit reports. Students research the three on-line credit bureaus. Students discuss ways to obtain good credit and ways to stay away...

Students work across grade levels to research and design a community awareness campaign on the benefits of purchasing fair trade chocolate. They develop print advertisements, conduct research, write letters, make posters and prepare oral...

How can you tell if a commercial or salesperson is being misleading? Encourage your learners to protect themselves and their money with a lesson about consumer rights. They review laws that keep consumers safe from faulty claims and...

Why is it so difficult to develop a clear understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer? To answer this question class members listen to a NPR discussion of the findings of...

The attempts of journalists to verify the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown take center stage as individuals analyze three of the initial newspaper accounts of the story. The whole class discussion then focuses...

Falling into the hands of a credit scam is much too common these days, and the young adults in the classroom need to be prepared. Through the activity, learners discover how to be a safe spender and use common sense when...

Students explore the possibility that a products name might bias a consumers decision to buy a particular product. The question remains to be answered, "Why do consumers buy what they buy and why that particular product?"

Students explore how consumers have become as proficient in computer technology as specialists were a decade ago. They create and conduct a test to determine the proficiencies of people in their school community.

Students discover that they can call the Washington State Attorney General's office to report deceptive sales practices. They determine what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is and what it does. They examine the Federal "Do Not Call"...

Class members investigate the role media should play in a healthy democracy. As part of this study, groups analyze political advertising, use FactCheck to assess not only the veracity of but the persuasions techniques used in candidates'...

Class members consider how people steal online identities as they discover the essential elements of identity theft and consumer fraud. Pupils demonstrate learning by creating a poster or video about how to avoid identity theft. 

Finding good primary source materials to support any study of history can be a challenge and time-consuming. A set of 11 primary source letters, images, and text excerpts provide young historians with an opportunity to sharpen their...

Students role play a scenario between a creditor and debtor. In this consumer education lesson, students read the book Four Dollars and Fifty Cents, discuss the vocabulary introduced in the book and role play a  situation between a...

To conclude their case study of media coverage of the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer, class members consider the role of citizen watchdogs in a democratic society, develop strategies for combating...

Students examine kinds of data used to report statistics, and create their own statistical report based on any of the four sources of media information (Internet, newspaper, TV, magazine).

Students study the concept of sustainable agricultural practices through cocoa farming and the lives of the people who are the producers. Students watch a slide show and read a story which helps them understand the origins of chocolate,...

Students research underage drinking and read a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association about the issue. They interview experts on substance abuse and liquor store owners about their policies. Students publish their...

Many of the issues facing 21st Century learners are challenging and even discussing these issues can be a challenge. So how do teachers prepare learners for these difficult conversations? How do instructors create a safe classroom where...