Find financial literacy activities
Find activities that can help you teach and nurture the building blocks of financial capability across the curriculum.
These classroom activities can be completed within a single class period. Each activity comes with a teacher guide and supporting student material, so it’s easy to implement whether you’re an experienced personal finance teacher, integrating financial literacy into another subject area, or supplementing your existing financial education curriculum.
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Understanding taxes and your paycheck
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students analyze statements about taxes to better understand how taxes affect people’s paychecks.
Researching the gig economy
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students conduct research about the gig economy, identify benefits and drawbacks to gig work, and reflect on whether gig work would be right for them.
Playing a saving and spending game
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students discuss the importance of emergency savings and play a game to explore connections between saving, spending, and unexpected expenses.
Investigating payroll tax and federal income tax withholding
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students analyze W-4 forms and pay stubs in order to better understand payroll taxes and federal income tax withholding.
Creating a poster on life after high school
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students create a poster or infographic illustrating post-secondary education or workforce options they're interested in.
Exploring community colleges
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students learn about the benefits of community college and consider whether attending community college could be a good option to help them prepare for their future.
Understanding how much student debt you can afford
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students calculate how much they can afford in monthly student loan payments based on what their salary might be after graduating from college or another post-secondary institution.
Choosing a student loan that’s right for you
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast federal and private student loans to help them find the one best suited for their needs.
Comparing higher education choices
Ideal for: Middle school (6-8), High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students explore higher education options by comparing similarities and differences between two colleges near where they live.
Learning how federal financial aid can help you pay for higher education
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
After watching a video describing basic types of federal financial aid, students answer content-based questions about financial planning for college.