Kansas High School Personal Finance: Ready Start for the Half Unit
Kansas High School Personal Finance: Ready Start for the Half Unit
Kansas now lists a half unit of financial literacy among its high school graduation requirements, and if you have been handed that course, the Personal Finance Starter Bundle gives you the first weeks ready to teach for $59.99. It has six lessons and units, from a course launch lesson and money values to SMART goals, debt prevention and interest. It is a starter, not the whole half unit, and it is not written for Kansas.
See the finance bundleThe Personal Finance Starter Bundle ($59.99) gives a Kansas high school teacher six resources to open a financial literacy course: a Day 1 welcome lesson, the Wheel of Life lesson on money values, SMART financial goals, a money mindset quiz, a unit on handling money and avoiding debt, and percentages and interest. It covers the opening weeks, not a full half unit, and it is not tied to Kansas standards or approved by KSDE.
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
Building a Kansas financial literacy course from zero
KSDE's graduation requirements for the Class of 2028 and beyond include a one-half unit of financial literacy. Your district decides where it sits: a standalone semester, part of an economics or business course, or a CTE class. The same requirements ask students to earn at least two state-approved postsecondary assets, and CTE Scholar is one of the assets on that list, so finance often lands with business or CTE staff who already teach a full load. The practical problem is the first month. Many teachers new to the course have a pacing guide and nothing to hand out on day one. Students arrive with very different money experience: some already work, some have never seen a paycheck. Lessons that ask what students value before teaching interest rates tend to hold a room far better than a lecture on compound interest. Before planning, confirm with your district or counselor which graduating class the requirement first applies to and which course carries it at your school, since local placement varies.
Why it fits
Where the six pieces fit a Kansas course
Use the bundle as the opening sequence of your half unit, then build the rest around your district's plan.
- The Day 1 lesson gives you a course welcome with slides, a workbook and teacher notes.
- The Wheel of Life lesson connects money decisions to what students say they care about.
- SMART Financial Goals turns vague wishes into written plans students can check later in the semester.
- The money mindset quiz sorts students as savers, spenders, avoiders or investors for a lively discussion.
- Handling Money and Debt Prevention gives you a full unit on budgets and avoiding debt.
- Percentages and Interest works for CTE or math teachers who share the course in Kansas.
Getting started
A four-week opening for your half unit
This is a suggested start. Adjust the pace to your bell schedule and the length of your course.
- Day 1: launch the courseTeach the Financial Literacy Day 1 lesson. Students see what the course covers and fill in the workbook, so you get a first look at what they already know about money.
- Week 1: values before numbersRun the Wheel of Life lesson and the money mindset quiz. Students talk about their own habits before any formulas, which helps quieter students take part early.
- Week 2: goals on paperTeach SMART Financial Goals. Each student writes one short-term and one longer goal, and you keep a copy to revisit at the end of the semester.
- Weeks 2–3: money and debtMove into Handling Money and Debt Prevention for budgeting and debt. Give this unit the most class time of the opening weeks, since it introduces the core vocabulary students will use for the rest of the course.
- Week 4: the math of interestClose the opening with Percentages and Interest. Discounts, tax and simple interest give students the arithmetic they need for later topics such as loans and saving.
What to buy
Starter bundle or something bigger
Start with the Personal Finance Starter Bundle at $59.99; the six parts cost $78.94 on their own. If your course leans toward work and careers, the Career Readiness Curriculum Bundle at $99.99 (parts $199.92) adds résumés, interviews, professional email and time management, and also includes the debt prevention unit. For more number work, the Everyday & Financial Math Bundle at $49.99 covers percentages, interest and business math. Teaching a business or CTE pathway? The Accounting & Economics Fundamentals Bundle costs $109.99 (parts $224.91) and covers journal entries, the income statement and supply and demand.
Honest limits
What to know first
This bundle opens a course; it does not fill the full half unit Kansas requires, and it does not cover every topic your district may expect, such as investing, insurance or taxes in depth. It has no Kansas-specific content or standards codes, and it is not approved by KSDE or any district. Check it against your local course plan. Your own teaching is covered by the license; for a department, message Teach Lessons first. You may exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. Cash refunds are not offered.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this bundle satisfy the Kansas financial literacy requirement?
No product can promise that, and this one does not. It is not aligned with, approved by or endorsed under any Kansas requirement or KSDE standard. Six lessons and units are a starting sequence, not a half unit of credit. Your district decides which course carries the requirement and what it must include, so check with them.
Which graduating class does the Kansas requirement start with?
KSDE lists the half unit of financial literacy in the graduation requirements for the Class of 2028 and beyond. Ask your district or school counselor which class it first applies to at your school and how it is scheduled, since this page does not replace official guidance from KSDE.
Can a CTE teacher use it?
Yes. The bundle needs no software or student accounts, so it fits any classroom. In the Kansas CTE Model, programs are grouped into industries, clusters, pathways and strands; confirm with your CTE coordinator where a finance course belongs before you count it toward a pathway or a student's postsecondary assets.
Is there enough for a full semester?
Not on its own. Plan on using it for the first weeks, then add units on topics your district expects later in the course, such as investing, insurance or taxes. The Career Readiness and Accounting & Economics bundles can fill part of the rest, depending on whether your course leans toward work or business.
Does the Day 1 lesson include slides?
Yes. The Financial Literacy Day 1 lesson comes with slides, a student workbook and teacher notes, so you can walk into the first class with everything in hand. The other lessons and units include worksheets and activities with answer keys, ready to print or use in a digital classroom.
Can our whole business department use one copy?
The license covers one teacher's own classes. For several teachers in a Kansas high school, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying and explain how many people will teach with it. Sharing the files publicly, posting them online or reselling them is not permitted.
Have day one of your finance course ready
Open the product page to see all six resources and what students do in each.
See the finance bundle