Personal Finance Lessons Grades 3-5

Literature Annotation: The animated song, $7.50 Once a Week, introduces students to the economic and financial literacy concepts of scarcity, economic decision-making and potential sources of income.

• Grades: 4-5 

• Economic Concepts: scarcity, economic decision-making, goods, services 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

Literature Annotation: Given a dollar by his Grandma and Grandpa, Alexander makes choices about spending and saving. Lesson including Whiteboard activities can be found here.

• Grades: 3-5

• Economic Concepts: Consumption 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions. 

Literature Annotation: In a small African village lives a girl named Beatrice. She longs to be able to go to school, but her family can’t afford it. The gift of a goat to the family helps her and her family make her wish come true. This book is a true story about a Ugandan girl and her family who received a goat from the Heifer Project International. 

• Economic Concepts: opportunity cost, financial decisions, financial goals, identify ways to earn and save

• Grade Level: 3-5 

• Maryland State Standard : Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

Literature Annotation: Financial literacy is discussed through the topics of making wise financial decisions and consumer awareness. 

• Grade: 3-5 

• Economic Concepts: Consumption, Money Management 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world. (Grade 3-5 Standard) 

Literature Annotation: This trade book focuses on developing good money habits, including setting goals, making a financial plan, choosing where to save your money and how to make smart purchases. 

• Grades: 3-5 

• Financial Literacy Concepts: making financial decisions, money management 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions

 Literature Annotation: This book is about a 10-year-old girl from Afghanistan who travels to Pakistan to escape a war that destroyed her home. The main character, Lina, meets a girl, Feroza, who also is about her age when aid workers come to their camp to deliver used clothes and they each grab one sandal of a pair of sandals. Although unsure what to do at first, they decide to share the sandals. When Lina gets asylum in America with her mother, she gets a new pair of shoes to wear. However, the girls decide to each keep a sandal in remembrance of each other. 

• Grade: 4

• Economic Concepts: opportunity cost, decision making 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will apply financial literacy reasoning in order to make informed, financially responsible decisions.

Literature Annotation: Financial Literacy is discussed through the topics of putting your money to work, investing and borrowing and making good financial decisions. 

• Grades: 3-5 

• Economic Concepts: decision making, producers, consumers, money

• Maryland State Standard: Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions.

Isabel's Car Wash

Literature Annotation: To earn money to buy a doll that she wants, Isabel starts a car wash business with money invested by friends, hoping to make a profit for everyone. Back matter includes information on selling shares in a business.I sabel's CarWash Vocabulary Activity

Grades: 3-5 

Economic Concepts: Consumption, Production, Money Management

Maryland State Curriculum Economics Standard: Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions. (PreK-3 Standard)

Literature Annotation: 

Mama Panya has just enough money to buy ingredients for a few pancakes, so when her son Adika invites all their friends to join them, she is sure there will not be enough to go around.

• Grade: 3 

• Economic Concepts: Goods and Services, Markets 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions. (PreK-3)

• Grade: 3 

• Economic Concepts: savings, opportunity cost, savings goal 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will apply financial literacy reasoning in order to make informed, financially responsible decisions.

Literature Annotation: 

• Grade: 3-5 

• Economic Concepts: Consumption, Money Management 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

\

• Grade: 3-5 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will identify the economic principles and processes that are helpful to producers and consumers when making good decisions. (PreK-3 Standard) 

Literature Annotation:

Financial literacy is discussed through the topics of using money, earning money, spending and saving money, and making good decisions about money. 

• Grades: 3-5 

• Economic Concepts: decision making, spending, saving, consumers

• Maryland State Standard: Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker

Literature Annotation: 

• Grades: 3-4

• Economic Concepts: decision making, consumers 

• Maryland State Standard: Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world