oversimple corvus: CASN: NAF Applied Finance

NAF Applied Finance

Curriculum type: Course
Academic subject areas: History/Social Sciences; Career-Technical Education; Career Exploration
States' Career Clusters: Finance
California Industry sector(s): Finance and Business
Duration:
Grade Targets: 11, 12

Level of Expertise for CTE: Capstone/Advanced
Targeted Support Materials: Community Involvement, Industry Involvement
Standards Addressed: Detailed documentation of alignment with National, State and/or Industry Standards included ? More detail ?

Standards from these documents are clearly enumerated and defined in the teachers? guide for each lesson as appropriate: McREL Business Education Standards 1999, NBEA National Standards for Business Education 2007, States? Career Clusters Standards 2008, IRA NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts 1996.

Professional Development Requirements/Recommendations: Professional development provided to NAF academies helps to enhance leadership skills and education competencies of those charged with sustaining an NAF academy. NAF conferences, leadership institutes, year-round technical assistance, online resources, and national and regional representatives ensure that academy stakeholders share knowledge gained in schools and draw on industry expertise and guidance from NAF.

Keywords: Finance, Business life cycle, capital, business ownership, cash flow, cost, revenue, profit, business risks, not-for-profit, financial analysis, profit and loss statement, balance sheet, personal budget, forecasting, stock, bonds, financial institutions, globalization, employee benefits, labor market, taxes, careers in finance
Source: National Academy Foundation; Academy of Finance Credit: Copyright ? 2007?2011 National Academy Foundation, July, 2011
Usage Restrictions: NAF Academy

Related Website(s): http://naf.org/mynaf, http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com

Abstract

Applied Finance delves into the financial concepts introduced in the Principles of Finance course. Students learn about forms of business organization as they continue to develop an understanding of profit and distinguish this measure of business success from cost and revenue. They learn about various financial analysis strategies, evaluate financial documents, common methods to raise capital. Students explore globalization, employees, taxes and careers that exist in finance today.

Expected Student Outcomes/Objectives

Students apply what they have learned over the course to the culminating project making a pitch to aventure capitalist groupto invest in their chosen company based on the overview of the financial benefits they present.
Among the learning goals clearly defined in this course are the following:

? Describe how finance influences business organizations
? Evaluate ways to improve cash flow
? Evaluate approaches to risk management and mitigation
? Explain the concepts of financial analysis, analysis tools, and relationships among financial measurements
? Compare and contrast funding options available
? Explain why a company might issue bonds instead of stock
? Explain how businesses rely on financial institutions
? Describe different globalization issues and examine their positive and negative characteristics
? Describe the effect of employee benefits on labor costs
? Create recommendations for smart tax management
? Display understanding of potential employment opportunities

Description

Applied Finance delves into the financial concepts introduced to students in the Principles of Finance course. Students begin the course with a review of such key topics as cash flow, the business life cycle, and capital.

In Applied Finance, students learn about the legal forms of business organization and grasp the pros and cons of business ownership forms. Students continue to develop an understanding of profit and distinguish this measure of business success from cost and revenue. Students learn about various financial analysis strategies while they evaluate financial documents. They learn the three most common methods by which businesses raise capital?stocks, bonds, and short-term financing.

Students also have the chance to explore, in depth, topics of high interest in the field of finance, including globalization, employees, and taxes. Finally, students get a chance to discover the types of careers that exist in finance today.

Culminating Activity and/or Assessment

Working in groups, students role-play company representatives (investor relations officers) making a pitch to a group of investors about the financial benefits of investing in their chosen company. The goal is to encourage the audience to invest in their company based on the overview that they present.
Presentations will include the following information:
? Company overview
? Historical performance
? Financial analysis/profitability
? General stockholder?s data
? Ethics/social responsibility
? Expected growth/future
Students are introduced to the final project by receiving a memo from a group of private investors who are looking to invest a large sum of money into a company. Students choose a company to represent, research it, and begin to create a PowerPoint presentation that promotes the investment-worthiness of their company.
Students prepare for their project through the careful preview of an example, a carefully managed project workflow chart, and various graphic organizers that aid student teams with the analysis and synthesis of their findings.
Students, acting as representatives of the company they researched, give their presentations to an invited audience. The two graded elements for this project are the PowerPoint presentation assessed using a rubric, and the presentation itself, given to a mock group of private investors, assessed using a rubric.

Instructional Materials Needed

Computers, projector, software are needed throughout the course. Each lesson has a list of materials needed such as whiteboard, markers, flip charts, etc. for typical instructional days, and special artifacts for specific lessons. The Teacher Planning Tool not only provides a list of materials, technology and other resources needed, but alerts the teacher of what to prepare by when. Most of the advance preparation is specific to the lesson in which students create a project component: special videos, downloads, handouts, PowerPoint, reading, etc.. Teachers should plan well in advance to line up NAF Academy Board members to find professionals and experts to review student work and act as the audience for the students? project presentations.

Instructional Materials Provided

Complete curriculum, including detailed projects and lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, videos, answer keys, bibliographies & links for more information. Student resource materials include articles, worksheets, graphic organizers, homework and more.

Cost

To access this curriculum you must be part of the National Academy Foundation and pay the $6,000 Service fee, plus the cost to attend two required Institutes for Staff Development, including registration fees, travel-related costs, ground transportation, lodging, and meals.

Reviewer Comments

This capstone course is an excellent opportunity for students to gain essential knowledge before launching into a future in business and finance. Building on concepts taught in previous courses, these 18 detailed lessons address the new California CTE Standards for the Financial Services Pathway in the Business and Finance industry sector, as well as the Entrepreneurship and Self Employment Pathway in the Marketing, Sales & Services industry sector. Access to additional support incorporating Social Science skills and concepts in engaging projects adds academic rigor and literacy through various teaching strategies.

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