Personal Finance,Room 256

HaverfordSenior High School

Mrs. McCarty

610-853-5900 x 2258

Teacher Website:

2013 Syllabus and Course Guidelines

Course Description: ( .5 credit, elective)

Personal Finance is a course designed to teach students financial literacy and how to make proper financial decisions for their future.

The units covered are: Developing a Life-Cycle Financial Plan, Goal Setting, Career Planning through Education, Budgeting, Good Debt vs. Bad Debt, Credit Card use, Buying a Car, Insurance, Buying a House, and Investing in the Stock Market with the goal to retire!

Students will develop financialliteracy through integrated academics, real-world examples, and practical advice. By learning how to make informeddecisions related to spending, saving, borrowing, and investing, the students will learn how to build a solid foundation for their financial security now and in the future.

Personal Finance classes will involve a strong emphasis on:

  • Technology: this class is taught in a computer lab
  • There are online resourcesthat will be used daily for academic and research purposes
  • The students will use the MS Office Suite to complete assignments
  • The development of a broader set of student skills including:
  • written and oral communication
  • interpersonal skills, including working in teams
  • analytical and critical thinking skills, including working on cases and projects involving real-world situations
  • This course also requires students to participate in the “Stock Market Game”, sponsored by Market Watch. This is an Internet-based learning activity to familiarize students with investments in publicly traded companies and the current economic times. Each student will have their own portfolio.

Evaluation:

  1. Portfolio of Work kept throughout the course of the semester – Students will have tangible evidence of their progress and achievements, ranging from worksheets to projects
  2. Students are expected to maintain a 3-ring binder with all work organized by chapter
  3. Homework / Classwork Grades
  4. Regularly Scheduled Tests

Percentage GradeCourse Grade Percentage Grade Course Grade

98 to 100A+77 to 73C

97 to 93A72 to 70C-

92 to 90A-69 to 68D+

89 to 88B+67 to 63D

87 to 83B62 to 60D-

82 to 80B-59 to 0 F

79 to 78 C+

Course Materials Needed:

3-ring binder with notepaper: there will be hand-outs / worksheets daily

  • Binder Check every Friday

Class Rules and Expectations:

When class starts, you should be in your seats and attentive. Be on time.

Be prepared for class – Have all materials, individual folder, and be focused

Listen Respectfully.

Make-Up Work – Assignments may only be made up if absences are excused. Late work will not receive full credit.

No Cell phones/smartphones/ headphones permitted in class. See Student Handbook.

Copying of files or assignments, Violations of computer security or the Internet Acceptable Use Policy of the District, or Destruction or Theft of school property will be referred to the administration in accordance with district discipline policies and procedures.

Consequences for Violations: (Includes but, not limited to:)

Zero credit for assignment(s)

Call to parent/guardian

Teacher detention

Referral to House Principal/Administration

If you need assistance or have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or telephone. Before and after school arrangements can be made for enrichment exercises of current lessons.

______

DateStudent Signature

______

DateParent / Guardian Signature