Financial Fridays - It’s About More Than the Money!

Throughout the winter term, 8th grade students have been doing a deep dive into topics related to money each Friday as part of Finance Friday. While money is often incorporated into word problems for other math topics, conceptual understanding of finance and money are often skipped over in mathematics education. However, the importance of being financially literate has life-long implications, in both our personal and professional lives. This NPR article further elaborates on the importance of quality financial education, as well as the disparities in financial understanding across race and gender. 

8th grade students dove into topics like budgeting, taxes, and interest rates with enthusiasm. The world of finance and financial systems can often seem scary or overwhelming, but when broken down and given the opportunity to play and explore in contexts without real world consequences, students are able to build foundational financial decision making skills. Students also make connections to topics they have learned about in other spaces, rounding out their understanding of how global systems of power and oppression function. Our analysis of tax systems brought about thoughtful reflections on who should determine how taxed money should be spent and conversations on the student loan crisis brought up unique and creative ideas for where higher education funding could be found. 

Throughout these conversations on money, there was a consistent theme of analyzing the class structure of this country and the impact of generational wealth on financial opportunities. Understanding wealth disparity, the impact of capitalism, and financial systems is an essential tool in conversations about social justice. Oppressive systems in our society are heavily supported by the economic systems at play, so building understanding of these concepts in our students is essential for them being able to create positive change in our world, and they are excited and eager to do so!