MAKING CENTS BOOK STUDIES
As a means of offering in-depth engagement on specific topics, The Making Cents PA team hosts occasional book studies. Each book study is offered for a specific period of time and is limited in the number of participants that can register. The book studies are held asynchronously online using Penn State’s Canvas platform. Participants are expected to read the assigned book and respond to prompts in accordance with the book studies’ schedule. To make the book studies more engaging and meaningful, all participants are required to respond to a specified number of other posts throughout the week.
Upcoming Book Studies
The Richest Man in Babylon
January 7 - January 29, 2024
Can a book written about money almost 100 years ago be relevant to today’s students? Join us as we read the updated version of The Richest Man in Babylon this winter. Originally written in 1926 by George S. Clason, this book has been used by many educators as a personal finance primer. This updated version shares the same stories in more modern and approachable language. In our book study, we will explore the lessons taught in the book and consider ways to use the book with students. This short book (just over 100 pages) won’t take long to read. Participants who meet the requirements (see below) will receive six hours of Act 48 credit, and the first 50 educators to register will receive a free copy of the book. An additional six hours of Act 48 credit is available to participants who complete optional bonus assignments (1 credit per bonus assignment for a total of up to 12 hours of Act 48 credit). Register today!
How to Adult
June 16 - July 13, 2024
If you were writing a personal finance book for high school students, what would you include? The focus of this book study will be a book by a high school teacher who figured out the answer to that question. Jake Cousineu’s How to Adult: Personal Finance for the Real World is filled with practical information and advice for today’s teens and young adults. In our asynchronous discussions of the book, we’ll dive into how the information is presented and arranged and consider ways to use the book in class with students. Participants who meet the requirements (see below) will receive Act 48 credit, and the first 50 educators to register will receive a free copy of the book.
The Details
TIMING
Each book study is several weeks in duration. Each week we will focus on a section of the book at a time; however, you are welcome to read ahead.
BOOK
The first 50 Pennsylvania-certified and actively teaching educators to register for each book study will receive a free copy of the corresponding book. So, act fast! If you are not currently teaching or aren't one of the first to register, you can still join. You will simply need to obtain your own copy of the book(s).
FORMAT
The book study will take place asynchronously via Penn State's Canvas platform. You will need a Penn State user ID and password to participate. If you have taken PSU courses or participated in one of our recent book studies, you should already have one. If not, it is free and easy to obtain one. You do NOT need this when you register. When you register, you will be asked if you already have an ID. If not, instructions will be sent on how to get one, or you can get started here.
REQUIREMENTS
Participants are expected to read the book and stay on schedule. Each week you will be given a choice of discussion prompts. You will post your responses in the discussion threads for those chapters. Then, you are expected to engage with other participants. We ask that you reply to posts from at least two other participants for each chapter. All posts must be substantive and add value to the conversation.
PARTICIPANTS
Anyone with an interest in exploring the book and putting its lessons to use is welcome to join the book study. We would love to have a nice mix of educators including those who teach personal finance, social studies, family and consumer science, math, and more. To keep the conversations manageable and relevant, participants may be placed into smaller discussion groups. These groupings will be determined closer to the start of the book study. If you register along with a colleague, you will be given a choice to participate together.
Why Participate?
1 - You'll learn things for yourself. Trust us on this one.
2 - It will be fun! The questions aren't crazy academic or challenging, and you always have a choice of which to answer.
3 - The books are easy reads. We promise! Each is filled with real-world, relatable examples.
4 - You'll get the chance to engage with other educators with similar interests and a great team of financial literacy experts and practitioners.
5 - Did we mention that you get free Act 48 credits?
6 - Everything is done on YOUR schedule! No need to drive anywhere or even log in at a specific time! That said, we may offer an optional live discussion opportunity if participants wish to schedule one.
What Educators Say about Our Book Studies
“This is my first book club, and I found it very helpful and a positive experience. If I read this book on my own, I would have thought of some ideas on how to use this in my classroom. But reading this book with others helped for clarification and really gave me a broad range of ideas and resources for my classroom. I looked forward to others’ posts each week. Thanks for a great experience!”
— Brenda Crosetto
The Making Cents Project book studies are always well done and very worthwhile. I have participated in multiple book studies over the last few years. All are superbly organized, offer a variety of engaging topics, and span a perfect amount of time...not overly lengthy but sufficient to generate a sizable benefit.
— Gail Weidman
Previous Book Studies
