This week, fourth graders embarked on the much anticipated unit of Financial Literacy! This is among our favorite topics to teach and is novel and engaging for our students. This unit begins with understanding the concepts of advertising and how advertisers use images and tactics to persuade their target audiences. Students will quickly move into topics and ideas around the concept of money. They will see how a dollar circulates from its creation through spending, and understand the notions of income, profit, costs and taxes. The culmination of these skills takes place through a Shark Tank simulation in which students will identify a problem and take steps to resolve it through the creation of a product. They will be challenged to create advertisements, write business plans and conduct in-depth financial calculations in order to prepare for their pitches to the sharks. We are so excited to teach them these lifelong skills and to see their creativity impress the sharks. Stay tuned for the big reveal of our guest sharks!