Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8

*Click to open and customize your own copy of the Banking Lesson Plan.

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Banking, and supports the standards of understanding concepts of credit and debt, and examining the importance of banks to the economy. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Ask students: 

  • Why do people go to a bank?
  • Can you think of a time you went to the bank with a parent or family member? What was that experience like?

Step 2: BUILD BACKGROUND

  • Read aloud the description on the Banking topic page
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
  • Have students read one of the Related Reading articles. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: ENGAGE
Students express what they learned about banking while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs. 

  • Make-a-Movie: Create a commercial for a bank that answers this question: Why should I keep my money in an account at your bank?  (Essential Literacy Skill: Determine central ideas)
  • Make-a-Map: Make a concept map identifying and explaining the steps for writing checks and paying bills using a bank account. (Essential Literacy Skill: Summarize key details)
  • Creative Coding: Code a learning game sorting banking-related vocabulary terms into self-selected categories. (Essential Literacy Skill: Acquire and use domain specific words and phrases)

Step 4: APPLY & ASSESS 

Apply: Students take the Banking Challenge, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Assess: Wrap up the lesson with the Banking Quiz

Step 5: EXTEND LEARNING

Cat Insanity: Challenge players to apply knowledge of credit and debt while feeding hungry cats in this interactive game. 

Shady Sam: Players take on the role of loan sharks, using strategies to maximize their profits at the expense of their borrowers in this game. 

Economics Unit: Continue to build understanding around economic institutions with more BrainPOP topics.

Additional Support Resources:

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments