The Bank of Canada Museum is excited to introduce “You Are the Economy,” a comprehensive suite of six free lesson plans on economic and financial literacy for Grade 7–12 students across Canada. Available in both official languages, this teaching resource addresses a critical need in current educational materials by offering engaging, relatable and gamified activities that align with the latest Canadian curricula.
“You Are the Economy” places students at the heart of Canada’s economy. It demystifies economics and personal finances, making these complex subjects more accessible for both students and educators. By incorporating creative teaching techniques such as comic strips, card games, data visualization tools and infographics, this resource brings economic concepts to life, making them relevant and understandable.
Developed with Bank of Canada economists, external subject matter experts and educators, the resource supports students’ development of critical thinking, decision-making, data literacy and money management skills. The lessons are designed to support multiple subject areas—from social science and geography to business and economics.
“Financial and economic literacy are essential life skills for today’s students,” says Stacy Wakeford, Director of the Bank of Canada Museum. “With the You Are the Economy lesson plans, we aim to empower young Canadians with the knowledge they need to navigate and shape the future of the economy. This resource is not just about learning; it’s about inspiring students to become active, informed participants in their financial futures.”
Here’s a glimpse of the six interactive lessons included:
- “Thinking Like an Economist”
- Introduce foundational economic concepts and critical thinking by engaging students’ interest with comic strips.
- “Building Budgets”
- Share valuable financial saving and spending tips while challenging students to balance a household budget.
- “Connecting Canadian Industries”
- Explore different industries in the Canadian economy and show students through games how they are interconnected and evolving.
- “Decoding Canadian Economic Data”
- Interpret Canadian economic charts and graphs to develop students’ data literacy skills.
- “Tracing Canada’s Place in the World”
- Work with a data visualization tool to help students understand Canada’s place in the global economy and how it has evolved.
- “Investing Wisely”
- See how spending and earning connects us all to the global economy by guiding students to make investment decisions based on what’s important to them.
Each lesson contains detailed plans, activities, worksheets and comprehensive answer keys.
The full suite of lessons is available at www.bankofcanadamuseum.ca/you-are-the-economy/
Notes for editors
- Contact Media Relations for interview requests.
- The Bank of Canada Museum is located at 30 Bank Street (at the corner of Wellington Street), in Ottawa, Ontario. Admission is always free.
- The Museum explains the Bank’s core functions: setting monetary policy, promoting a sound financial system, issuing Canada’s bank notes, acting as fiscal agent for the Government of Canada and supervising retail payment service providers.
- It is also the steward of more than 130,000 artifacts in the National Currency Collection, the world’s most complete collection of Canadian currency and related artifacts.
- For more information about the Museum and its services, visit the website.
- Follow the Museum on Facebook, Instagram and X: @BoCMuseum
