How do I get a job? How much money am I worth and how do I calculate my pay. What do I do with my paycheck after I get it? The Personal Finance course math in a real world environment. Students must get jobs, balancing checks, and save enough money to buy their grade. They get paid for the work they do, just like a real job.
You can view all of the topics covered in our curriculum by selecting a link below:
For Teaching | For Practice |
Topics by Week
The following table shows each topic by week that is covered in the curriculum.
Week 1 | ![]() |
Unit 1 Introduction – Getting a Job |
Students will be introduced to the course material and getting started. |
Week 2 | ![]() |
Unit 2 Calculating Payments |
Students will learn how to calculate and estimate weekly payments for specific bills. |
Week 3 | ![]() |
Unit 3 Checks |
Students will learn how to pay bills and keep track of personal finances manually. |
Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 |
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Unit 4 Calculating Wages and Income |
Students will learn different ways to earn money including salary, tips, and commission. |
Week 7 Week 8 |
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Unit 5 Meal Planning & Saving Money |
Students will learn how to save money and eat healthy as they plan weekly food expenses. |
Week 9 | ![]() |
Unit 6 Calculating a Budget |
Students will show their budget on pie charts. They will learn some rules of thumb for budgeting. |
Week 10 Week 11 |
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Unit 7 Medical Insurance |
Students will learn about and made decisions regarding medical insurance. |
Week 12 | ![]() |
Unit 8 Auto Insurance |
Students will learn about and make decisions about automobile insurance. |
Week 13 | ![]() |
Unit 9 Interest |
Students will learn how to calculate simple and compound interest. |
Week 14 | ![]() |
Unit 10 Investing – The Stock Market Start Unit 11 |
Students will learn about stocks and the basics of price changes in the Stock Market. |
Week 15 | ![]() |
Unit 11 Buying a Car |
Students will be introduced to various considerations for purchasing an automobile. |
Week 16 | ![]() |
Unit 12 Buying a House |
Students will be introduced to different aspects of purchasing a home. |
Week 17 Week 18 |
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Unit 13 Home Improvements |
Students will be introduced home floor plans and calculations for various remodeling projects. |
Week 19 | ![]() |
Unit 14 Home Party Planning |
Students will learn to calculate the costs of hosting a party or gathering. |
Week 20 | ![]() |
Unit 15 Final Review and Final |
Students will review the basics of the units taught and prepare for the final. |
Sample Pacing Guide
The following pacing guide is Unit 1: Introduction – Getting a Job. Each week has a similar pacing guide. An Online Subscription allows you to access all the material online. The pacing guide has links to the actual files.
Week 1 | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
Teach | 1.1 Introduction | 1.1 Review
1.2 Time Cards |
1.2 Review
1.3 Applying for a Job |
1.3 Review
1.4 Interview Questions |
Review |
Handouts & Practice | Student Workbooks | Weekly Time Card | Blank Job Application
Interview Questions |
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Assessments | Quiz 1.1 | Quiz 1.2 | Unit 1 Test | ||
Projects | Project 1.1 Get a Job: Students will find a local company that is hiring and apply for a job.
Project 1.2 Good Interviewing: Students will complete 30 interview questions and interview. |
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Weekly Activity | This class is like real life. Students will spend this week preparing to interview for their jobs. Interview and hire them as soon as they apply for the job. |
Lessons and Reviews
The following are all of the lessons and reviews for Personal Finance. The Online Subscription will give you access to all of the presentations. With a Curriculum CD you will have a copy of the PowerPoint files that can edited. Under the Student: Personal Finance tab, you can see that all students have access to all presentations free so they can review the material online outside of class.
You can see a Sample Lesson here. | ||
1.1 Introduction to Course 1.1 Review 1.2 Time Cards 1.2 Review 1.3 Applying for a Job 1.3 Review 1.4 Interview Questions 1.4 Review 2.1 Payments Rent and Utilities 2.1 Review 2.2 Automobile Payments and Maintenance 2.2 Review 2.3 The Cost of Gas 2.3 Review 3.1 Writing a Check 3.1 Review 3.2 Using a Check Register 3.2 Review 3.3 Adding and Subtracting Decimals 3.3 Review 3.4 Grading the Check Register 3.4 Review 4.1 Hourly Wage- Part 1 4.1 Review 4.2 Hourly Wage- Part 2 4.2 Review 4.3 Rounding Time to 15 Minutes 4.3 Review 4.4 Time Card Math 4.4 Review |
4.5 Tips and Equivalent Pay 4.5 Review 4.6 Piecework 4.6 Review 4.7 Commission 4.7 Review 4.8 Annual Salary 4.8 Review 5.1 Unit Prices 5.1 Review 5.2 Coupons 5.2 Review 5.3 Unit Conversion 5.3 Review 5.4 Menu Planning 5.4 Review 6.1 Budgeting 6.1 Review 6.2 Pie Charts 6.2 Review 7.1 Medical Insurance- Part 1 7.1 Review 7.2 Medical Insurance- Part 2 7.2 Review 8.1 Automobile Insurance- Part 1 8.1 Review 8.2 Automobile Insurance- Part 2 8.2 Review 9.1 Understanding Interest 9.1 Review |
9.2 Simple Interest 9.2 Review 9.3 Compound Interest 9.3 Review 10.1 Stocks 10. Review 11.1 The Cost of a Car 11. Review 11.2 Calculating Car Payments 11. Review 11.3 Negotiating the Best Price 11. Review 12.1 Buying a House 12. Review 12.2 Comparing Houses 12. Review 12.3 Home Loans 12. Review 12.4 Square Foot Cost 12. Review 13.1 Home Remodeling- Part 1 13. Review 13.1 Home Remodeling- Part 2 13. Review 14.1 Planning a Party 14. Review 14.2 Calculating Party Costs 14. Review 15.1 Personal Finance Course Review |
Math Skills Worksheets
Most worksheets shown below come in two versions, sheet A and sheet B. These are for students to practice the basic math, repetitively, for the material that was taught.
You can see a Sample Worksheet here. | ||
Pre-Employment Skills Assessment 2.1a Calculating Rent 2.1b Calculating Utilities 2.2a Vehicle Loan Payment 2.2b Vehicle Maintenance Costs 2.3 Vehicle Fuel Costs- 3.1 Written Numbers 3.2 Check Register 3.3 Math with Decimals 4.1a Overtime 4.1b Overtime Pay 4.2 Wage Rates 4.3a Round Time to Nearest 15 4.3b Converting Time to Decimals 4.3c Time- Rounding and Decimals 4.4 Time Cards 4.5a Tips 4.5b Equivalent Hourly Rate 4.5c Tips & Equivalent Hourly Pay 4.6 Piecework |
4.7a Converting Percent to Decimals 4.7b Commission 4.8 Annual Salary 5.1 Unit Prices 5.2 Coupons 5.3a Unit Conversion 5.3b Unit Conversion and Costs 5.4 Menu Pricing 6.1 Budgeting 6.2 Pie Charts 7.1 Medical Insurance Vocabulary 7.2a Deductibles 7.2b Co-Pays and Co-Insurance 7.2c Medical Insurance 8.1 Auto Insurance Crossword 8.2 Auto Insurance Costs 8.2 Auto Insurance Costs 9.1 Interest Vocabulary 9.2a Simple Interest Paid 9.2b Simple Interest Earned |
9.3a Compound Interest Chart 9.3b Compound Interest 9.3c Compound Interest Earned 10.1 Stocks 11.1 Auto Vocabulary 11.2a Actual Auto Loan Cost 11.2b Auto Loans 12.1 Home Buying Vocabulary 12.2a Home Loan Amount 12.2b Home Loan Points 12.3 Home Loan Length 12.4a Square Foot Cost 13.1a Flooring Area 13.1b Flooring Cost 13.1c Painting Area 13.1d Painting Cost 13.2a Perimeter 13.2b Molding Cost 14.1 Party Budget |
Projects
Each unit has projects associated with them. The projects are designed to last a couple of days to a week and allow the student to apply the material they have learned to a real life situation.
You can see a Sample Project here. | ||
1.1- Get a Job 1.2- Good Interviewing 2.1- Get Your Bills 3.1- Design the Class Checks 4.1- How Much Is An Education Worth 4.2- My Future Will Be 4.3- Can I Have a Raise |
5.1- Food Journal 5.2- My Menu 6.1 What is My Budget 7.1- Compare Medical Insurances 7.2- Design Your Own Medical Insurance 8.1- Compare Auto Insurances |
9.1- Interest Cost vs Benefit 10.1- Stock Market 11.1- Comparing Automobiles 12.1- Floor Plan 13.1- Area, Perimeter, and Volume 13.2- Home Remodeling 14.1- Plan a Small Party 14.2- Plan a Large Event |
Quizzes
The quizzes have similar questions and format as the worksheets. They are typically less than 10 questions and should be taken the day after the worksheet was assigned.
You can see a Sample Quiz here. | ||
2.1a Calculating Rent 2.1b Calculating Utilities 2.2a Vehicle Loan Payment 2.2b Vehicle Maintenance Costs 2.3 Vehicle Fuel Costs 3.1 Written Numbers 3.2 Check Register 3.3 Math with Decimals 4.1a Overtime 4.1b Overtime Pay 4.2 Wage Rates 4.3a Round Time to Nearest 15 4.3b Converting Time to Decimals 4.3c Time- Rounding and Decimals 4.4 Time Cards 4.5a Tips 4.5b Equivalent Hourly Rate 4.5c Tips & Equivalent Hourly Pay 4.6 Piecework |
4.7a Converting Percent to Decimals 4.7b Commission 4.8 Annual Salary 5.1 Unit Prices 5.2 Coupons 5.3a Unit Conversion 5.3b Unit Conversion and Costs 5.4 Menu Pricing 6.1 Budgeting 6.2 Pie Charts 7.2a Deductibles 7.2b Co-Pays and Co-Insurance 7.2c Medical Insurance- Difficult 8.2 Auto Insurance Costs 9.2a Simple Interest Paid |
9.3a Compound Interest Chart 9.3b Compound Interest 10.1 Stocks 11.2a Actual Auto Loan Cost 11.2b Auto Loans 12.2a Home Loan Amount 12.2b Home Loan Points 12.3 Home Loan Length 12.4a Square Foot Cost 13.1b Flooring Cost 13.1d Painting Cost 13.2b Molding Cost 14.1 Party Budget 14.2a How Much to Buy 14.2b Party Math |
Unit Tests
Each unit has a unit test covering all of the material covered in each quiz. typically taken on the Friday of Pay day.
You can see a Sample Unit Test here. | ||
Unit 2 Test Unit 3 Test Unit 4 Test Unit 5 Test Unit 6 Test |
Unit 7 Test Unit 8 Test Unit 9 Test Unit 10 Test Unit 11 Test |
Unit 12 Test Unit 13 Test Unit 14 Test Course Final |
Do you have questions about your class or situation you would like help with? Let us know.