Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: Money Comes and Goes

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students read two online stories that introduce them to the elements of a budget and show that a successful budget balances money coming in (income) with money going out (expenses and savings). Follow-up activities point out the value of...
Interactive
Other

Federal Bank of Richmond: Dollars and Sense Game

For Students 9th - 10th
This budgeting game helps middle and high school students learn how to make smart financial choices and to stay within a budget. The teacher's guide and game are both available as PDFs.
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Adventures in Math: Lesson 4: How to Use Your Money

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lesson, students will identify why having a budget and keeping records of their spending and saving habits helps them make better financial choices.
Handout
Other

Finance Authority of Maine: Manage: Making Your Money Work

For Students 9th - 10th
PDF with ten sections that help students set financial goals, track expenses, and create plans to manage their expenses to help their future selves.
Lesson Plan
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Using a Person's Budget to Understand the Balance of Payments

For Students 9th - 10th
Just like a personal budget, the balance of payments uses the sources of funds and uses of funds to track the movement of money. In this article, we use a young wizard's budget to make the balance of payments more relatable. This...
Article
Other

I Grad: Managing a College Student Budget

For Students 9th - 10th
Help for high school students anticipating college expenses, so they can make the most of the money they have to spend when they get there.
Article
Bankrate

Bankrate: How Do I Budget My Big Salary?

For Students 9th - 10th
The site provides an accountant's view about the percentages of income we should budget for our monthly living expenses. A good resource for students interested in making and managing money. (Aug. 22, 2000)
Unit Plan
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Business & Personal Finance: Module 1: Financial Planning

For Students 9th - 10th
This self-guided course is designed to give you the tools necessary to help manage money and plan for your financial future. Topics discussed are setting goals, making financial decisions, setting a budget, information on careers and...
Article
A&E Television

History.com: How the Great Depression Became the Golden Age for Monopoly

For Students 9th - 10th
When times got tough during the Great Depression, people played board games -- especially the game that's all about making money. The success of Monopoly befuddled many. Why, in a time of great financial despair, would families and...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Authentic Writing and Math Problem Solving Using Shopping Lists

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
We're going shopping in this integrated lesson. Students must make a budget, create a shopping list, and act out grocery shopping utilizing their problem solving and writing skills. A comprehensive lesson with printable worksheets,...
Activity
Education Development Center

Tune in to Learning: Is Paying Over Time a Smart Move?

For Students 9th - 10th
At T.V. 411 you can explore the concept of paying over time with situations involving credit cards, rent to own items, and more. This interactive lesson gives the learner an opportunity to make decisions about money management.
Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: Opportunity Cost

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Consumers are faced with tough choices because so many innovative and exciting products and services are available. Therefore, engraining a decision-making process that includes considering of opportunity cost is necessary to shape...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: What's the Real Cost of That Car?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This is a Commerce and Information Technology lesson plan. A project requiring research, critical thinking and complex decision-making about factoring all the costs of purchasing a large ticket item - a car.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days or Your Money Back

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lesson, students discover the entire process that goes into designing a rocket for any customer. In prior lessons, students learned how rockets work, but now they learn what real-world decisions engineers have to make when...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: Career Choices

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Investigate how an individual's career choice might affect their financial future.
Interactive
Other

Finance Authority of Maine: Claim Your Future

For Students 9th - 10th
This game can be played individually or as a class. Students make adult decisions about spending money, based on income from a particular career. This could help students decide on a career, as well as learning how to budget their...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Wild Water Adventure

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will learn how a system of equations can be used to find the best use of information to make decisions in real-world situations.Students will work in groups of 3s or 4s to develop a system for the best buy on tickets at a water...
Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: Every Penny Counts

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Lesson that helps students understand that people must make choices about the goods and services they purchase. Students recognize the prices indicate what people pay for goods and services, learn to compare prices, and understand that...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Can You Survive in the Real World?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Living in the real world is expensive and sometimes hard for a new college graduate to adjust to. This lesson will allow students to see the importance and need of budgeting money. Students will have to make choices and research...
Activity
Other

Economic Awareness Council: Your First Paycheck [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn what all that information on your paycheck means, and learn to make smart decisions about how to use the money you earn.
Lesson Plan
Federal Reserve Bank

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: The Pickle Patch Bathtub [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A lesson based on The Pickle Patch Bathtub by Frances Kennedy, where students learn about making choices in how to spend money, and how to set goals and develop a savings plan.
Lesson Plan
University of Missouri

University of Missouri St. Louis:wise Pockets: Kermit the Hermit

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This is an elementary level lesson that deals with spending, saving, income, and interest. Requires the book Kermit the Hermit by Bill Peet. Includes detailed lesson plan along with procedures and activities.
Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: Work, Earnings and Economics: Using Lyddie by Katherine Paterson

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In reading and discussing Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson, students examine basic economic concepts and explore the growth of labor unions and the role of government in a market economy.
Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: Clickety Clack, Let's Keep Track!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This lesson will show students the importance of keeping track of their savings.