Summary
In this lesson, students step into the shoes of George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life as they explore different types of financial institutions and examine how changes in interest rates and salaries affect our willingness to make major purchases on big-ticket items such as cars and houses. Students will time-travel as they analyze vintage ads from the 1920s-1940s and read about home-buying in America in George Bailey’s time. Next, they will participate in a simulation where they will nab a job and salary they will use while crafting a plan to buy a home within a budget. The lesson culminates with a One-Pager activity in which students will summarize what they have learned by answering the lesson’s essential question. This lesson is in collaboration with resources from The Capra Bailey Project.
Essential Question(s)
What did it take to own a home during the booms and busts of the 1920-1940’s?
Snapshot
Engage
Students view a clip from It’s a Wonderful Life and complete a handout using the Looks like, Sounds Like, and Feels Like strategy.
Explore
Students analyze a set of advertisements using the Painting a Picture strategy.
Explain
Students read an article about financial institutions and interest rates prior to discussion.
Extend
Students simulate the home buying process by trying to find a home they can afford in today’s housing market using a given budget.
Evaluate
Students demonstrate what they have learned in this lesson about financial institutions and interest rates by completing a one-pager activity.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Looks Like, Sounds Like, Feels Like Handout (attached; one per student)
Painting a Picture Document Packet (attached; class set)
Painting a Picture Chart (attached; one per student)
Banking on Bedford Falls Article (attached; one per student)
Occupation & Salary Cards (attached)
Devices with Internet Access
Pen/Pencil
Notebook Paper
Engage
Introduce the lesson using the attached Lesson Slides. Display slide 3 to share the essential question and slide 4 to go over the lesson's learning objectives.
Move to slide 5, and take a moment to describe the Looks Like, Sounds Like, Feels Like strategy. Distribute the Looks like, Sounds Like, Feels Like handout to each student. Display slide 6, and explain to students that they will be watching a clip It's A Wonderful Life House Welcoming for Mr Martini from Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) film, which displays the profound emotions that come with home ownership. Once students have seen the clip on the slide, transition to slide 7, and have students analyze the image with the quote from the film, and answer the questions on their handout.
Allow a few minutes for students to complete the handout. Once students have completed the task, invite a few to share out their reflections for both questions.