Hands on Banking Financial Education

Hands on Banking is a financial literacy program for grades 1–12, with lessons that could easily suit adult learners. This program offers three levels of curricula -- elementary, middle, and high school -- each with online courses as well as easy-to-follow plans for in-person instruction. Both online and teacher-directed lessons include activities with assessments that cover a variety of financial skills. No usernames or passwords are necessary to access the online content. 

Students watch short videos with characters and narrators tailored to their age range, and then read lessons with some printable or clickable items. Online courses also offer access to all sorts of financial calculators, making swift work of complicated calculations. Tables and longer formulas are suggested as in-class activities for students who don't have access to these online tools. The class lessons have prompts for classroom discussions, experienced-based lessons, creative projects, and even role-playing activities. Lessons and any necessary print materials are organized and easily accessible, with suggested dialogue and answer keys.  

The site also offers family-friendly home activities and a plan for the Hands on Banking Experience designed for high school. Each student can receive one of the 50 pre-written profiles. Using in-class centers, students engage in budgeting decisions for situations like childcare, insurance, housing, and transportation.

On the whole, Hands on Banking has a lot of solid material to offer, especially in the form of the lessons. Teacher-directed activities are on track for each age group. Lessons for elementary school students include links to songs on the internet and relay races using flyswatters to tag vocabulary cards. Middle schoolers are challenged with open-ended activities like party planning on a budget, and high school students are engaged in role play to prepare for job interviews. Specialized calculators are helpful and provide real-life experience, but they keep the math shrouded in too much mystery. Although it's split into three levels, each level targets a wide range of ages and mathematics, and might be a good fit for all grades in a given range. Teachers should collaborate with the school's math department to be sure math skills are appropriate for the grade level and perhaps to brush up on the mathematics themselves. Overall, the curriculum will work for a wide range of kids, as materials are offered in English and Spanish, and there are some efforts to insure accessibility. 

Though the lessons are thoughtfully designed, they're fairly standard classroom fare. It would be great if the online component -- in the form of videos and a few interactive elements -- were a bit more innovative and engaging. Also, the elementary school assessment, in particular, requires higher-level reading than what's expected for an average first or second grader. Although users do have access to the glossary, it's too vast to be useful for younger kids. Elementary grade teachers might prefer the end-of-lesson questions found in the whole-class lesson plans for more appropriate assessments. And, like a lot of financial literacy materials, students living close to the poverty line may not find a lot to relate to around Bitcoin or building wealth. Though no curriculum can address every student's situation, a bit more representation around varied backgrounds and life paths would be great.