For those of you who have resolved to bring the case study method to your classroom, we used the holiday break to add FIVE new cases to NGPF Case Study library. For those of you who missed our initial launch in September, here are some answers to your questions:

NGPF Case Studies FAQ

1. What is an NGPF Case Study?

Here are the main characteristics of an NGPF Case Study:

• Puts the student in the center as a decision maker
• Involves students taking on a role, such as peer advisor or counselor, which enables them to assess the situation from a different perspective
• Tells a realistic story that students will identify with
• Has exhibits that require data analysis and interpretation
• Includes misinformation that students need to identify and correct
• Requires development and evaluation of potential courses of action
• Students work independently/in groups followed by a case discussion facilitated by the teacher
• Provide a scaffolded approach to guide students through decision-making process

2.  What case studies did you release recently?

We introduced five new case studies that cover such popular units as saving, investing, debt management, financial pitfalls and credit scores:

• Car, Home, Retirement: What’s My Plan?
• Get Me Out of My Debt Dungeon!
• Save Me!
• What’s The Catch? Be a Savvy Consumer!
• A Tale of Two Credit Scores

3.  I have never facilitated a case discussion. Are there support documents available to help me?

We have developed both teacher guides and student guides to introduce the concept of the case study and assist in its classroom implementation:

• Student Guide to Case Studies
• Teacher Guide to Facilitating a Case Study

4. Are Teacher Guides/Answer Sheets available for the individual cases?

Yes! Email Jessica (jessica@nextgenpersonalfinance.org) to get access to the Teacher Guides (or click the “Case Study” tab along the bottom if you’ve already received our Answer Key spreadsheet)

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.