📋 Teacher Cheat Sheet — Session 5: Banking Basics

Money, Values & You · 6th Grade Financial Literacy

90 minutes Ages 11–12 Session 5 of 8 ND-Friendly

⏱ 90-Minute Agenda

Time	Block	What's Happening
0–5	🎯 Hook	"Has anyone been inside a bank? What happens there?"
5–20	📖 Lesson 1	What banks do — safekeeping, lending, transfers; how banks earn money
20–35	📖 Lesson 2	Interest and Riba — what interest is, why Islam prohibits Riba
35–55	🎮 Activity	Bank comparison chart + Islamic bank roleplay (15 min + 5 debrief)
55–70	📖 Lesson 3	Islamic banking — profit-sharing, murabaha, no Riba
70–80	✍️ Journal	"Where would you keep your savings and why?"
80–88	🔁 Recap	"One thing about banking that surprised you?"
88–90	👋 Close	Preview Session 6: Smart Spending

Note: Lesson 4 (Credit unions) can be brief intro or take-home reading.

📚 Key Vocabulary

Bank — a financial institution that keeps money safe, lends, and moves money

Deposit — putting money INTO a bank account

Withdrawal — taking money OUT of a bank account

Interest — a fee charged for borrowing money (or paid to you for saving)

Riba (ربا) — usury/excessive interest; forbidden in Islam

Islamic Banking — banking without Riba, using profit-sharing instead

Credit Union — a member-owned financial cooperative

🧠 ND-Friendly Teaching Tips

Make it concrete — "A bank is like a really safe piggy bank that also lends your money to others."
Draw the money flow — You → deposit → Bank → lends → borrower → pays back + interest → bank keeps some, gives you some.
Riba discussion — frame as Islamic perspective alongside general ethics of lending. Don't assume family backgrounds.
Roleplay — give clear role cards (customer, regular banker, Islamic banker). Keep rules simple.
Journal is personal — some families have complex relationships with banks. Keep non-judgmental.
Murabaha — explain once with concrete example. Don't overexplain fiqh.
Warn before transitions — "2 more minutes, then we do the roleplay."

💬 Discussion Questions + Teacher Notes

"Why would you put money in a bank instead of keeping it at home?"
→ Safety, convenience, sometimes growth. Multiple valid reasons — validate all.
"If a bank lends out your money while you're not using it, is that fair?"
→ Yes — that's how banking works. You agree to it; you get some interest back.
"What's the difference between fair interest and Riba?"
→ Scholars debate this. Basic: Riba = excessive or guaranteed regardless of outcome. Islamic = profit/loss shared.
"Why might someone choose a credit union over a big bank?"
→ Member-owned = profits go back to members, local focus, community trust.
"If you needed to borrow $100 urgently — where would you get it?"
→ Trust-based sources, credit union, bank. Opens community support vs. predatory lending conversation.
"Can you still be Muslim and use a regular bank?"
→ Complex fiqh — scholars differ. Families make their own decisions. Keep non-judgmental.

🎮 Bank Comparison + Roleplay Activity

Part A — Comparison Chart (10 min):

Feature	Piggy Bank	Regular Bank	Islamic Bank
Safe from theft	❌	✅	✅
Earns profit	❌	✅ interest	✅ profit-share
Charges Riba	❌	✅	❌
FDIC insured	❌	✅	✅
Available 24/7	❌	✅	✅

Part B — Mini Roleplay (5 min):

3 roles: Customer (needs to borrow $50 for school supplies), Regular Banker, Islamic Banker.
Regular Banker: "Lend $50, pay back $60 in 2 months." ($10 interest)
Islamic Banker: "I'll buy supplies for $50, sell to you for $55 — pay when ready." (Murabaha)
Class votes: Which feels more fair? Why?

🎯 Opening Hook

"Raise your hand if you've been inside a bank."

"What did you see there? What do you think banks actually DO with your money?"

Let them speculate first. The lesson confirms some guesses and surprises others.

✍️ Journal Prompt

Write on board:
"Would you rather keep your savings in a piggy bank, a regular bank, or an Islamic bank? What matters most to you?"

8 min quiet. Invite 2 to share — never force.

👋 Close + Preview

Recap:
"One thing about banking that surprised you?"

Preview Session 6:

"Next week: SMART SPENDING — how to get the most value from every dollar."

Take-home: Look at one bill your family pays. Is it a fixed or variable expense?