Michigan Personal Finance for the Class of 2028: First-Week Lessons
Michigan Personal Finance for the Class of 2028: First-Week Lessons
For the first week of a Michigan personal finance course, the Personal Finance Starter Bundle ($59.99) gives you a ready Day 1 lesson plus a values lesson, SMART goals and a money mindset quiz, then two units on debt prevention and on percentages and interest to carry into weeks two and three. Michigan's requirement starts with the Class of 2028; this bundle is an opening, not the whole course.
Plan my first weekMichigan teachers looking for first-week personal finance lessons can use the Personal Finance Starter Bundle ($59.99). The first five days come from four resources: the Financial Literacy Day 1 lesson, the Wheel of Life, SMART financial goals and a Money Mindset Quiz. Two units follow, on handling money and debt prevention and on percentages and interest. Nothing in it is Michigan-specific, and it is not a full course.
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
Why the first week of a required course is hard
Michigan's personal finance requirement starts with the Class of 2028, who are juniors in the 2026–27 school year. Whenever your school schedules the course, the first week carries extra weight, because a required class starts with a credibility problem: students did not choose it, and some expect a lecture about saving. Money is also personal. In one room you may have a student who manages a paycheck, one who helps with family bills and one who has never handled more than a gift card. Asking about income too early can embarrass students; asking nothing leaves the course abstract. The first week has to let students talk about money on their own terms, without anyone revealing their family's situation. You also need information fast. By Friday you want to know who is confident with percentages, who has thought about life after graduation, and how the class talks about spending and saving. That tells you how to pace what follows. A week built on reflection, goal setting and a low-stakes quiz gives you that picture while students get something useful from each day.
Why it fits
Why these lessons suit week one
The four opening resources are built around students' own views and plans, which keeps the first week personal without being intrusive.
- The Day 1 lesson sets out the course with slides, a workbook and notes.
- Wheel of Life asks about values and life areas, not household income, so nobody has to overshare.
- The Money Mindset Quiz gives students a habit label to discuss instead of personal details.
- SMART Financial Goals has students write goals you can return to at the end of the course.
- The debt prevention and interest units give weeks two and three a clear continuation.
- Printable pages work in rooms where not every student has a device.
Getting started
Day by day: a suggested first week
Use this as a starting template and adjust it for block or traditional schedules.
- Monday: open the courseTeach the Financial Literacy Day 1 lesson. Use the slides to outline the course and the workbook to collect a first, low-stakes reflection on what students hope to get out of it.
- Tuesday: values before numbersRun the Wheel of Life lesson. Students look at the areas of life that matter to them and where money touches each one. Keep any sharing with the class voluntary.
- Wednesday: the mindset quizStudents take the Money Mindset Quiz and discuss what being a saver, spender, avoider or investor looks like. Group talk works here because the labels describe habits, not families.
- Thursday: SMART goalsWith the SMART Financial Goals lesson, each student writes one goal for the coming year and one for after graduation. Collect them as your reference point for the rest of the course.
- Friday: preview the debt unitIntroduce Handling Money and Debt Prevention, which carries into week two. End by asking students which of Thursday's goals debt could most easily knock off course.
What to buy
What to buy for week one and beyond
The Personal Finance Starter Bundle ($59.99, or $78.94 for the six parts bought separately) is the buy for a first week. Add the Everyday & Financial Math Bundle ($49.99) if your class needs more practice with percentages, interest and the rule of three; it shares the percentages and interest unit. The Career Readiness Curriculum Bundle ($99.99) suits a course tied to work-based learning, and it repeats the debt prevention unit. For a business elective after the required course, the Accounting & Economics Fundamentals Bundle ($109.99) goes deeper into bookkeeping and markets.
Honest limits
What this bundle is not
It is not a Michigan course and not a full semester. The resources were not written for Michigan, contain no Michigan standards codes or state content, and do not refer to any assessment. Check them against Michigan's standards and your district's course outline, and plan the remaining units yourself. The lessons need a printer or a projector and nothing else; no apps or calculators come with it. One purchase covers your own teaching, and a department that wants to share should message Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, you can exchange it for store credit within 7 days.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to Michigan's personal finance standards?
No. It is not aligned to Michigan standards, not approved by the state and not presented as fulfilling the graduation requirement. It is six opening resources for any high school finance class. Your district sets the course students take for the requirement, so compare these lessons with that course outline and ask your curriculum office if materials need approval.
When does Michigan's requirement apply?
It starts with the Class of 2028, the juniors in the 2026–27 school year. Depending on when your school places the course, the first required sections may be running now or may start next year. Your counselor's office can tell you which grade takes it at your school.
What if we lose days to snow?
Michigan districts do not have to make up six days canceled for emergencies, and a state waiver can cover three more, so a lost day may simply be gone. If your first week is interrupted, keep the order: Day 1, values, quiz, goals. Fold the debt preview into the next week rather than dropping a reflection lesson.
How do I handle students who are uncomfortable talking about money?
Keep discussion on habits and plans rather than family finances. The Wheel of Life and the mindset quiz both let students talk in general terms. Make sharing optional, use anonymous written responses when you want a picture of the class, and never ask students to report household income.
Can I buy just one of the lessons?
Yes. The bundle page links to every part, and each is also sold on its own. If you only need the Day 1 lesson or the SMART goals lesson, you can buy that one alone. The bundle price is lower than all six bought separately, so it is the better deal if you will use most of them.
Can another teacher in my building use my copy?
Not without asking first. A purchase covers your own teaching. If colleagues teach the same course, send Teach Lessons a short message and team or school use can be arranged. The files should not be posted publicly, uploaded to sharing sites or resold. One teacher can try it first.
Plan Monday to Friday in one download
Open the bundle page to see the six parts that make up your first week and the units that follow.
Plan my first week