Indiana High School Personal Finance: Starter Lessons for the New Credit
Indiana High School Personal Finance: Starter Lessons for the New Credit
For Indiana teachers preparing for the Personal Finance credit in the Indiana Diploma, the Personal Finance Starter Bundle covers the opening weeks: a day-one course launch, money values, SMART financial goals, a money mindset quiz, handling money and avoiding debt, and percentages and interest. It is six lessons and units to start a course with, not a full one-credit curriculum.
Open the finance starter setThe Personal Finance Starter Bundle ($59.99, Grades 9–12) contains six resources: a Financial Literacy Day 1 lesson with slides, workbook and notes; the Wheel of Life lesson on money and values; SMART Financial Goals; a Money Mindset Quiz; Financial Literacy – Handling Money and Debt Prevention; and Percentages and Interest. It is built for teachers starting a personal finance course. It is not written for Indiana and does not make up a full credit on its own.
The resources
Personal Finance Starter Bundle, Grades 9–12
6 resources in one download: $59.99 instead of $78.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Personal Finance Starter Bundle | Money Mindset, SMART Goals, Budgeting, Debt & Interest | Grades 9–12
Career Readiness Curriculum Bundle | Personal Finance, Job Applications, Workplace Communication & AI at Work | 8 Units | Grades 9–12
Everyday & Financial Math Bundle | Percentages, Interest, Ratio and Business Maths | 3 Units | Grades 7–12
Accounting & Economics Fundamentals Bundle | Journal Entries, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Markets & Marketing | 9 Units | Grades 10–12
The real problem
One new credit, many teachers starting from scratch
Under the final Indiana Diploma rule, the base requirements for students graduating in 2029 and later include 1 credit of Personal Finance, alongside 2 credits of U.S. History, 1 credit of U.S. Government and 1 credit of Computer Science. As of the 2026–27 school year, that class is already in high school, so schools are building or expanding personal finance sections now. Those sections may be taught by teachers from business, math, social studies or family and consumer sciences, some with a CTE background tied to Next Level Programs of Study. Each brings a different strength, and each faces the same first-semester problem: how to open a course on money in a way that holds teenagers' attention before any spreadsheets appear. Students arrive with very different experiences. Some already work part-time and manage a paycheck, while others have never thought about a budget. A strong opening connects money to what students value and want, then moves to concrete habits like setting goals and avoiding debt. Writing that opening from nothing takes time a new course rarely leaves you. Ready lessons for the first weeks let you start with confidence and spend your planning time on the later units your district requires.
Why it fits
What each lesson does in your opening weeks
The six resources form a natural first stretch of a course. Here is what each one contributes.
- The Financial Literacy Day 1 lesson gives you slides, a workbook and notes for the first class.
- Wheel of Life connects money decisions to what students value before any math starts.
- SMART Financial Goals turns vague wishes, like a car or college, into plans students write down.
- The Money Mindset Quiz shows students whether they lean toward saving, spending, avoiding or investing.
- Handling Money and Debt Prevention covers practical money management and how debt builds.
- Percentages and Interest gives students the everyday math behind discounts, tax and simple interest.
Getting started
A possible first month
One way to sequence the bundle at the start of a semester course. Adjust the pace to your bell schedule.
- Day one: launch the courseUse the Financial Literacy Day 1 lesson to introduce the course, set expectations and get students talking about money. The included notes help if this is your first time teaching the subject.
- Week one: values and mindsetFollow with the Wheel of Life lesson and the Money Mindset Quiz. Students learn something about themselves, and you learn where each student is starting from.
- Week two: goalsTeach SMART Financial Goals. Ask each student to write one short-term and one long-term goal, then keep them on file to revisit at the end of the course.
- Week three: the mathRun Percentages and Interest before the debt unit, so students can calculate what a discount, a tax or simple interest actually costs or earns them.
- Week four: money and debtClose the opening stretch with Handling Money and Debt Prevention. From there, move to the later topics your district course outline requires, using your own or other materials.
What to buy
Starter bundle or something bigger
Buy the Personal Finance Starter Bundle at $59.99 for your opening weeks; separately the six parts cost $78.94. If your course leans toward work and careers, the Career Readiness Curriculum Bundle ($99.99 instead of $199.92) adds applications, workplace communication and AI at work, and includes the same debt prevention unit. The Everyday & Financial Math Bundle ($49.99, $69.97 separately) adds business math and ratio practice, though its percentages and interest content overlaps with this bundle. CTE teachers in a business program of study may want the Accounting & Economics Fundamentals Bundle at $109.99.
Honest limits
Read this before buying
This bundle is not written for Indiana, carries no Indiana Academic Standards codes and is not a complete Personal Finance credit. It covers the opening of a course, so investing, insurance, taxes in depth and other topics your district may require come from your own planning. Check every lesson against your course framework and district guidance. No software or spreadsheet tools are included. Using it across a department needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this bundle count toward Indiana's Personal Finance graduation requirement?
No. It is not aligned with, approved under or endorsed for the Indiana Diploma, the Personal Finance credit or any district course. It is six starter lessons and units. Whether a course qualifies for the credit is set by the state and your district, so confirm the course requirements with them and use these lessons as one part.
Which students does the requirement apply to?
According to the final Indiana Diploma rule, 1 credit of Personal Finance is a base requirement beginning with the graduating class of 2029. Check the current rule and your school's guidance for exact details, especially for students who transfer in or follow a different diploma pathway.
How many class periods will it fill?
The bundle has six resources, and how long each takes depends on your schedule and how much discussion you allow. Used as suggested above, it fits roughly the first month of a semester course. That estimate is only a suggestion, not a length stated in the product description.
Is it useful for a CTE program of study?
It can open a personal finance or business course inside a Next Level Programs of Study pathway, but it is not built around any program's standards. For a business-focused pathway, the Accounting & Economics Fundamentals Bundle covers journal entries, the income statement, cost accounting and market structures.
I come from a math background. Is there enough math?
Percentages and Interest covers discounts, tax and simple interest. The rest of the bundle focuses on values, goals, mindset and debt, so you may want to add more. The Everyday & Financial Math Bundle includes business maths with the rule of three if you want more numerical practice.
How do I receive the lessons?
As a digital download right after purchase, with a link by email and a copy in your customer account under Orders. The materials work for print and digital classrooms, so you can project slides and assign the workbook pages on paper or on screen, however your school runs class.
Start your personal finance course on solid ground
Open the bundle page to see all six lessons and units, then plan your first month.
Open the finance starter set