Lesson 7: Protecting your belongings
Introduction
Time:
- Single class period
Materials:
Activity 1: Insurance explained
Activity 2: Gadget insurance
Homework Task:
Useful Links:
www.ccpc.ie/consumers/money/insurance/
Introduction:
Bad things can happen. We can’t stop these things but we can minimise their impact by having insurance. You can get insurance for almost everything. Some things you must have insurance for, but for other things you just need to decide what is important to you. This lesson helps students to understand what insurance is. Using case studies students will be able to identify different risks and how insurance cover can protect against these risks.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Activity 1: Insurance explained
1. Write the word ‘insurance’ on the white/blackboard.
2. Ask if anyone knows what this word means? In what contexts have they heard the word used?
3. Explain to the class insurance is something that protects you against unforeseen circumstances. Insurance helps you to cover the financial (money) loss of an unexpected event. If you have insurance then you have an arrangement with an insurance company where you pay a set amount each month and in return they make a bigger payment to you in the event of specific loss, damage or illness. Having this type of arrangement, or insurance policy, is a way of protecting yourself against future risks (things that may or may not happen).
4. Ask students to name the different things/events for which people can get insurance.
5. Explain the types of insurance that might be more familiar/relevant for young people – travel insurance, gadget (laptop) insurance and car insurance.
6. Explain that some types of insurance are compulsory and others are optional (see Teacher Resource Sheet: Insurance explained). There are different types of insurance for different types of risks.
Activity 2: Gadget insurance
1. Ask the class if anyone knows what types of things gadget insurance would cover.
2. Explain that the class are going to look at an email from a person looking for advice about whether or not to get gadget insurance. In their group they should talk about and respond to this email.
3. Divide the class into small groups.
4. Distribute one copy of Student Worksheet: Gadget insurance to each group.
5. Take feedback from a selection of groups.
6. Remind students that some types of insurance are not a choice, for example, if you own a car, by law you must have car insurance. If you get caught without car insurance you will pay a fine, get penalty points and may be disqualified from driving. However, other types of insurance are optional, for instance you can decide whether or not to insure your mobile phone or laptop etc.
7. Conclude by explaining that regardless of the type of insurance you are signed up to you are signing a legal document. As with all legal documents it is important that you read everything carefully, make sure you understand everything in the document, before you sign it. Insurance policies (whether compulsory or not) are a way that you can protect yourself against future risk.
Homework Task
Distribute one copy of Student Worksheet: Travel insurance to each student.
Tell students to imagine that a girl called Lucy heard that they were learning about insurance in school and she has written them an email asking for their help.
Read down through the email from Lucy and invite students to carry out online research on multi-trip/annual travel insurance policies to find the best deal possible for Lucy. They should focus on what is covered by multi-trip policies (e.g. flight cancellation in the event of illness, loss or damage of baggage during trip, medical expenses while away etc.) and the costs involved.
Once their research is complete they should write a 160-character text message (including spaces) to Lucy telling her which policy they think she should get and giving her one reason why this is the best deal.
The steps for reviewing this homework task are given at the start of Lesson 8.
