Here at NGPF we are constantly on the lookout for videos that your students will enjoy. We also get a lot of help from our friends too. Here are three that cover popular topics of student loans, health insurance and careers (hat tip to Jessica for posting on the NGPF internal Slack and for Danielle coming up with questions for career video):

• American's Student Debt Crisis: Jessie's Story (Consumer Reports, 13:37): Thanks to Charles Kafoglis for sharing this with us!
  • What new facts about student loans did you learn from this video? 
  • What does it mean to co-sign a loan? 
  • What danger do you see in having a parent take out a loan that they expect their child to pay back?
  • What are deferments and forbearances? What happens to your loan while you are postponing payments?
  • If you were a friend of Jessie's when she was making her college choices, what would you have advised her? 
  • How does her student debt of $90,000 compare to the average amount for college graduates? 
  • Her mom suggests "doing the research." What kind of research do you think you should do ahead of time?

• Health Insurance Explained (Maryland Health Connection, 5:18) 
  • What is an insurance premium? 
  • What are some preventative services that insurance companies provide?
  • Define these key terms:
    • Copay
    • Deductible
    • Out of pocket maximum
    • Formulary
    • Provider network
  • What are the advantages of staying in your Provider Network?
    • How can you find out what doctors are included in your provider network?
  • What are the tradeoffs between premiums and deductibles?
  • Who can help you if you have questions about your health insurance plan?

• Stop Searching For Your Passion (TedxKC, 10:47):
  • "To quote from Whitman, 'O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?' Answer. That you are here — that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"--Read the above quote from the film "Dead Poets Society" and discuss how it is relevant to the video you just watched. Terri Trespicio talks about finding your passion in this TEDxtalk. Have you ever felt passionate about something? Did you pursue it? Why or why not?
  • Why do you think it's important to be passionate about what you do? ~Alternatively, why do you think it's important to be passionate about what you do for work?
  • Have you ever been stuck in a difficult situation and had to make a decision that you knew would have an impact on you? How did it make you feel? What did you decide (and why)?
  • After watching this video, will you base your decisions in life any differently? 
  • Is it better to pursue a job that pays more or a job that you're passionate about? ~There are always going to be people in the world who work jobs like delivering pizza or picking up garbage on a weekly basis. Surely, they can't all be passionate about what they do, but "a job is a job." Do you now have a higher respect for people who work jobs such as these? 

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Looking for more great videos for your classroom? Be sure to check out the easily searchable and curated NGPF Video Library.  

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.