1001 Money Lesson Plans

Primary Economics - Children play consumers and practice counting coins up to 25 cents, save them in a piggy bank, and use them to make small purchases. This money lesson is for children in grades preK-2. From Illuminations, incorporating NCTM math standards.

Number Cents - In this 6-part lesson, children in grades preK-2 learn about coins and combinations of coins that make equivalent values. They also practice estimating amounts. From Illuminations, incorporating NCTM math standards.

Money Makers - In this 2-part lesson for kids in grades 3-5, students become real business owners and learn the basics of building a business. They select a location, products, advertise and compete for customers. From Illuminations, incorporating NCTM math standards.

Money, Careers, Saving and Buying - EconEdLink has more than 50 lessons for kids in grades K-2 on basic money sense, needs vs. wants, the basics of saving, buying, trading and selling. These money lessons incorporate NCTM and some state standards.

Budgets, Business Basics, Jobs, Resources, Banking & Consumption - EconEdLink has more than 100 lessons for children in grades 3-5 on budgeting and saving money, career choices, making wise consumer choices, business basics, and market competition. These lessons incorporate NCTM and some state standards.

Practical Money Skills for Young Children - Four lessons for children in grades preK-2 on understanding the concept of money, making money decisions, and earning and spending money. To download the lessons and accompanying student activity sheets requires free registration and login to the Practical Money Skills for Life website.

Practical Money Skills for Children - Four lessons for kids in grades 3-6 on handling money responsibly, allowance and spending plans, saving and investing, and comparison shopping. To download the lessons and accompanying student activity sheets requires free registration and login to the Practical Money Skills for Life website.

ALEX Lessons on Money for Elementary Students - The Alabama Learning Exchange has 23 lessons for kids in grades K-5 on money sense, budgeting, spending, saving, paying bills, and balancing needs vs. wants. To view lessons for your appropriate age group, select the grade level(s) and search on the keyword "money".

Learning to Give Elementary Money Lessons - The Learning to Give website focuses on lesson plans associated with community service and sharing. There are 21 lessons for K-5 children on saving, raising money, and budgeting for charitable causes. To find these lessons, select a grade level, "Math", and the letter "M", then scroll down to "Money" to view the lessons. Scroll down to "Marketplace" to view a lesson on philanthropy.

Fiscal Responsibility - This 4th grade project is designed to help students learn how to save for the future and manage a bank account. Students learn how to calculate and compound interest and manage a bank account. From West Virginia's Teach 21 website. To learn more about the project-based learning approach, read this blog post.

U.S. Mint Money Lessons - There are more than 50 lessons for children in grades K-6, focusing on the history of coins, counting coins, and making change. Many of the lessons incorporate science, language arts and social studies

The Cost of Being Late - Kids learn about the true cost of borrowing vs. teaser rates. Topics include interest rate increases, compounding interest, late fees, minimum payments, and the cost of multiple missed payments. From Illuminations, this lesson incorporates NCTM standards for math.

Amazing Profit - Kids explore the profit potential of an online auction using eBay. Students will track actual profit data using eBay and learn about supply and demand. From Illuminations, this lesson incorporates NCTM standards for math.

Basics of Economics, Business, Saving, Spending, Borrowing, and Wise Consumer Choices - EconEdLink offers more than 115 lessons to build on their knowledge of economics, business, budgeting, saving and spending. These lessons incorporate NCTM and some state standards.

How Would You Spend 1 Million Dollars? - Students get a sense of what $1,000,000 will buy by putting together a portfolio of items they would purchase. There are several rules that must be followed in compiling the portfolio. Posted on TheTeachersCorner.net.

MarkeTeach - Students learn about buying and selling stocks on the stock market by creating a class portfolio of stocks in this 10-lesson unit from Marketocracy.com

ALEX Lessons on Money for Middle School Students - The Alabama Learning Exchange has 10 lessons for kids in grades 6-8 on budgeting, saving and investing, and how career choice impact your income. To view lessons for your appropriate age group, select the grade level(s) and search on the keyword "money".

Learning to Give Middle School Money Lessons - The Learning to Give website focuses on lesson plans associated with community service and sharing. There are 3 lessons for students in grades 6-8 on saving, raising money, using credit wisely, and budgeting for charitable causes. To find these lessons, select a grade level, "Math", and the letter "M", then scroll down to "Money" to view the lessons. Select the letter "E", then scroll down to "Economics" to view 12 more lessons.

Money Math: Lessons for Life - Hosted by TreasuryDirect.gov, this unit is targeted to students in grades 7-9. In these four lessons, teens learn about wealth creation through compounding interest, expenses and budgeting for home projects, calculating income tax, and developing a budget for a college student.

PBS Money Lessons - These 15 lessons include the evolution of money, financial markets, making money, and money management. Many of of the PBS lessons incorporate video segments from their shows and online interactives.

Economics, Taxes, Property & Business - EconEdLink has more than 500 lessons for high school students in all aspects of economics, the marketplace, business economics, and preparing tax forms. These lessons incorporate national NCTM and several state standards.

NEFE High School Financial Planning Program - I've reviewed this award-winning 7-unit course in personal finance in another post. It is designed for use in classrooms and community organizations, and I highly recommend it.

Practical Money Skills for Teens - 14 lessons for kids in grade 7-12 on making decisions, budgeting, making, saving and investing money, living on your own, buying a house, using credit wisely, cars and car loans, advertising, consumer awareness, consumer privacy, and handling money troubles. To download the lessons and accompanying student activity sheets requires free registration and login to the Practical Money Skills for Life website.

ALEX Lessons on Money for High School Students - The Alabama Learning Exchange has 20 lessons for kids in grades 9-12 on money management, college costs, starting a business, the cost of time, investments, career choices, and planning for retirement. To view lessons for your appropriate age group, select the grade level(s) and search on the keyword "money". Search on the keyword "economics" to find 5 more lessons.

Learning to Give High School Money Lessons - The Learning to Give website focuses on lesson plans associated with community service and sharing. o find these lessons, select a grade level, "Math", and the letter "E", then scroll down to "Economics for 12 lessons on budgeting, credit, and making wise choices. Select the letter "M", then scroll down to "Money" to view 3 more lessons.

Successful Investor Project - Designed for 12th grade students by teacher Greg Fisher, this project-based learning curriculum guides students through a series of activities to help them make wise investment decisions. Through the activities, students learn about financial markets, the business cycle, investment objectives, portfolios, risk tolerance, mutual funds, annuities, stocks, bonds, and the tax implications of various investment choices. The curriculum material is hosted on Edutopia.org. To learn more about project-based learning, read this post.

Cash for Your Clunker? - This is designed to help students learn how to make cost effective, large purchases. Teens calculate the totals costs for purchasing or leasing a new car to determine if a rebate on their clunker trade-in is a wise decision. From West Virginia's Teach 21 website.

Investing - Risk vs. Reward - This project helps students learn how to budget and invest for long-term financial security. Students conduct a self-assessment to determine how much risk they can tolerate in making investments, and then compare different kinds of investments, including stocks, bond, and funds. From West Virginia's Teach 21 website.

Building Wealth - These 13 lessons encompass budgeting to save, the power of interest, stocks, bonds, risk and return, entrepreneurship, controlling debt and building good credit. Materials available include an interactive online version, downloadable version, and print copies. There is also a version in Spanish. Hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Building Your Future - This award-winning financial literacy curriculum consists of 3 booklets each of teacher and student versions that can be downloaded, as well as a limited number of free print copies available for order. There are 13 lessons in savings accounts, checking accounts, credit cards, taxes, loans and interest, home loans, car loans, insurance, bonds, stocks, mutual funds, risk and diversification, and inflation. Authored by the Actuarial Foundation.