Download Before Reading Poll - Mrs. Nelson Economics

Name:_________________________________________Date:_______________________Period:_____
Right on the Money
Before Reading Poll
Some schools believe that students should be required to learn about basic economics, finance, and the benefits
and risks associated with debt. What do you think?
Personal finance courses should be required for all high school students.

Agree

Disagree
Explain why you voted the way you did.
1. What is this article mainly about?

The business lessons that Phyllis Quach learned from working for her parents'
company

The increased number of high schools in the U.S. that are offering personal
finance courses

The National Endowment for Financial Education's financial planning
program for teenagers

The similarities and differences between the recent recession and the Great
Depression
2. Which of these is a statement of fact?

Lessons about the pitfalls of accumulating debt are more important to learn than lessons about how to start a
401(k) retirement account.

Students would be better off taking a personal finance course in high school than learning from their mistakes
later.

Teens would spend much less money if they would ask themselves whether they are purchasing something that
they need or something that they want.

The number of states requiring public high schools to offer a personal finance course rose from 9 to 15 between
2007 and 2009.
3. The article states:
Frantz is pushing for legislation to require public high school students to learn about the basics of
home mortgage lending and the pitfalls of accumulating debt.
Which would be the closest synonym for the word accumulating?
Amassing
Budgeting
Offsetting
Pilfering
Name:_________________________________________Date:_______________________Period:_____
4. Which statement from the article best supports the opinion that more states should require high schools to offer
personal finance courses?

"[We need to ensure that] students graduate from high school with a better understanding of basic economics,
basic finance, and the benefits and risks associated with debt," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

"It was sort of seen as the kind of thing that should probably be learned in the home."

According to the Council for Economic Education, the number of states requiring public high schools to offer a
personal finance course rose from 9 to 15 between 2007 and 2009.

In fact, 13 of those states have made the course a graduation requirement, up from 7 in 2007.
5. According to the article, what is one reason why some schools continue to teach personal finance as part of
another subject, rather than as a separate course?

Because many school districts are dealing with limited finances

Because most students can learn finance lessons by working for family businesses

Because school officials view personal finance as something that should be learned at home

Because U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is pushing schools to focus on basic economics
6. Which is the closest antonym for the word incorporate?

Exclude
Replicate

Accumulate
Secrete
7. Based on information in the article, which best describes the difference between the number of states that made a
personal finance course a graduation requirement in 2007 and 2009?

In 2007, 13 states made the course a graduation requirement, while in 2009, 7 states made it a graduation
requirement.

In 2007, 15 states made the course a graduation requirement, while in 2009, 9 states made it a graduation
requirement.

In 2007, 7 states made the course a graduation requirement, while in 2009, 13 states made it a graduation
requirement.

In 2007, 9 states made the course a graduation requirement, while in 2009, 15 states made it a graduation
requirement.
8. Which question is not answered by the article?

What do kindergarten students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools learn about personal finance?

What is one possible reason for young people's eagerness to learn good money management skills?

Why does Amy Broekhuizen think that more teens are eager to learn money management skills today?

Why has personal finance, from maintaining a credit card to purchasing a home, become more complicated?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Why do experts believe it is important for high school students to learn about managing their finances? What
information about personal finance in the texts did you find most useful? Support your response with information
from the lesson.