Indiana Social Studies GE.6.2
The Standard
Explain the role financial institutions play among savers, borrowers, and investors.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students trace how banks and credit unions take deposits and make loans. They explain how brokerages help investors buy stocks and bonds. They identify who earns interest, who pays it, and who takes investment risk.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a savings deposit, a car loan, and a bond purchase, a student can name each person's role and what the institution does. They can explain who pays interest and who might lose money.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think a bank keeps every deposited dollar in a vault or lends a deposit directly to one named borrower. They may assume a brokerage guarantees returns or that savings and loan interest rates are the same.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Maya puts $500 in a credit union, Eli takes a car loan there, and Jo buys a bond through a brokerage. Name each person's role, explain what each institution does, and mark who pays or could earn interest.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Hand groups deposit, loan, and bond cards; have them place each on bank or brokerage mats and draw arrows showing interest payments.
Ask: Why might someone keep $1,000 in a savings account instead of buying a bond through a brokerage? Write two trade-offs.
Play a matching race with saver, borrower, investor, bank, credit union, and brokerage cards; teams pair roles with services and explain each match.
Show a local credit union's savings rate and car loan rate; students identify which customer pays interest and which receives it.
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Printable GE.6.2 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- GE.6.6
Compare and contrast different types of financial investments.
- GE.6.5
Explain how interest rates act as an incentive for savers and borrowers.
- GE.5.6
Research the structure of financial institutions and analyze the consumer and commercial products offered.
- GE.5.1
Explain the role of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. economy, as well as the functions of its counterparts in other countries.
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