Help middle school students understand how banking works in the real world with this engaging 6-week Banking unit for Grades 6–8. Students explore checking and savings accounts, debit cards, mobile banking security, fraud, and choosing a financial institution while practicing financial math, data analysis, spreadsheet modeling, studies, simulations, and evidence-based writing.

Please note: This listing includes the Unit 2 student book only. The accompanying teacher resources and bonus materials support the complete six-unit, 30-week Personal Finance curriculum.

The 86-page student unit covers Weeks 7–12. Each week 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 with checking accounts, learning about ledger and available balances, holds, settlement, overdraft fees, reconciliation, account discrepancies, and fraud.

The savings lesson focuses on interest rates, APY, compounding, inflation, purchasing power, and comparing savings accounts, CDs, and money market accounts. Students complete a Savings Product Comparison and model compound growth and fee-versus-interest trade-offs.

Students then investigate debit card fraud, liability, authorization and settlement, EMV chips, tokenization, reporting, and transaction monitoring. A Fraud Response Simulation requires students to determine liability, calculate financial losses, prepare a dispute report, and create account alerts.

The mobile banking lesson develops digital financial security skills. Students explore multi-factor authentication, phishing, social engineering, SIM swaps, passkeys, encryption, credential stuffing, and security alerts. They identify vulnerabilities and design stronger account security configurations.

Students also compare banks, credit unions, and neobanks using fees, ATM access, relationship pricing, switching costs, forgone interest, and total cost of ownership. In the Institution Selection Investigation, they test different usage patterns and defend a banking recommendation.

The complete curriculum includes a 36-week Teacher Guide, answer keys, unit tests, vocabulary cards, exit tickets, progress-monitoring forms, assessment rubrics, parent letters, editable lesson plans, games and simulations, certificates, and four-tier differentiation guidance.

Students develop practical skills in account reconciliation, financial math, APY and compound growth, fraud response, digital security, cost analysis, spreadsheet modeling, sensitivity analysis, and evidence-based decision-making. Alignment includes CEE, Jump$tart, and Common Core mathematics and ELA standards.