I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Sanchez, a structural engineer and engineering education researcher at Oregon State University, to discuss teaching middle schoolers financial literacy. We explored strategies to measure financial understanding, emphasizing the importance of pre-and post-assessments to track progress. One idea we discussed was using group projects where students are given a budget to buy materials to build something practical, like a structure to hold a bottle. This hands-on activity not only teaches students about budgeting and resource management but also helps measure their engagement and awareness of financial concepts.

Dr. Sanchez also highlighted the importance of starting financial literacy education early, especially with the Oregon Department of Education pushing for it in high school. By introducing these skills in middle school, students can better understand budgeting, credit, and managing money as they grow older. Activities like budgeting for a project help students apply these skills in real life, while also preparing them for future financial decisions, like jobs or managing credit. Ultimately, we agreed that the goal is to make financial literacy engaging and measurable, setting students up for success as they approach high school and beyond.

In addition to meeting with Dr. Sanchez, I also continued working on my lesson plan. I planned out what activities and sub-topics I want to teach In google slides.