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🎉 Thanksgiving Warm-Up Message (3 minutes)

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The Sutton Family would like to wish you and your family a Blessed and Memorable Thanksgiving.

Working in the modalities of Education, Business, and the Political Arena has provided me opportunities to see, hear, and learn from many viewpoints. Today, we’ll explore how economics, history, and financial incentives relate directly to YOUR life in 2025… just as they did in 1620.


High School Financial Literacy Lesson Plan


"Private Property, Incentives, and the Pilgrims: A Thanksgiving Financial Literacy Lesson"

Grade Level: 9–12Duration: One 90-minute block or two 45-minute periodsTeacher: Robert W. SuttonCourse: Personal Financial Literacy / Entrepreneurship


📘 Standards Alignment (Florida Sunshine State Standards)

Florida Financial Literacy Standards – CPALMS / SSS for Personal Financial Literacy

MA.912.FL.1.1 — Determine how personal choices affect income, lifestyles, and financial freedom. MA.912.FL.1.2 — Explain the relationship between risk, return, and decision-making. MA.912.FL.3.1 — Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of major consumer purchases. MA.912.FL.3.2 — Describe long-term expenses and responsibilities of ownership (vehicles, housing, etc.). MA.912.FL.4.1 — Assess the impact of financial decisions on personal success and well-being. SS.912.A.1.4 — Analyze the role of economics in historical events.



🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Connect economic theory (private vs. common property) to real-world financial behavior.

  2. Explain why incentives matter in economics and personal finance.

  3. Apply financial literacy skills to evaluate the responsibilities and costs of vehicle ownership.

  4. Compare private ownership vs. shared ownership using real financial reasoning.

  5. Demonstrate critical thinking through written and verbal responses.



📖 Lesson Introduction (10 minutes)

Students read the excerpt from Economics in the Real World: “What Saved the Pilgrims?”

Teacher-led Discussion:

  • What were the Pilgrims’ original economic system and outcomes?

  • What changed when Governor William Bradford introduced private property?

  • Why did productivity increase?

  • What incentives existed under each system?

Write key terms on the board:

  • Private Property

  • Common Property

  • Incentives

  • Productivity

  • Profit Motivation



🧠 Guided Historical-Economic Analysis (15 minutes)

Students discuss:

  • Why did common property lead to starvation?

  • Why did private property lead to abundance and ultimately Thanksgiving?

  • How does this connect to incentives in the modern economy?

  • Why do people take better care of something they own than something “everyone” owns?

Teacher ties to modern examples:

  • School laptop carts vs. your personal laptop

  • Apartment complex shared spaces vs. your own room

  • Government-owned property vs. privately owned businesses



🚗 Transition to Personal Finance Application (5 minutes)

Teacher:

“Now let’s connect history to YOUR life. Just like the Pilgrims, YOU face decisions about ownership. One of the biggest first purchases students make is a car. Today, you will explore whether private ownership or shared ownership creates better incentives—just like in the Plymouth Colony.”



📋 Student Research Assignment (30 minutes)

Part 1 — Research the Responsibilities & Costs of Car Ownership

Students must list at least 10 responsibilities/costs, such as:

  • Monthly car payment

  • Insurance

  • Gas

  • Oil changes

  • Tires

  • Brake service

  • Registration & tag fees

  • Repairs & unexpected issues

  • Depreciation

  • Car washes & upkeep

  • Parking fees

  • Tolls

Students document actual local price ranges through quick online research (insurance quotes, oil change prices, etc.).



Part 2 — Scenario Analysis: Shared vs. Private Ownership

Students apply incentives, responsibility, and economic reasoning.

Scenario A — Shared Ownership Between 6 Friends

Answer the following in writing:

  1. How would you delegate responsibilities and costs fairly? (Who pays for gas? Who pays for maintenance? Who tracks it?)

  2. How would you hold each person accountable for their “fair share”? (Contracts? Digital tracking? Monthly audits?)

  3. How would you decide who gets the car and when? (Fixed schedule? Reservation system? Priority rules?)

  4. What would you do if someone DID NOT pay their share or damaged the car? Who covers their portion? What consequences would be fair? Suspension of usage? Extra fees? Removal from the group?

  5. Would conflict be likely? Why or why not?



Scenario B — Private Ownership

Students answer:

  • Why are you more likely to take good care of something you own outright?

  • What financial incentives exist under private ownership that do NOT exist under shared ownership?

  • What decision-making freedom comes with owning the vehicle yourself?



Part 3 — Final Decision

Which scenario do you prefer: private or shared ownership? Explain your answer in 5–7 sentences using real financial reasoning, not feelings.



📚 Whole-Class Debrief (10 minutes)

Questions:

  • What systems in life create the strongest incentives?

  • Does this help explain why free markets generate more wealth than collectivist systems?

  • How does incentive-based thinking help YOU avoid financial mistakes?

Link back to the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving.



📌 Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Write: “What is one financial lesson from the Pilgrims that I can apply to my life today?”



🦃 Closing Thanksgiving Thought (Teacher)

“As we look toward Thanksgiving, remember what William Bradford discovered: when people have ownership, responsibility, and freedom, they rise to the occasion.

May you and your loved ones be blessed with treasured moments this holiday season.”



 
 
 
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