2070: Launch Your Life

Suitable for gifted and talented

Gifted and talented students will fly with this, provided ICT facilities are good enough for them to have independent access.

Suitable for special educational needs

A flexible resource, which can be adapted to the needs of all students.  The on-line capability gives it immediate appeal for all students.  Students with sever learning difficulties may however still need help with the language. There is the opportunity to use the Diamond 9 and Life Simulator as a whole class activity on an interactive whiteboard/projector which means the teacher help can be given at appropriate points.

Assessor's comments

At last a resource that deals in a fun way with one of the most inaccessible financial topics to young people – pensions and associated topics.  2070: Launch Your Life provides a fully interactive web-based series of games and activities that bring financial planning for the future to life for students.  It also provides realistic activity sheets which enable students to explore what the future is likely to be like, and how choices they make now and in the near future can impact on them positively, later in life.

The Life Simulator part of the resource actually enables students to project what life will be like in 2070, based on choices they make now. ‘Diamond 9 Challenge gets students working together, discussing important financial issues, prioritising attitudes so that they receive an analysis of their attitudes to finance and what this may mean for them in the future.

Absolutely brilliant!  A series of educational interactive activities with explicit instructions backed up with comprehensive teacher notes, superb activity sheets and a glossary.  For able pupils, it can be accessed and used by them independently or for pupils with learning difficulties, there is the option of using it on an interactive white board, led by the teacher.  This will also suit schools with limited ICT facilities. The idea of using You Tube for pupil blogs is inspirational and the opportunity for pupils to upload their own videos innovative.

This is an excellent set of engaging resources around budgeting and planning for the future – including setting up a pension.  The activities hang together really well and could be used to plan a series of lessons that bring this area of learning very much to life.