NGPF Activity Bank
Types of Credit
Teacher Tip Video
INTERACTIVE: Shady Sam
Interactive: Shady Sam
❖ Teacher Tip: Students may be tempted to use their calculators and compare different loan
options before selecting one to move forward with. We recommend that you have students
do this activity WITHOUT calculators, as the game is designed so that players will be able to
identify patterns and select loans that maximize profits.
Part I: Play Shady Sam
1. Go to [Link]. Enter your first name and click START PLAYING.
2. At the end of the game, STOP on the screen that includes your last email and Total Profits.
Take a screenshot of the email and paste it in the box below. Then, click “Clock Out” and
continue to answer the rest of the questions.
Part II: Reflection Questions
3. What was the goal given to you at the beginning of the game?
The goal was to make people pay as much money as possible.
4. As the game says, most borrowers only pay attention to the monthly payment when taking
out a loan.
a. Why do you think this is?
I think they want to stretch it out so they think they are paying less money then in a shorter period
of time but really they are paying more.
b. How can this benefit the lender?
It makes the lender get more money because their job is to get as much money as possible .
[Link] Last updated: 2/1/19
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5. You probably noticed a pattern that allowed you to maximize profits. Complete this
sentence by circling or highlighting one term:
The loans that were most profitable tended to have the shortest / longest terms and
the lowest / highest monthly payments.
6. Which loan created a habit where the borrower kept coming back to request an extension?
What are some possible explanations for why these loans are popular despite the fact that
they create a cycle of debt for many borrowers?
A payday loan. They are popular because they can keep coming and asking for a longer extension
which is helping the lender collect more money from them then what they think.
7. One of the most profitable loans that you made was the adjustable-rate mortgage. What
risk is the borrower taking with this loan?
The rate can change so they can make it higher which will make the borrower pay more money in
the end.
8. Describe your emotional state as you played the game and why you felt that way.
I felt bad because I know people do this in real life and they don’t even know they are being taken
advantage of.
9. How do you feel about the total profits you made with Shady Sam? How do those emotions
compare with how you felt while you were playing the game? Explain.
It feels good that I made a profit but still horrible because it feels like stealing. It felt similar like I
was being told that I was doing a great job but I knew this was a horrible game that happens in
real life.
10.What are three takeaways you learned from playing Shady Sam that will help you as a
borrower in the future? Be specific.
Don’t go for the longer monthly payments, lower interest rates because they could be adjusted, and finally
be the one to choose your plan to find the best one possible to keep as much money as you can.
[Link] Last updated: 2/1/19
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