In Recognition of Financial Literacy Month, Thinkfinity.org Highlights Lesson Plans and Educational Resources to Help Teachers Increase Students’ Knowledge of Basic Economics

Verizon Foundation Web Site Offers Free Teaching Resources and Student Activities About Credit Cards and Calculating Compound Interest and College Tuition Costs

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., March 23 /PRNewswire/ – Teachers seeking educational resources to help students gain a strong knowledge of basic finances and economics can find a host of free lesson plans and student activities at Thinkfinity.org.

In recognition of Financial Literacy Month, observed in April, free teaching resources and economics lesson plans about student credit cards and calculating compound interest and college tuition costs will be highlighted on the home page of the Verizon Foundation’s Thinkfinity.org.

“It has never been more important for our children to have a firm grasp of economics and financial literacy,” said Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston. “The challenging times everyone faces today provide a tremendous teachable moment that opens the door for educators to help students gain the skills needed to make wise financial decisions in the future.”

Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation’s free, comprehensive Web site that contains thousands of educational resources including K-12 lesson plans, online educational activities, videos and other materials to enhance teacher effectiveness and improve student achievement.

Among the resources included in the Thinkfinity.org Financial Literacy Month feature are:

• Compound Interest Calculator — This simulation, from the Council for Economic Education’s EconEdLink, provides examples of consistent monthly savings to teach students learn the power of compound interest. For grades 3 to 12. http://www.econedlink.org/interactives/interest.html
• Exploring Cost and Savings Using Children’s Literature — In this lesson from the International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English’s ReadWriteThink.org, students read and discuss “A Chair for My Mother,” by Vera B. Williams, then explore the concept of saving for specific purposes, the book’s theme. For grades 3 to 5. http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1119
• You’re Going to College — Students learn about the true costs of attending college, its benefits and its impact on potential lifetime earnings in this interactive game from the Council for Economic Education’s EconEdLink. For grades 8 to 12. http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/popup.php?lesson_number=789&&flash_name=college3.swf
• Predicting Your Financial Future — Students use their knowledge of exponents to determine an investment’s worth, using a formula and a compound interest simulator, in this lesson from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Illuminations. Students also use the simulator to analyze credit card payments and debt. For grades 9-12 http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L761
• Rates and Taxes – Students learn how to determine the amount of tax a family will pay, based on a certain income, in this lesson from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Illuminations. For grades 9-12. http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L378

“With the constant time demands that classroom teachers face — from students, administrators and parents — it’s a struggle to cover just the basic content,” said John LeFeber, curriculum and instructional developer for the Council for Economic Education. “During Financial Literacy Month, teachers can turn to EconEdLink to find ready-to-use, time-saving lesson plans that give their K-12 students the financial literacy skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.”

Content for Thinkfinity.org is provided through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and 11 of the nation’s leading organizations in the fields of education and literacy: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Council for Economic Education, International Reading Association, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Center for Family Literacy, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Geographic Society, ProLiteracy and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2008, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $68 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving more than 80 million customers nationwide. Verizon’s Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 224,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon