One of the most exciting curriculum developments NGPF had in 2019 was the new mini-units! Wondering what a mini-unit is and how to use one? Just read below! 

• What is a mini-unit? How many are there? 

There are currently 6 mini-units. A mini-unit generally consists of three to five 45-minute lessons (hence the name "Mini"!). Each mini-unit has the same components of any other NGPF lesson you might use in the classroom - a unit plan, lesson guides, student activity packets, activities, projects, and more! 

The only mini-unit that contains more than 3-5 lessons is the Alternatives to 4-Year Colleges mini-unit. However, while this mini-unit has nine total lessons, it's actually designed so that students are doing the first and last lessons, plus 1-2 additional lessons to focus on the post-high school option they are most interested in. As a result, students will likely only do 3-4 lessons in total. 

• Why did you get rid of the Bonus lessons? 

The old Bonus unit consisted of a few lessons that were super long and outdated. The same topics are now covered more extensively with up-to-date resources and a more cohesive flow! 

• How can I use a mini-unit? 

The mini-units were designed with flexibility in mind, so you can use them where it makes most sense in your curriculum! Some teachers like to use them as a way to kick-off their course, fill in any gaps in their schedule (before a holiday, etc.), or to give their students a small break from the core content they've been studying so far. 

Many teachers use the Alternatives to 4-Year Colleges mini-unit simultaneously with the Paying for College unit.  

• Are the mini-units embedded in any of the NGPF courses and workshops? 

Currently, mini-units 1 and 2 are in the NGPF Semester Course. MU-1.0 Finding Work During High School is an optional mini-unit while MU-2.0 Behavioral Finance kicks off the Semester Course. 

All mini-units can be added on to any NGPF course or workshop. 

• Do the mini-units have assessments? 

MU-1.0 Finding Work During High School includes a Unit Test that has 25 multiple choice, 5 short answer, and 1 essay question. 

Wondering why this is the only mini-unit that has assessments? This mini-unit actually used to be the first unit in the Semester Course. When the Curriculum Team revamped the Semester Course in summer 2019, that first unit came out, became an optional mini-unit, and was replaced with the popular MU-2.0 Behavioral Finance! All of the other mini-units were designed independently. 

Check out all of the Mini-Units on the NGPF website! 

About the Author

Sonia Dalal

Sonia has always been passionate about instruction and improving students' learning experiences. She's come a long way since her days as a first grader, when she would "teach" music and read to her very attentive stuffed animals after school. Since then, she has taught students as a K-12 tutor, worked in several EdTech startups in the Bay Area, and completed her Ed.M in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is passionate about bringing the high quality personal finance content and instruction she wished she'd received in school to the next generation of students and educators. When she isn't crafting lesson guides or working with teachers, Sonia loves to spend her time singing, being outdoors, and adventuring with family and friends!

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