PBS
Estimating Profit from a Job
Profit always seems to get everyone's attention. The same is true during a activity on estimation. Learners use given information to estimate the cost of supplies for a painting job. They then develop a strategy for estimating the profit...
PBS
Taxes—Where Does Your Money Go?
People spend some of their money before they even get it! Lead a lesson that helps scholars understand the different deductions taken from a paycheck. They calculate rates and percentages and learn where the money goes after it leaves...
101 Questions
Combining Coupons
Everyone likes to save money! Use your math skills to figure out just how much you can save on a pair of sweet shoes. A vendor is running a percent off sale, with a percent off coupon, and a specific dollar amount coupon—and lets you use...
Council for Economic Education
Sand Art Brownies
Which is better, Coke or Pepsi? Pupils analyze the concept of substitute goods as they investigate the choice to purchase alternate products for better prices. Fun and practical, the engaging shopping exercise helps savvy scholars get...
101 Questions
Woody's Raise
You want to be where everyone gets a raise. A short clip from the TV show Cheers provides the context for the task. After watching an interaction between a bartender and an owner regarding a raise, viewers write inequalities to represent...
101 Questions
Bed, Bath, and Beyond Coupon
More money for me! Scholars explore two different coupons for Bed Bath & Beyond, one for 20 percent off and one for $5 off an item. Using some concrete examples, they determine conditions for when each coupon would be more beneficial.
101 Questions
Foreign Subway Order
Subway orders are the same in every language, right? An inquiry-based lesson presents a Subway ordering board from an Asian country. Given an order, learners must determine the cost by comparing symbols of the order to the symbols on the...
101 Questions
Amazon Percent Discount
Everyone loves a good sale! A straightforward lesson provides practice with calculating a percent off of a product. Using ads from Amazon, individuals calculate the percent off the ad does not show. Pupils see the answer after revealing...
101 Questions
Gas Station Ripoff
Ever wonder if you can trust the pump that pumps your gas? Budding mathematicians use video evidence to analyze the cost-per-gallon ratio at different intervals for three different pumps. Their goal is to identify the pump that is...
101 Questions
Would You like Fries with Your Order?
Ever wonder what you are paying for a single fry at McDonald's? An engaging lesson compares the cost per fry in a small order to a larger order. It's a great application of unit rate that is sure to make your classes hungry for more!
101 Questions
What Micheal’s Coupon Should You Use?
Get your classes on their way to extreme couponing! Young mathematicians analyze two different coupon options for the better deal. They use different scenarios to predict and compare the outcomes.
101 Questions
Electric Bill
A brilliant resource is at your disposal. Future consumers investigate and discuss an electric bill. Given only partial information, they estimate the monthly bill. They then consider how tiered pricing will affect the bill.
101 Questions
Dueling Discounts
What a bargain—an informative, free resource! Given prices of several objects, learners determine whether 20 percent off or $20 off would be a better bargain. They use the results to come up with a generalization of the situation.
Federal Reserve Bank
Lesson 4: Back to School
Based on your current level of human capital, how long would it take you to earn $1,000,000? What about your potential human capital? Learners explore the importance of education and experience when entering the workforce, and compare...
Federal Reserve Bank
Lesson 3: A Fresh Start
The members of your economics class may be busy earning graduation credits, but the credit they should be concerned about is their financial credit. The third lesson in a unit about Hurricane Katrina and other events that can result in...
Youthlinc
Financial Literacy: Money Attitudes Lesson Plan
Going once, going twice, sold! An auction provides class members with an opportunity to examine their attitudes toward money. After bidding on and purchasing items, individuals complete an attitude survey and then identify a goal that...
Federal Reserve Bank
Lesson 2: In the Aftermath
Don't wait for a crisis to get your finances together. An economics lesson demonstrates the importance of understanding crucial documents, banking basics, and financial tools with the focus on Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and its effects.
Federal Reserve Bank
Lesson 1: Katrina Strikes
Most families have an emergency kit in their home with flashlights, water, and extra food. But what happens to your money when disaster strikes? An economics lesson focused on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demonstrates the...
Mathed Up!
Compound Interest and Depreciation
Discover how to find the value of an interest-bearing account. Individuals watch a video to learn how to use exponential functions to model compound interest. After the video, they complete a worksheet of problems on compound interest.
Mathed Up!
Best Buys
Which scenario is the better deal? Class members examine nine scenarios to determine which choice offers a better deal. Pupils decide whether they need to find unit costs or total prices to compare the two options.
Newspaper Association of America
Critical Thinking through Core Curriculum: Using Print and Digital Newspapers
What is and what will be the role of newspapers in the future? Keeping this essential question in mind, class members use print, electronic, and/or web editions of newspapers, to investigate topics that include financial literary,...
Northern Ireland Curriculum
Money Wise
Does money seem to slip through your middle schoolers' fingers? Encourage them to examine spending, saving, and budgeting habits with a unit on consumer skills and money management. Young spenders study the waste that occurs with school...
EduGAINs
Making Savvy Consumer Choices
It's never too early to learn about grocery budgeting. Middle schoolers delve into the world of consumer math with a activity that focuses on both healthy choices and real-world math applications. Groups work together to form a grocery...
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
What Is A Bank?
You're never too young to learn about banking and personal finance. Use a set of seven banking lessons to teach middle schoolers about checking and savings accounts, interest rates, loans and credit cards, and safety deposit boxes.