Lesson 2: Credit—or? Time Required: 30 minutes Materials: Credit—or? Student Reproducible 2 (PDF); Student Finance Guide (PDF) for each student; pen/pencil Overview: Students will use their own reasoning skills and experience, along with information provided, to determine whether Joe should apply for a credit card, debit card, both, or neither. Directions: Ask students: Have you ever had a credit or debit card? Have students describe how, why, and when they received the card, how they use it, and whether they've run into any problems. Distribute Credit—or? Student Reproducible 2 and the Student Finance Guide. Read through the reproducible material. Then divide the class into groups and have them fill in the pro/con charts. When the charts are complete, have each group share its results. Create a master chart on the board. Discuss the pros and cons of credit and debit cards. Have students vote on what they think Joe's decision should be. As homework, have students review the "Credit—or?" page in the Student Finance Guide. The following day, discuss what they have read. How would they handle credit card debt? What is the difference between a credit card and a loan? Extension Ideas: Have students gather any information they can about accounts offered by local banks. Share the information in class and ask students to compare and contrast the different options. Curriculum Connections Social Studies: Production, Distribution, and Consumption Economics: Decision Making; Interest Rates English: Workforce Demands; Research Financial Literacy: Money Management; Spending Photos from top to bottom: © Rubberball Productions, © CORBIS. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader® software, version 4.0 or higher to view and print items marked PDF. Get Adobe Reader® for FREE