Avoiding debt

Standard: Current National Issues and Potential Solutions Standard 5.6.1

• Financial Literacy Concept: Spending more than we earn without a plan for repayment causes financial risk. Can I afford to make this decision? How can I avoid penalties and late fees when borrowing money? Describe the purpose of insurance and what types of insurance are available?

• Concept Match: Allows students to research financial issues facing Americans (e.g., student loan debt, medical costs, financial crises) and develop personal financial plans as solutions. Risk & Insurance
  

Description: Students read a short story and a handout to learn about excessive debt and ways to avoid or reduce debt.

Matching interests and talents to careers

Standard: Current National Issues and Potential Solutions Standard 5.6.2

Financial Literacy Concept: Identify priorities and plan for the future by setting SMART financial goals. Planning can help prepare for a future career.

• Concept Match: Supports evaluating different personal financial strategies or community initiatives (like financial aid/literacy programs) as "positive changes" to determine which method is most effective. Earn
  

Description: Students match two people’s interests and talents to ideal careers and then write about their own interests, talents, and possible career choices.

Reflecting on needs versus wants

• Standard: Current National Issues and Potential Solutions Standard 5.6.2
• Financial Literacy Concept: Identify priorities and plan for the future by setting SMART financial goals. Planning can help prepare for a future career.
• Concept Match: Supports evaluating different personal financial strategies or community initiatives (like financial aid/literacy programs) as "positive changes" to determine which method is most effective. Earn
  

Description: By thinking about their own expenses, students explore how differentiating between needs and wants can inform daily financial decisions and rules to live by.

Using a budget to shop for a party

Standard: Current National Issues and Potential Solutions Standard 5.6.2
Financial Literacy Concept: Identify priorities and plan for the future by setting SMART financial goals. Planning can help prepare for a future career.
Concept Match: Supports evaluating different personal financial strategies or community initiatives (like financial aid/literacy programs) as "positive changes" to determine which method is most effective. Earn

Description: Students learn about budgets and then use a budget to decide what food to buy for an imaginary party.

Exploring saving and spending game

Standard: United States Government and Citizenship Standard 5.3.6
Financial Literacy Concept: Being a responsible & committed worker will help me be successful in life. Create a career preparation plan.
Concept Match: Provides a foundational context for the "duty" of a responsible employee or citizen, linking personal preparation (career plan) to effective community membership. Earn & Spend

Description: Students play a game where they earn and spend money to learn how our choices affect how we’re able to save.

Spending scenarios

Standard: United States Government and Citizenship Standard 5.3.6
Financial Literacy Concept: Being a responsible & committed worker will help me be successful in life. Create a career preparation plan.
Concept Match: Provides a foundational context for the "duty" of a responsible employee or citizen, linking personal preparation (career plan) to effective community membership. Earn & Spends

Description: Students consider everyday spending decisions by working through real-world scenarios.

Utah Treasurer’s Investment Challenge

Standard: NUMBER AND OPERATIONS - FRACTIONS Standard 5.NF.5
Financial Literacy Concept: Investing is a method for increasing money over time. Give examples of how time impacts money (Time value of money).
Concept Match: Models the concept of compound interest and investment growth by viewing a return as a scale factor applied to the principal amount. Grow

Description: A free, statewide 10-week stock market simulation for students in grades 4–12, offered during the fall and spring semesters.

How to Invest Money

Standard: NUMBER AND OPERATIONS - FRACTIONS Standard 5.NF.5
Financial Literacy Concept: Investing is a method for increasing money over time. Give examples of how time impacts money (Time value of money).
Concept Match: Models the concept of compound interest and investment growth by viewing a return as a scale factor applied to the principal amount. Grow

Description: Students will be able to explain what investing is, the difference between saving and investing, and some ways people invest money.

Savings Interest with a Bank

Standard: MEASUREMENT AND DATA Standard 5.MD.1
Financial Literacy Concept: Give examples of how time impacts money.
Concept Match: Supports converting time units (years, months, etc.) when applying Time Value of Money principles in multi-step problems. Grow

Description: Students will be able to explain what a savings account is and how interest helps money grow over time.

Understanding who shapes your money decisions

Standard: WRITING Standard 5.W.1
Financial Literacy Concept: Compare and contrast risks and rewards of saving versus investing. Interest can serve as a reward for saving money.
Concept Match: Students can construct arguments advocating for specific financial habits (e.g., saving over spending, credit vs. cash) and support these claims with facts (evidence). Save & Grow

Description: Students read a handout and then identify how both they and the people in their lives make choices about money.

Picturing what you’re saving for

Standard: WRITING Standard 5.W.2
Financial Literacy Concept: Define interest. What is investing and what are some ways I can invest? Describe the purpose of insurance. Why choose to invest money instead of saving or spending it?
Concept Match: Directly applies to writing reports that explain the functions of complex terms like Insurance and Investment, organizing these facts with a clear internal structure. Save & Grow

Description: Students draw pictures of a savings goal and discuss the importance of saving money over time.

Graphing ways to make money

Standard: WRITING Standard 5.W.2
Financial Literacy Concept: Define interest. What is investing and what are some ways I can invest? Describe the purpose of insurance. Why choose to invest money instead of saving or spending it?
Concept Match: Directly applies to writing reports that explain the functions of complex terms like Insurance and Investment, organizing these facts with a clear internal structure. Save & Grow

Description: Students discuss ways young people can earn money and complete a math and graphing exercise to apply their knowledge.

My Life as a $20 Bill

Standard: WRITING Standard 5.W.2
Financial Literacy Concept: Define interest. What is investing and what are some ways I can invest? Describe the purpose of insurance. Why choose to invest money instead of saving or spending it?
Concept Match: Directly applies to writing reports that explain the functions of complex terms like Insurance and Investment, organizing these facts with a clear internal structure. Save & Grow

Description: Students will write a narrative story using personification and describe the life of a $20 bill using details about its journey and experiences.

Learning about insurance

Standard: Reading Standard 5.R.13
Financial Literacy Concept: I can protect valuables with insurance. Spending more than we earn... causes financial risk.
Concept Match: Supports critically evaluating the claims and persuasive text related to financial products (e.g., analyzing an insurance company's claims or the alleged "rewards" of a credit card). Insurance

Description: Students play a game where they do an action to match common types of insurance with the risks they cover.

Exploring ways to protect what’s important to us

Standard: Reading Standard 5.R.13
Financial Literacy Concept: I can protect valuables with insurance. Spending more than we earn... causes financial risk.
Concept Match: Supports critically evaluating the claims and persuasive text related to financial products (e.g., analyzing an insurance company's claims or the alleged "rewards" of a credit card). Insurance

Description: Students draw a picture and answer open-ended questions based on a story about protecting ourselves and our property.

Meeting your future self

Standard: WRITING Standard 5.W.4
Financial Literacy Concept: Create a career preparation plan for three different occupations. What kinds of questions should I be asking myself to prepare a career plan?
Concept Match: Aligns with developing a career plan by researching required skills, education costs, and salary (answering a question) and arguing for the best choice (crafting an argument). Earn

Description: Students imagine their lives in 10 years and write a fill-in-the-blank letter from their future selves to their current selves.

Career Planning – What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

Standard: WRITING Standard 5.W.4
Financial Literacy Concept: Create a career preparation plan for three different occupations. What kinds of questions should I be asking myself to prepare a career plan?
Concept Match: Aligns with developing a career plan by researching required skills, education costs, and salary (answering a question) and arguing for the best choice (crafting an argument). Earn

Description: In this lesson students will plan for the future by researching a career choice and what is involved in that career.