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Really BIG Money is an exciting new money gallery for children. It features some of the world’s largest and most surprising monetary objects.

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In this activity, you’ll use common craft supplies to create a piggy bank to fill with paper coins. Look at the following Smithsonian resources and think…

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Lesson Plans for Elementary School Educators

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Lesson Plans for Elementary School Educators

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Lesson Plans for Elementary School Educators

Investopedia is committed to extending our reach and resources to schools and underserved communities that have traditionally been left out of the conversation. That's why we've created free content and materials to support today's investing environment, found here in the Financial Literacy Resource Center and our new newsletter, The Classroom Investor.

In the table below, you'll find downloadable lesson plans filled with guidance and worksheets that can be used to supplement classroom or at-home learning for children in grades K-5. There are eight lessons per grade, and each lesson plan builds on the preceding one. The subject matter also gets more detailed as students get older. (Simply right-click on each lesson to be taken to a new tab, and then you can download the content from there.)

Keep scrolling, and you'll find teen-focused content, too. While this is only the beginning, these resources will help anyone become an engaged and educated participant in the ever-evolving financial markets.

The content within the lesson plans above was crafted using guidance from educators within public schools and nonprofits in the U.S., and Kara Cordell of Oklahoma City Public Schools served as an invaluable resource in content creation. The Investopedia team piloted the content at Timber Lakes Elementary School in Orlando, Florida.

Financial Education for Teens

Financial Education for Kids

Frequently Asked Questions

Financial literacy is the ability to understand and effectively use various skills and concepts, including personal financial management, budgeting, and investing. A strong foundation of financial literacy-especially one that starts at an early age-can help support various life goals, such as saving for education or retirement, using debt responsibly, and running a business.

This section of Investopedia is a free, digital library for educators, teachers, and parents looking for materials to help them teach the next generation of investors. Linked in the table on this page are downloadable lesson plans, worksheets, and guidance that can be used to supplement classroom or at-home learning for children in grades K-5. Investopedia has also curated a collection of articles to help set teens (grades 9-12) up for success as they start working and/or pursue higher education.

The K-5 lessons plans available to download from this library cover the fundamentals of personal finance and investing, as appropriate for each age level. These lesson plans have been reviewed by licensed educators, and used by Timberlakes Elementary School in Orlando, Florida. The articles in this library for parents and teachers of teens (grades 9-12) focus primarily on building and using credit, investing, digital money management (e.g. using Venmo or Apple Pay), and real-world applications of personal finance topics.

Yes! Investopedia is committed to making financial literacy accessible for everyone. As more lesson plans and articles become available, we will update this resource page. Follow us on social media @investopedia, and bookmark this webpage to stay looped into the latest.

In addition to our content library, the Investopedia Stock Simulator is an instructional tool for students (or yourself) to practice trading and investing in stocks in a safe, simulated environment. We also have a monthly newsletter for educators, "The Classroom Investor," to give context to financial news, new product developments, and share additional free teaching resources.

By clicking "Accept All Cookies", you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

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With this free, educational resource hub from Investopedia, you can break down the jargon and teach financial literacy to the next generation.

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Financial Literacy Month, celebrated in April, is an annual month-long initiative promoting financial education and awareness. Financial Literacy Month aims to empower individuals to make informed financial decisions that can positively impact their long-term financial well-being. Throughout the month, schools focus on student financial literacy and personal finance topics such as college tuition, student loans, credit scores, interest rates, budgeting, saving, and investing.

Why is it important to teach students financial literacy?

A whopping 53% of high school teachers are seeing concerning levels of financial illiteracy among their students, according to a recent study on the state of economics and personal finance in high schools conducted by Project Tomorrow and Certell. Only 10% of educators said their students are above basic proficiency. Teaching financial literacy can help students gain confidence in their college experience and future careers. Somewhere between "what do you want to be when you grow up" and "what are your plans after high school," financial reality sets in for our students and can easily deter even our brightest minds. Financial literacy equips learners with the necessary knowledge and skills to manage their finances effectively, both now and in the future. It can also help reduce financial stress and increase financial confidence, which can have positive effects on their mental health and academic performance.

Activities and lessons for teaching students financial literacy

As educators, we can take active steps to play a positive role in future generations through student financial literacy. Keep reading to explore teaching ideas and our collection of Financial Literacy Month resources, including free activities, lessons, and videos.
New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these standards-aligned activities and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
1. Start with the topic most relevant to your students now: College

College planning and financial literacy go hand in hand when teaching high school students. Financial concepts that are the most relevant to students are college tuition, student loans, and budgeting.

Using these three lessons from RaiseMe to help teach students the financial basics of college planning:

2. Teach the basics of financial literacy

Improving your students' basic knowledge of financial literacy can help ensure their future well-being.

Start off by teaching students the origins of Financial Literacy Month and how people celebrate it with this lesson. Next, use these free financial literacy lessons and videos covering life skills, math, and student financial literacy:

Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF): This 9-week course includes 41 lessons aligned with national standards for personal financial literacy. Teach the entire course to your high school students, or choose one or a few lessons about a topic you'd like to cover. Use this lesson as is or modify it to adjust to your student's needs.

Two Cent Interactive Videos: These engaging videos for grades 6-12 put complex financial topics into understandable terms that students can understand and relate to.

Math Lessons from Council for Economic Education: These lessons for grades 6-12 apply math to real-world scenarios to help students acquire economic and financial knowledge.

For younger students, teach kids the foundations of money management with these lessons:

Learning Money for Kids - Coins: In this video from Kids Academy for grades K-2, students learn about counting money.

Dollars & Cents: In this video from Kids Academy for first grade, students learn to count and compare money amounts.

Economic Choices: In this lesson on goods and services for grades 3-5, students will learn what goods, services, wants and needs are, and explore why people may choose to spend or save money.

3. Use engaging student financial literacy activities

Once you've covered the basics of financial literacy and college planning, use engaging formative assessment activities to understand what they've learned.

Here are some financial literacy activities you can use in your lesson plans:

Managing Credit (Grades 6-12): In this financial literacy activity, students will show their understanding of managing credit with Nearpod's interactive quiz game, Time to Climb.

Personal Finance (Grades 9-12): In this Time to Climb activity, students will review aspects of personal finance.

Earning, Spending & Saving (Grades K-2): In this Social Studies Drag & Drop activity, students will read scenarios and determine if the person is earning, spending, or saving money.

Spending & Saving (Grades K-2): In this Matching Pairs activity, students strengthen their understanding of money. They complete a vocabulary challenge by matching key terms to a picture.

4. Make real-world connections to scholarships

Providing valuable real-world connections about the impact of scholarships and ACT and SAT scores will give students perspective on why they should care. Students value the insights from those who are willing to share their success, so here are some ways to inspire them:

Invite back former students: Who better to express to juniors and seniors just how important the ACT is to pay for college? Who better to talk about how the ACT ties into scholarships? Students who are fresh out of high school and willing to discuss their own journey can help empower students who feel as though their situation is hopeless. Even more importantly, they can help establish a network for students within a larger community.

Find your success stories: Usually, students with the highest scores are not first-time test-takers, so let them talk about the different strategies they've put into place between tests. Whether they're simply talking about how they studied or managed their time, current students have the most solid connection to the test.

Use your experiences as learning moments: On ACT score day, give students the nudge they need to keep trying to shoot for their best when their test scores aren't at the level they want them to be. Silence the negative voice of "just enough" for them and connect them with additional options for test support.

5. Make time year-round for financial literacy and college planning

Students need to learn about college realities early on. Does that mean that we ignore our instructional plans? Never. Does it mean we find innovative ways to squeeze that in? Always.

Here are some ways to make time for teaching financial literacy lessons and activities to use:

Utilize homeroom time for VR: Many high schools still incorporate some type of homeroom time (or online method) for their students. Incorporate some of Nearpod's virtual reality (VR) college tours so students can visit different campuses. Explore our video lessons with The College Tour.

Find teachable moments through advertising: As your students receive information from colleges nationwide, incorporate topics such as rhetorical analysis, marketing, presentation of information, etc., to help them make their decisions.

Encourage students to reflect and ask for help: As students take ACT and SAT practice tests, it's crucial for them to feel comfortable sharing their areas of concern to receive active support. In this Learning Through Reflection lesson, students consider how to use reflection as a learning tool.

Start teaching with these financial literacy activities
New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these standards-aligned activities and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
We're excited for you to use these resources and tips in your classroom for Financial Literacy Month and year-round. By instilling financial literacy skills at a young age, students can learn the value of financial responsibility and gain the confidence needed to make informed financial decisions throughout their lives. Happy Financial Literacy Month!

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Activities and lessons for teaching students financial literacy

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Exploring ideas for Financial Literacy Month? Use these engaging lessons and activities for teaching financial literacy to students.

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Free K-12 personal finance and economics resources

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March Madness Define economics and personal finance terms.

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March Madness Define economics and personal finance terms.

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Use this activity to review economic and personal finance topics! Students will fill-in 8 economic terms on one side and 8 personal finance terms on the other. Have students vote for their favorites each week, justifying their decisions in writing. Post the results in your classroom or on the hallway bulletin board.

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March Madness Define economics and personal finance terms

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March Madness Define economics and personal finance terms

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Use this activity to review economic and personal finance topics! Students will fill-in 8 economic terms on one side and 8 personal finance terms on the other. Have students vote for their favorites each week, justifying their decisions in writing. Post the results in your classroom or on the hallway bulletin board.

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4th Grade Money Lesson Plans & Worksheets - Kids’ Money

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Here are the financial principles and money lesson plans for 4th grade students that you should be teaching!

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Coloring/ Activity Book

Money Smart for Elementary School Students introduces key personal finance concepts to children ages 5-8. This resource features a coloring/activity book for the students accompanied by a companion manual for use by anyone leading a discussion with a group of youngsters.

The Student Activity Book and Instructor Guide are available for immediate download (catalog.fdic.gov).
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is prohibited from endorsing any specific organizations. Money Smart users must ensure that their publicity, advertisements, and public statements do not use the FDIC name or logo to imply that FDIC endorses their organization or its products or services.

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Money Smart for Elementary School Students introduces key personal finance concepts to children ages 5-8. This resource features a coloring/activity book for the students accompanied by a companion manual for use by anyone leading a discussion with a group of youngsters. The Student Activity Book and Instructor Guide are available for immediate download (catalog.fdic.gov).

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Bright CHAMPS financial literacy for kids

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Bright CHAMPS financial literacy for kids

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Meet Our Faculty

Trained Experts

Our instructors are selected after rigorous interview process and are trained by Industry Experts.

Comprehensive Experience

Our instructors are MBA in Finance, CFAs, Finance Grads, and experts in their fields with extensive teaching experience.

Wide-Ranging Team

Dedicated teachers in different grades ensure age-appropriate money milestones, activities, and conversations.

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BrightChamps Free Financial Literacy Trial Class | Book Now

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Book free Financial Literacy Class For Kids

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We are teachers 30+ plans for all grade levels

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We are teachers 30+ plans for all grade levels

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Teaching financial literacy is certainly not a new idea, but knowing about personal finances has become an increasingly important set of skills. The good news is that Hands on Banking has over 30 free financial literacy lesson plans available, ranging in grade level from elementary to high school. The lessons are already done for you and easy to implement, so you can integrate teaching financial literacy right away. From getting students engaged and talking to showing how math is used in daily life, we've got you covered with these free resources. Here are our favorite nine, and the link to the rest of the lesson plans is at the bottom!

How to use real-world math

Looking for a multi-sensory way to introduce coins? Lower elementary students identify and make rubbings of different coins. The prompts to observe coins, both their physical properties and values, are a good jumping-off point for more discussion.

Middle schoolers may talk big about money, but do they know how to calculate how much they'll earn after taxes? In this lesson,students help Terry, who works 35 hours a week at an hourly rate of $7.25 before taxes, figure out what he'll take home after paying into Social Security (6.2 percent) and Medicare (1.45 percent).

Let's have meaningful conversations about financial literacy

In this lesson, lower elementary students compare the prices of similar items at two different stores. And, of course, there are deals if you buy more than one! This particular lesson lends itself to breaking up the questions over a few days as a quick, engaging activity to start your day or math lesson.

If you loved Learning to Be a Smart Shopper, but you teach older students, this lesson digs deeper into comparison shopping and budgeting.

Middle schoolers and high schoolers are passionate about charitable giving, but how do they decide where to give? In this lesson, students can look at a simplified chart of how two charities spend their annual budgets. Get students talking by asking students which of the two charities they would give to and why.

Have you ever had a student ask about Bitcoin or Cryptocurrency? This lesson will be a great discussion starter for your class. It's written for high school students but adaptable for younger grades. I particularly like the True/False activity that is sure to do some myth-busting in your classroom.

How to Integrate lessons if you aren't a math teacher

If your class is thinking of undertaking a service project, use this lesson plan to introduce upper elementary students to the concept of charitable giving. Explore fundraising and donating time with a real-world example of giving to a local animal shelter.

Literacy teachers can make the theme of needs vs. wants come to life with "Understanding Needs and Wants" in this lesson. Introduce the concepts by sorting lists of items. You might include iPhones, food, hugs, and rain. Put the items into the categories of needs or wants. This lesson is designed for students to move to different sides of the room. For online classes, have students respond in the chat or in a poll.

Students might already be aware of charitable giving. However, they might not know how to research an organization's mission statement and reputation. Middle schoolers can combine research skills with budgeting know-how with this lesson.

For 21+ more lessons that help you bring financial literacy learning to your students, head over to Hands on Banking for educators. You'll find sections for elementary school, middle school, and high school!

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30+ Financial Literacy Lesson Plans For Every Grade Level

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Teaching financial literacy is certainly not a new idea, but knowing about personal finances has become an increasingly important set of skills. The good news is that Hands on Banking has over 30 free financial literacy lesson plans available, ranging in grade level from elementary to high school.

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High School Financial Literacy Lessons - EVERFI

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EVERFI: Financial Literacy for High School is a digital education program that teaches students how to make wise financial decisions