LESSON 1 Why Does Money Matter? Today’s youth will be required to take more personal responsibility for managing their finances than any generation before them. Therefore, financial education is more important than ever. A vital part of that education is understanding why money matters. This lesson is about the importance of teaching youth about money—not just financial tips and processes, but a deeper look at the meaning of money and factors that influence how they use money. START IT Up Ask the students: Why do you need money right now? in five years, why would you need money? in ten years, why would you need money? does money matter? explain. (Journal page 1.) Act On It | Money Talk Activity Group Instructions: Place the Money Talk cards in a bowl or a bag and have each student draw one card. Give each student 30-60 seconds to answer the question on the card. Other students should not comment while the student is talking. The Money Talk cards are designed to help initiate guided discussion. (Alternatively, they can be used as a writing prompt.) The cards can be used at any time during this curriculum. You can also use them more than once because it is very unlikely that a student would get the same question twice. Many of the same questions are also in the Journal. Talk about It | Why Does Money Matter? Summarize the following information in your own words: Money—it’s great to have, fun to spend, and hard to keep. Many of you would agree with this statement, but have you ever stopped to think about why money matters? Why do people spend so much time and energy thinking about money, Lesson Goals: • Discover why money matters. • List four barriers that keep teens from reach- ing financial literacy. Materials Needed: • In the Journal: Why Does Money Matter? pages 1-16. • In the Appendix: Money Talk activity cards • Digital Download: Why Does Money Matter? Power-Point presentation. Getting Ready: • Preview the Why Does Money Matter? PowerPoint. • Preview the Why Does Money Matter? Journal pages 1-16. Students can complete these worksheets as the lesson topic is presented or at the end of the lesson as a review. • Cut out and laminate (if possible) the Money Talk cards located in the Appendix. 3-5 1-2 LESSON 1 | WHY DOES MONEY MATTER? | 1 COPYRIGHT © 2011 BY THE DIBBLE INSTITUTE