Council for Economic Education
Opportunity Cost
The price of those new shoes involves more than just money! Individuals explore the concept of opportunity cost using a video clip and gratification discussions. They prepare a budget based off of their set of values in regards to...
Federal Reserve Bank
Choices Are Everywhere: Why Can’t We Just Have It All?
Here is a resource covering a range of terms and concepts regarding scarcity, opportunity cost, and government debt in economics.
Curated OER
Tarantula Shoes
Students read a book about Ryan O'Keefe, a young man who wants a pair of basketball shoes promoted by a basketball star. They explore about spending, saving, opportunity cost, and trade-offs as they study Ryan's decisions throughout the...
Practical Money Skills
Making Decisions
Money represents decisions: spending decisions, saving decisions, and investing decisions. Encourage young adults to think about the decisions they make with their money in a three-day unit about personal finance, consumer spending, and...
Curated OER
Money situations
In this money situations worksheet, students read money word problems and then list the benefit, opportunity cost, risks, and responsibilities for each one. Students do this for 6 questions.
Federal Reserve Bank
Piggy Bank Primer: Saving and Budgeting
Introduce young economists to basic concepts like unlimited wants, opportunity costs, saving, and budgeting with this workbook designed by the Federal Reserve Bank.
Council for Economic Education
Timing Is Everything
High schoolers discuss the incentives and opportunity costs of spending vs. saving. They follow an interactive website which shows them the how much money they could end up with by saving instead of spending.
Curated OER
Advanced Math Budget Project
What financial situations and decisions await young learners after they graduate from high school? This project allows class members to glimpse into the types of responsibilities they will have as adults, from considering job...
Curated OER
The Berenstain Bears' Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze
Students use the book, The Berenstain Bears' Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze, to explore spending, collecting, opportunity cost, saving, and speculating.
Curated OER
The REAL Cost of College
Learners explore the cost of college and how to plan and save. In this money management lesson students do research on the cost of college, learn about making financial choices, earning, spending, saving, investing and how they apply to...
Curated OER
Choice, Opportunity, Cost and Decisions
Students discuss the definition of scarcity and tradeoffs, and the differences between choice and cost. They create budgets and must provide tradeoffs for some of their choices.
Curated OER
Scarcity, Choice and Decisions
Students study the basic economic trilogy (scarcity, choice, and costs). In this money management lesson, students use a scenario of a High School Prom to calculate how scarcity, choice and cost apply by completing provided worksheets...
Curated OER
Budgeting Your Financial Resources (The Mint)
Students plan and maintain balanced budgets.
Curated OER
A Cost-Effective Model of Teacher Development
As funding for staff-development days dwindles, Professional Learning Communities offer a no-cost alternative for professional development.
Curated OER
Calculating the Cost of a "Sound Basic Education"
Young scholars state their opinions about school funding and the use of monetary resources by school districts and use reasons, facts, and examples to support their ideas. They compare sets of data related to school funding and draw...
Curated OER
Budget Mania
Students examine examples of budgets and explore the difficulties of living on a budget. The hands-on activity offers an opportunity to experience a real life application.
Curated OER
Uncle Jed's Barbershop
Fourth graders examine productive resources. In this economics lesson, 4th graders read a book about a man who saves money to buy his own barbershop. After reading, students get into groups to play a game to learn about savings.
Curated OER
Consumer Borrowing and Spending
Credit can be confusing for teens, some of whom are already using credit cards. Clear up misconceptions with this group research activity which has a solid outline with a lot of room to adjust to your needs and resources. Groups are...
PLS 3rd Learning
Monthly Budget & Operating Costs
What teenager wouldn't want a car? But before they make that big purchase, this exercise helps them to understand the costs involved. It includes a worksheet to calculate expenses like taxes and fees, maintenance, gas and insurance, as...
Curated OER
Economics Budget Project
Your class members will have the opportunity to practice the valuable skill of constructing a personal budget using real-world resources, such as a car advertisement and grocery list. They will take into consideration monthly and yearly...
Practical Money Skills
Making Decisions
A set of quizzes and assessments would make a great companion to your lesson on making decisions and opportunity risks. Learners watch a PowerPoint before answering multiple choice questions about interest rates, saving money, and the...
Curated OER
Budgeting Your Financial Resources
Students explore the aspects of making a budget. In this money management lesson plan, students learn the importance of budgeting and what all goes into creating a budget by eventually creating a budget of their own including how much...
Curated OER
Smart Consumers, Smart Choices
Students see what it means to be a smart consumer by engaging in a level-headed analysis of budget, opportunity costs and self-regulation. They compare prices within a service field, and weigh the choices of spending money on that item.
Curated OER
Budgeting-It Is For Everyone
Students complete a simulation designed to show them the importance of budgeting and avoiding living paycheck to paycheck.