Access our entire collection of learning resources for the grades you teach.
You are the Economy: Your guide to economic and financial literacy for Grades 7 to 12
Join the Bank of Canada Museum for a live webinar about our new free suite of economic and financial lesson plans!Five bucks: the economics of Treaty relationships
Explore treaties using art, artifacts and historical thinking.Investing wisely
Make investment decisions based on what’s important to you and see how your spending and earning connects you to the global economy.Tracing Canada’s place in the world
Use a data visualization tool to learn about how Canada’s place in the global economy has evolved.Rai: big money
By: Graham Iddon
An item is said to have cultural value when it can be directly associated with the history, people, beliefs or rituals important to a society. It’s the same with a rai—its value can be greater depending upon who authorized it, who carved it and who subsequently owned it.
Decoding Canadian economic data
Develop data literacy skills by interpreting charts of Canadian economic data.Lessons from the Great Depression
By: Graham Iddon
What the stock market crash of 1929 did was starkly reveal the weaknesses of economic systems that had evolved from the unregulated capitalism of the late 19th century.
Connecting Canadian industries
Explore different industries in the Canadian economy and see how they are interconnected and evolving.Mo’ money, mo’ questions
But what do you do with money once you have it? That’s for you to decide. A budget can really help. It will allow you to keep track of what you earn (income) and what you spend (expenses).
Understanding cryptocurrencies
By: Graham Iddon
Most of us are aware of them, but how much do we really understand about cryptocurrencies?
Building budgets
Balance a monthly budget for a household and learn some financial saving and spending tips along the way.Thinking like an economist
Introduce your students to foundational economic concepts using everyday examples.Think like an economist
Staff from the Bank of Canada explain how to think like an economist and look for the economy at work in your daily life.Security is in the bank note
By: Graham Iddon
Security printing is a game of anticipating and responding to criminal threats. Counterfeiting is a game of anticipating and responding to bank note design. This cat and mouse relationship affects every aspect of a bank note.
Teaching art with currency
By: Adam Young
From design to final product, bank notes and coins can be used to explore and teach art, media and process.
A bank NOTE-able Canadian
Students will use the concept of historical significance to choose an iconic Canadian as a portrait subject for the Bank of Canada’s new $5 bank note.The changing face of our money
Students will use a historical thinking approach to examine historical significance, continuity and change in Canadian bank notes.Design your own bank note
Your students will research and choose their own iconic Canadian, theme, images and symbols to go on a new bank note.The day Winnipeg was invaded
By: David Bergeron
People on the street were randomly stopped and searched, and some were even arrested and imprisoned in an internment camp. Even German marks replaced Canadian currency in circulation—in the form of If Day propaganda notes.
What are cryptocurrencies?
Cryptocurrencies exist outside of the traditional financial system and inside a computer network. Learn about how they work and their possible risks.Teaching the green economy
By: Adam Young
From windmills and solar panels to electric cars, signs of the green economy are all around us. Check out our resources for how to teach about the green economy.
The Life of a Polymer Bank Note
Examine the life of a polymer bank note from production to distribution and recycling.Talk to your kids about money
Introduce important financial skills to your children, and help them plan for their futures with free resources from the Bank of Canada Museum and others.
Externalities
Externalities are hidden costs that are not accounted for in the production of a good or service. Explore this concept with our video and discussion guide.Teaching inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 has had an unprecedented effect on the economy: closing businesses, driving down demand and interrupting supplies. With news stories and popular culture addressing inflation and supply chain issues, now is the perfect time to explain this key economic concept to your high school students.
Canada and the global economy
Explore Canada’s connections to the global economy. Adjust timelines and filters in our online game to view historical data of gross domestic product, trade, foreign investment and immigration.Your role in the Canadian economy
Play our game to discover how your economic profile compares with those of other Canadians. Explore population and employment data and spending habits across different regions.Inflation over time
What is inflation and what does it mean to you? This video and discussion guide will help you get your secondary students talking.Fintech 101
Teach the basics of financial technology, peer-to-peer payments and how the Bank keeps your payments safe with this video and discussion guide for secondary students.The true value of money
By: Graham Iddon
What is money—when you really stop to think about it? To understand how money works, and what it ultimately represents, we need to strip it down to its very basic function.
Assessing the life cycle of a bank note
Examine the environmental impact of everyday items by assessing the life cycle of a universal product: money.Virtual Worlds. Real Economies.
By: Adam Young
The economies in modern, complex video games can teach gamers a lot about decision making and financial literacy.
Fur Trade Economics
Over its 350-year lifespan, the Hudson’s Bay Company has had an enormous impact on Canada’s economy and how the nation was settled.
Value is in the Eye of the Consumer
By: Graham Iddon
Supply and demand is part of the very bedrock of an economy. It's what generates the price of any product or service.
A Canadian Central Bank: The History of the Bank of Canada
Learn about why the Bank of Canada was created and how it continues to promote the economic and financial welfare of Canadians.Playing with Economy
By: Graham Iddon
There might be only a handful of basic game formats, but there is an infinity of variations—a surprising number of which require the skills we need to manage our daily economic lives.
Money: Past, present and future
Explore the history of money in Canada and around the world using an inquiry approach.Economic Opportunity Costs
By: Graham Iddon
With his superpowers, Peter Parker would no doubt do a fabulous job of tiling his kitchen backsplash. But as Spider-Man, he has more valuable things to do with his time.
Understanding Money: Common Questions
By: Nathan Sells
Ever wondered who decides what goes on Canadian coins or bank notes? Or why our coins have certain names and our notes are different colours? Use this guide to help answer some of your money-related questions!
Making sense of currencies
Use this activity sheet to practice converting exchange rates.Teaching Economics During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By: Adam Young
Authentic, teachable moments show students how the Bank of Canada is helping the economy navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bank of Canada: Explainers
Consult these brief articles explaining various topics related to the Bank of Canada's core functions.If I Had a Million Dollars…I’d Be Reasonably Well Off
By: Graham Iddon
When the Barenaked Ladies released “If I Had a $1,000,000,” they could have considered themselves reasonably rich. And today? Well, there’s this inflation thing…
We all play a role in the economy
The Canadian economy is deeply interconnected, and your part in it is explored in this animated video. From apples to houses, your economic decisions help shape the economy, which in turn helps shape all of us. And the Bank of Canada’s role is to keep an eye on it all while giving you the confidence that your money will hold its value.Funds Management: Selling Bonds
Just like you, the government sometimes needs a little financial help with large projects. Learn how the Bank of Canada handles funding for the government by selling bonds: short-term loans made by businesses and individuals to the government.Funds Management: Foreign Currency Holdings
The Bank of Canada holds billions of dollars in foreign currencies on behalf of the government. The Bank buys and sells these currencies to decrease or increase holdings of Canadian dollars. Learn how these transactions help to soften sharp movements in the exchange rate of our dollar.Funds Management: The Government’s Bank Account
Where does the government keep its money? At the Bank of Canada. The Bank also ensures that the government has enough money to meet its daily needs and is able to provide the services you rely on. Learn about the Bank’s role as the government’s banker.Nominating an Icon for the Next $5 Bank Note
By: Graham Iddon
Using a Bank of Canada Museum lesson plan, nearly 200 students told us who they thought should be the bank NOTE-able Canadian on our new $5 bill.
Bank of Canada: Educational resources
The Bank of Canada also has some educational resources we think you may find helpful.Money and Monetary Policy in Canada
Money and Monetary Policy in Canada is a web resource to help educate Canadians on the mechanics of their economy and the Bank of Canada’s role in it. It’s written in fun, clear language and supplemented with helpful illustrations, meeting the needs of multiple levels of high school curricula.Bank of Canada: The Economy, Plain and Simple
It’s right there in the title—The Economy, Plain and Simple: Plain language. Complex concepts made as simple as possible—thanks to the efforts of our economists and a supporting cast of communications professionals. The results are short, quick reads, with engaging visuals, all on a mobile-friendly platform—so you can read them on the go.Trading up: How countries benefit from freer trade
Use hands-on activities to explore comparative advantage, opportunity cost and specialization. Students will learn how these key economic concepts help countries benefit from trade.Price check: Inflation in Canada
All about inflation: what it is, what it means and how it's measured. Students will learn how the consumer price index is calculated and create their own student price index to measure the prices that matter most to them.What goes up…
By: Graham Iddon
Economic bubbles continued to pop up regularly throughout history, and still do today.
Inflation Busters
Onsite program: How do you plan for the future when you don’t know what things will cost? Join the fight against inflation in Inflation Busters, a game-based program for students. Who knew learning about monetary policy could be fun? We did!Money of the First World War
By: Paul S. Berry
In Europe, gold and silver coins largely disappeared from circulation as they were hoarded or as governments used the metal for the war effort.
For teachers: Designing a bank note that reflects Canada
Explore the design of Canadian bank notes.Operation Fish
By: Robert Low
Operation Fish was the largest movement of physical wealth in history.