TeachersFirst's Understanding Economics and Money: TeachersFirst Editors' Choices
Understanding how world economic systems work can mystify even the experts, but all of us need to understand the basics of how an economy functions, especially as current events challenge us to adjust to tough times. Today's students and teachers must try to translate the language of financial gurus and the news media in a meaningful and personal context.
This collection of resources has been hand-picked by the editors of TeachersFirst from among our many reviewed resources on economics and money. These selections were chosen to help students (and families) grasp basic economic principles, personal financial planning, and banking at an age-appropriate level.
To complement these resources on the "facts" about economics, TeachersFirst's partner site, TeachersAndFamilies, offers this article and activities to help children and teens handle the feelings and stresses of tough economic times and to mitigate the toll these times can take on families. By understanding the feelings of children and teens and by helping them build age-appropriate knowledge, teachers and families can ease the strain of the tough times we all face together.
We hope you will share these resources with your colleagues and school parents by emailing this page or sharing the link.
View our entire collection of resources related to economics.

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New York Fed's Educational Comic Books - Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): banks (8), financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free comic books and lessons when teaching economic and financial lessons as a supplement to your current teaching materials. Instead of printing each comic for individual students, provide a link to students using Padlet, reviewed here. Create a Padlet to share all of your online resources for your unit in one place. Use these comic books as inspiration and modify student learning by asking them to use a comic creation tool like ToonyTool, reviewed here, to create single frame cartoons explaining financial concepts.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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What is Fiscal Policy? Interactive Teaching Tools - Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93)
In the Classroom
Engage students and extend their knowledge with these interactives and lessons offered on this site during your current finance lessons. Ask students to explain a financial concept using ThingLink, reviewed here. Use ThingLink with any appropriate image to add links to websites, videos, and images. Upon completion of your finance unit, ask students to create an interactive book using Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox offers tools for publishing digital books that include images, video, and audio in addition to textAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Inflation Calculator - Morgan Friedman
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1900s (55), 20th century (48), calculators (38), financial literacy (93)
In the Classroom
Although this calculator seems relatively simple, use it for many purposes in your classroom. When reading stories set in different times throughout the 1900's use the calculator to compare costs in the story to 21st-century costs. Use the calculator for student writing projects set in the past to add authenticity to information included. Take student learning a step further and ask them to create an infographic comparing prices, technology, populations, workforce, or other important indicators of two different eras. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, will modify student learning and is a very easy to use tool for creating infographics using their many available templates. Challenge math or economics students to enhance learning and create an inflation calculator based on different sets of statistics using Microsoft Excel or Google Forms. Work together with a history teacher to include those statistics on a history timeline with a tool like Timeline Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids - Discovery Education and Jackson Charitable Foundation
Grades
K to 6tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free lessons and videos to teach financial literacy in your classroom. Collect student ideas on how to save and earn money onto an online bulletin board like Lino, reviewed here. Lino offers the ability to include images, videos, and comments. Have students take pictures of different ways financial situations were faced over the course of a month then create a collage for your class using an image editor like Fotor, reviewed here. Extend learning by challenging students use their imagination to create a financial adventure game using Scratch, reviewed here. Scratch is an easy to use program that brings adventures to life through interactive stories, animations, and games.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How to Teach Your Children to be Financially Smart in the Digital Age - Blog-pawnhero
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): business (50), financial literacy (93), infographics (52), parents (61)
In the Classroom
Find reviews for all of the suggested activities on this blog at TeachersFirst: Rich Kid, Smart Kid, Practical Money Skills, Financial Football, h.i.p. Pocket Change, BizKids, and High School Financial Planning. Read the suggested classroom activities in the reviews to get ideas for using the tools with your students. Post a link, or embed the inforgraphic on your web page for parents and students to use at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FutureSmart - EverFi and MassMutual Foundation
Grades
6 to 9tag(s): financial literacy (93), game based learning (159), money (122)
In the Classroom
Incorporate FutureSmart into your flipped classroom, assign different modules as homework. If integrating technology use in your classroom, try using an online bulletin board tool like Dotstorming, reviewed here, to have students post important decisions they made as mayor while advising citizens about their finances. Then discuss their decisions together in class. Allow students to make comments on the bulletin board during this discussion time, so all students will have a chance to express their opinions. Have students create a personal budget (or work in pairs to create an annual classroom budget) at the end of the course. Challenge students to create a presentation sharing what they learned using an interactive infographic like Infogram, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Financial Literacy Resources - KQED Education
Grades
9 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): financial literacy (93)
In the Classroom
Discover the many ready-to-go, free resources that go with these free lesson plans for use with all students, not just English language learners. Include this site on your class web page for students and parents to access as a reference when discussing financial issues at home. Use the calculators found on the site as part of any financial unit or as a math problem solving lesson. Oh, and by-the-way, students will also practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Investing for Beginners - Fidelity Investments
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): financial literacy (93), investing (5)
In the Classroom
Share videos with your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector. You may be interested in continuing the investment study by having students set up their own practice portfolio for a no-risk option to dabble in stock trading and buying. Use a program like Wall Street Survivor, reviewed here, to do this. Extend student learning by having cooperative learning groups research other aspects of economics or business, then challenge the groups to create videos using FlexClip, reviewed here, and share them on a site such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Banzai! - Banzai.com
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93), game based learning (159)
In the Classroom
Banzai is an excellent resource for any financial literacy course, or for those who don't have financial literacy classes as an option for your school. Create your classroom account, and then provide students with a class code to sign in to their account. Create as many classes as you like then have students follow the curriculum including pre-tests, simulations of life scenarios, interactives, and post-tests. The Banzai tool grades it all. Set up student accounts and assign activities based on your state standards. Be sure to share Banzai on your class website for students to explore at home. Enhance student learning goals by having students reflect on their learning using a blogging tool such as Penzu, reviewed here. Banzai would work well for blended or remote learning since it works on any internet connected device, including tablets and smartphones at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WeTheEconomy - 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss - Vulcan Productions/Cinelan
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (134), financial literacy (93), money (122), supply and demand (4)
In the Classroom
Sign up to download the support materials and plan one or several lessons to demystify the economy as part of a civics/government class or an economics course. Transform the technology use in your class by assigning students to watch films in small groups and create digital booklets explaining the key concepts to the class using a multimedia tool such as Calameo, reviewed here. As economic issues come up in current events or during an election cycle, use these films to explain the underlying issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hands On Banking - Wells Fargo
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Create a link to the course for your students on classroom computers or view together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Enhance classroom technology use and have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here. Older students could benefit from creating an infographic about information learned and transform technology use at the same time. Use Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Hands on Learning is a great tool to share with families (for both student or parent use). Share this site on your class wiki, blog, or website.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TV411 - Finance - Adult Literacy Media Alliance
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Include this site in a course on personal finance, business, or consumer science. It would also be very useful as a real world application for math skills. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector to introduce or review financial topics. Take advantage of the free lesson plans. Share the videos with your class as you study finance and the economy. Share this site with parents through your classroom website or blog.Comments
Great Resource!Ladisha, VA, Grades: 9 - 12
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BizKids - American Public Television
Grades
5 to 12Students can sign up to receive a newsletter with money tips just for them. Also included is a blog with links to other financial sites for kids. Most resources for students are located under "Cool Biz Stuff," then go to "Tools for Kids." Some of the tools include a financial calculator to determine what it takes to become a millionaire, sample business plans, allowance budgeting, and investment basics. Under "The Show" link, short video segments are available for review. Shows are geared toward increasing student interest through the use of familiar cultural icons such as "The Intern" and a parody of the T.V. show "24."
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): business (50), college (46), financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Watch the video on "How to Hold a Fundraiser" when planning a class economics project or before a school fundraiser event to get ideas on how to boost fundraising income. Watch a few of the short videos for creative ideas before creating classroom presentations of information studied in class. Divide up the online shows between students in your class and have students view and report back on the information presented in the videos. To show what they have learned from this site, engage and challenge students to substitute paper posters with an online graphic to share using Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Enhance learning by using a multimedia poster maker such as Genial.ly, reviewed here, where students can choose the type of interactive presentation they would like to share. Ask students to create an economic plan using the allowance budget worksheet. Business teachers, family and consumer science classes, and young entrepreneurs will appreciate the many offerings on this site. College counselors will also want to share the college planning information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Financial Football - Visa, Inc.
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122), sports (75)
In the Classroom
Plan your financial unit to coincide with the SuperBowl or the opening of NFL football, then use these ready-made activities to train better consumers and money managers. As they do the activities and learn, enhance technology use in class and challenge your sports-minded groups to write up an illustrated financial game plan on Canva, reviewed here. Imagine all the X's and O's! Transform technology use in class and allow the less grid-oriented to opt for creating an illustrated interactive financial planbook using Book Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Frontline: Breaking the Bank - PBS
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): banks (8), financial literacy (93), money (122), recession (3)
In the Classroom
Although this site deals with the 2008-2009 banking crisis at a level that is probably more in-depth than most teachers have the opportunity to deal with, it would be useful for an economics class or a recent American history class. You might consider some portions of it during a discussion of the Great Depression in the 1930s, to help students connect that economic time with the present. Finally, this might be a good resource site for students who are interested or who are working on more comprehensive projects. Transform classroom technology use and have students create a multimedia presentation of demonstrating their understanding of the connection between the bank failures and the economic downturn. To show what they have learned from this site, challenge students to substitute paper posters with an online graphic to share using Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Transform technology use by using a multimedia poster maker such as Genial.ly, reviewed here, where students can choose the type of interactive presentation they would like to share. Have students create (and respond) on class wikis. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Video: Borrowing Money in Plain English - Common Craft
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): business (50), financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Share this video with your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector or embed it in your class web page or wiki during your unit on credit or percent. Have cooperative learning groups research other aspects of savings, borrowing, or economics and create their own videos. Transform technology use by using (click on the tool name to access the review): Animatron, Renderforest, Powtoon, or MoocNote. Share the videos on Teachertube, explained here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Video: Saving Money in Plain English - Common Craft
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Share this video with your students on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have cooperative learning groups research other aspects of economics and create their own videos. Include this video as you teach about interest in math class, then have students create a video advertisement for a savings program. Transform technology use by using (click on the tool name to access the review): Animatron, Renderforest, Powtoon, or MoocNote. Share the videos on Teachertube, explained here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Stock Market - Finance - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122), stock market (8)
In the Classroom
Have students work in cooperative learning groups, divide up the vocabulary words, and have each group find the definitions for their assigned vocabulary words. Have the groups share their words and definitions in an online book, using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here. Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector. If you don't have the time to complete online books, have students share the definitions using a class wiki. Be sure to also check out the interactive word puzzles!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Schwab MoneyWise - Charles Schwab
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson ideas at this site to help your students understand economics. Take advantage of the free teaching guides and student worksheets.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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High School Financial Planning Program - National Endowment for Financial Education
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): financial literacy (93), money (122)
In the Classroom
There are many ways to incorporate this website into your plans and help your students prepare for their financial futures. Download entire units to use with your class. There are countless activities presented with each unit. An economics class could focus on one new unit each week (or even month). Download (and print) copies of the unit. Have students work in cooperative learning groups to read through the units and complete the activities. Enhance classroom technology by asking student to take notes about what they learn using Webnote, reviewed here; tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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