Financial Literacy for Grades 7-12

Download and play webinar in a new tabDate: February 3, 2026
Presenters:
Organizations: Bank of Canada Museum
Areas of Focus: Financial Literacy

Financial Literacy for Grades 7-12 Summary

Technical Summary

This webinar, “Financial Literacy for Grades 7–12,” delivered by Adam Young (Bank of Canada Museum), provides educators with a comprehensive, curriculum-aligned framework for teaching financial and economic literacy across middle and secondary grades.

Key takeaways:

  • Financial literacy is positioned as cross-curricular, with strongest links to mathematics, economics, social studies, careers, health, and family studies.
  • The Bank of Canada Museum offers free, bilingual, non-commercial resources, distinguishing them from commercial bank materials.
  • Instruction is grounded in decision-making, data literacy, and economic thinking, rather than procedural finance alone.
  • The flagship resource “You Are the Economy” structures learning from personal finance → Canadian economy → global economics → investing.
  • Strong emphasis is placed on equity, accessibility, and culturally responsive pedagogy, acknowledging that money is a sensitive topic shaped by lived experience.
  • Educators are encouraged to use resources à la carte, selecting individual lessons, simulations, or discussion tools rather than full units.

The session also highlighted upcoming curriculum pressures (e.g., Ontario’s Grade 10 Financial Literacy requirement) and positioned these materials as direct classroom-ready supports.

Key Concepts

Financial Literacy Foundations

  • Budgeting and financial planning
  • Saving vs. spending trade-offs
  • Net vs. gross pay
  • Taxes and deductions
  • Debt and credit (good debt vs. bad debt)
  • Investment vehicles (RRSP, TFSA, RESP, FHSA – emerging support)

Economic Thinking

  • Opportunity cost
  • Sunk cost
  • Marginal utility
  • Trade-offs
  • Incentives and subsidies
  • Supply and demand
  • Risk assessment

Data & Economic Literacy

  • Consumer Price Index (CPI)
  • Inflation targeting (2% in Canada)
  • Productivity vs. wages
  • Household debt trends
  • Employment by sector
  • GDP and industry contribution

Canadian & Global Economics

  • Canadian industries and interdependence
  • Trade, imports, and exports
  • Immigration and economic growth
  • Foreign direct investment
  • Canada’s role in global markets

Money Systems & Security

  • Payment methods (cash, debit, credit, e-transfer, gift cards)
  • Banknote design and security features
  • Counterfeit detection (“look, tilt, feel”)
  • Digital payments and FinTech

Pedagogical Approaches

  • Inquiry-based learning
  • Simulations and role-play
  • Station-based activities
  • Data interpretation and graph literacy
  • Differentiation supports (scaffolding and enrichment)

Online Resources Mentioned

Central Resource Hubs

Bank of Canada Museum – Learning

External Government Resources