Personal Economics

Activity 1: Marketing Yourself The students recognize their role in the Lebanese market system. They are introduced to the program through an activity that reveals the importance of marketing themselves. Activity 2: Identifying Your Skills and Interests The students identify personal skills and interests and relate them to various careers. They realize their choices today will influence their future roles in the marketplace. Activity 3: Job Opportunities The students discover the steps involved in finding a job. They read employment ads and practice filling out a job application. They discuss the value of jobs and volunteer experiences to their future career plans. Activity 4: Job Interviews The students discuss the characteristics employers want in potential employees, especially those characteristics that go beyond the basic knowledge and skills needed to perform the job. The students observe and evaluate successful and unsuccessful interviews, and they review a list of interviewing suggestions. Activity 5: Personal Budgeting The students work in small groups and use hypothetical information to develop a personal budget for a teenager. They learn the reasons for creating a budget and the basic features and characteristics of all budgets. Activity 6: Family Finances The students discuss financial planning and budgeting. They create a budget in which they establish priorities and estimate costs based upon expected income and expenses. Activity 7: Paying the Bills The students are introduced to financial institutions. They discuss the use of checking accounts and practice writing checks. Activity 8: Using Credit Wisely The students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using credit to make everyday purchases. In small groups the students examine a credit card statement. Activity 9: The Stock Market In the first of two activities about the stock market, the students explore the stock market as a way to add value to the money they have made in the marketplace. Activity 10: Analyzing Your Investments The students sell their stock from the previous activity and determine whether they made or lost money.