Perryville High School students in Ms. Sarah Hansen’s personal finance class recently played the Bean Game. Pictured are students Elijah Cook and Lane Yamnitz. “They first learned about needs, wants, SMART Goals, and values,” Ms. Hansen said. “Students are given 20 beans to place in categories on their placemat/game board. For example, if they choose a new car, it is 4 beans, if they choose to use public transportation at no cost they use no beans, etc. Then the wheel spins and they have different scenarios, such as the microwave dilemma (below). Each day we make choices based on what we value as important by assessing whether our time, energy, and money are worth it. This game helps students discover what is most important to them, and how their personal experiences and values affect their money management decisions.”
