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Expense Tracking
Where does all your money go? Individuals keep a record of the money they spend over the course of 30 days. They then categorize where they are spending their money and write an essay detailing their findings.
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To Rent-to-Own or Not to Rent-to-Own?
Explore the key elements of a contract with your young adults, and delve into the features and unique benefits of a rent-to-own contract through discussion and worksheet practice.
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Savvy Savers
What are the benefits and risks of saving in an interest-bearing account? Pupils explore concepts like risk-reward relationship and the rule of 72, as well as practice calculating compound interest, developing important personal...
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Cotton in My Sack
As part of a study of saving choices and opportunity costs, class members listen to a reading of Lois Lenski's Cotton in My Sack, and then evaluate the spending choices made by the Hutley family.
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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.
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Piggy Bank Primer: 25 Cents Worth of History
It's all about money. Here's a resource that introduces kids to the Federal Reserve System, different coins produced by the mints, and fun facts about state coins.
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Bunny Money
Teach your class about saving, spending, and goal setting with a story about a couple of bunnies who went shopping and related activities. Learners keep track of the bunnies' spending, practice identifying long- and short-term savings...
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Something Special For Me
People often save money, but what are the benefits and drawbacks of that action? Youngsters learn about saving, savings, and opportunity cost through the lens of a short book, called Something Special for Me.
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Glo Goes Shopping
Making decisions can be very difficult. Show your class one way to evaluate choices with this lesson, which is inspired by the book Glo Goes Shopping. Learners practicing using a decision-making grid with the content of the story and a...
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The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza
Make a study of producers and consumers with an updated version of the classic story The Little Red Hen (this one is called The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza). After reading and discussing the story and terms, learners practice being...
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Less Than Zero
Perry the penguin wants to buy a new scooter, but he doesn't have any funds! Walk your kids through the short book Less Than Zero, and have them track his borrowing, spending, and saving on a line graph while you read. Pupils will learn...
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The Pickle Patch Bathtub
What do your pupils want to save up their money for? Based around the book The Pickle Patch Bathtub, this instructional activity covers opportunity cost, saving, and spending. Learners participate in a discussion and practice making...
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The Case of the Shrunken Allowance
An allowance is an important thing! Make sure your kids know how to save and spend their own money. Using the book The Case of the Shrunken Allowance as a starting point, this plan covers income, spending and saving, counting, and more.
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Sheep in a Shop
What do you think sheep might be able to barter when they don't have quite enough to buy a gift? Your pupils can find out this and much more during this lesson plan about Sheep in a Shop, spending, saving, and bartering.
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Little Nino's Pizzeria
Engage your youngsters in basic economics by connecting the terms to dessert and pizza! After a discussion about intermediate goods and natural resources, learners read and connect a pizzeria to economic terms.
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Saturday Sancocho
What does stew have to do with bartering? Learners will find out how by reading the story Saturday Sancocho, discussing the text, participating in a bartering activity in class (once with goods only and once with money), and...
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U.S. Income Inequality: It's Not So Bad
What is the difference between a flat tax, progressive tax, tax deduction and transfer payments? Pupils examine the ability-to-pay principle of taxation through discussion, problem solving, and a variety of worksheets on topics from US...
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On the Court with... Michael Jordan
Pupils learn foundational economic concepts and consider the importance of decision-making, how to evaluate choices and alternatives, and the benefits of consistent training and practice by learning about the early life of Michael Jordan.
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Monster Musical Chairs and Scarcity
Why can't we have everything we want? Youngsters are introduced to the concept of scarcity through a game of musical chairs and by discussing what it takes to satisfy our wants.
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What Really Caused the Great Depression?
Falling wages. Rising unemployment. Falling prices. Sound familiar? Young economists look at the role the US banking system had in causing the Great Depression.
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What Do People Say?
After reading a series of fictitious letters that represent actual events during the time period, young historians craft a small town newsletter to explain the causes of the Great Depression.
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Measuring the Great Depression
Young historians examine the cost of goods and services through the Consumer Price Index (CPI), output measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and unemployment measured by the unemployment rate to gain an understanding of the economic...
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Worth!
Before loaning a friend money, what factors would you consider and why would you lend it? Your young economists will face questions like these in a lesson on banking, profit, risk, and reward, which includes the reading of the book...
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Beatrice’s Goat: A Lesson on Savings Goals
Youngsters learn the meaning of saving and how to reach savings goals by first reading a story of a young Ugandan girl who is gifted a goat, and then discovering the opportunity costs of savings decisions made by her and her family.