Help middle school students understand the real-world financial story behind income, careers, paychecks, and taxes with this engaging 6-week Personal Finance Unit 3: Income for Grades 6–8. Students develop practical financial skills through calculation, analysis, modeling, investigation, case studies, spreadsheet activities, and evidence-based decision-making.

Please note: This listing includes the 87-page Unit 3 student book only. The accompanying teacher resources and bonus materials support the complete six-unit, 30-week Personal Finance curriculum.

The six-week unit covers Weeks 13–18. Each lesson includes an essential question, learning targets, original reading, comprehension, vocabulary, 10 financial math problems, data analysis, a realistic case study, hands-on application, spreadsheet modeling, argument writing, review, and extension activities.

Students begin by evaluating career pathways using return on investment, payback period, opportunity cost, lifetime earnings, credentials, and career growth. The Career ROI Investigation has students compare careers and build a 20-year earnings model.

Students then learn to read and verify pay stubs, calculate hourly and salary income, overtime and commission, understand deductions and withholding, check year-to-date totals, and identify payroll errors. They explore gross versus net income, taxable income, marginal and effective tax rates, deductions, tax brackets, and take-home pay.

The taxes and tax filing lessons introduce progressive, regressive, and proportional taxes, payroll and sales taxes, public goods, government spending, tax incidence, W-4, W-2, 1099, Form 1040, filing status, deductions, credits, refunds, and balances due. Students apply their knowledge through a Tax Incidence Investigation and Return Simulation.

The unit culminates in a Career and Income Analysis. Students compare employment offers using gross and net income, benefits, employer contributions, total compensation, cost of living, break-even points, and assumptions before making an evidence-based recommendation.

Key activities include Career ROI Investigation, Payroll Audit, Gross-to-Net Modeling, Tax Incidence Investigation, Return Simulation, and Career/Offer Comparison Model.

The complete curriculum includes a Teacher Guide, answer keys, assessment rubrics, unit tests, vocabulary cards, exit tickets, parent letters, progress monitoring, games and simulations, posters, certificates, editable lesson plans, and differentiation guidance.

Students develop career analysis, financial math, payroll, tax literacy, spreadsheet modeling, data analysis, critical thinking, and evidence-based decision-making skills. Alignment includes CEE, Jump$tart, and Common Core mathematics and ELA standards.