Book approved by Jump$tart Clearinghouse
Sample Educator's Preview Packet

The Money $avvy Teen

A preview of the 3-Week Mini-Unit Package — designed for advisory periods, homerooms, and short financial literacy enrichment programs. Grades 7–12.

This packet includes a full contents overview and selected sample pages from the complete educator's package — lesson plans, student handouts, assessments, and rubrics — all professionally designed and ready to print.

Author
Robbie Hyman
Book Publisher
Bloomsbury Academic, 2026
Format
3-Week Mini-Unit
Grade Level
Grades 7–12
Complete Package Overview

What's in the 3-Week Mini-Unit Package

The complete package includes everything a teacher needs to deliver a 15-day personal finance unit with zero additional prep. Items marked Sample Included appear in this preview packet.

Lesson Plans 3 weekly + 15 daily
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Week 1, Day 1 — Full Lesson Plan
UbD Stage 1 (Desired Results), Stage 2 (Assessment Evidence), Stage 3 (Daily Learning Plan)
SAMPLE →
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Week 1 Days 2–5 — Psychology of spending, Ad Barrage, synthesis
✓
Week 2, Days 1–5 — Bank accounts, credit cards, credit scores, budget basics
✓
Week 3, Days 1–5 — Lending, peer pressure, jealousy, manifesto + debrief
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Differentiation notes — Support / Extension / ELL for all 3 weeks
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Middle school adaptation — All 15 days adapted for Grades 7–8
Assessments Quiz + Rubrics
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Mini End-of-Unit Quiz (30 pts)
10 multiple choice + 2 short answer, covering all 3 weeks. Instructor answer key included.
SAMPLE →
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Personal Financial Manifesto Rubric
4-point scale, 5 criteria, 20 pts. Instructor copy only.
SAMPLE →
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Daily exit tickets — 15 unique exit tickets, one per class period, designed into the lesson plans
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Entry/exit survey — Pre/post unit knowledge and attitude survey with teacher scoring notes
Student Handouts & Activities 5 print-ready docs
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Whole Money Picture Worksheet — Income/expense tracking table with reflection questions
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Credit Card Math Worksheet — Step-by-step interest calculation; two scenarios; answer key
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Peer Pressure Scenario Cards
6 cut-apart role-play cards; escalating difficulty levels. Teacher notes included.
SAMPLE →
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Personal Financial Manifesto Template — 5-section student culminating document; signed commitment
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Ad Dissection Lab Instructions — Framework cards for the Ch. 5 small group analysis activity
Supporting Documents Shared across all formats
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Standards Alignment Guide — Jump$tart National Standards, CEE Standards, CCSS ELA RI.6–12 cross-walk
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3-Week Pacing Guide — At-a-glance weekly overview with chapter assignments and assessments
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Vocabulary Word Wall — 21 key financial literacy terms with definitions, organized by book part
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Financial Autobiography / Money Map Worksheet — Day 1 student orientation activity; private, not graded for accuracy
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Teacher Implementation Notes — Tone guidance, SEL considerations, grade-level differentiation tips
Included in complete package
Sample included — full page shown in this preview
Sample Preview Packet
From: Lesson Plans — Week 1, Day 1
Sample · Lesson Plan · Week 1 · Day 1

Why We Spend: Psychology, Biology & Advertising

3-Week Mini-Unit · Grades 9–12 · UbD Framework (Wiggins & McTighe, ASCD)
The Money $avvy Teen
Ch. 1 · 50 minutes
Week 1 of 3
1
STAGE 1 — DESIRED RESULTS
Standards
Jump$tart: Spending (SS1), Decision-Making (SS3) · CEE Standard 2 · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6
JS: SpendingCEE 2CCSS RI.9-10.6
Enduring Understandings
  • Our brains are wired to spend — by biology, habit, and advertising.
  • Awareness is the beginning of control. You can't change what you can't see.
  • Even very wealthy people can lose everything without financial awareness.
Essential Questions
  • What is your money actually doing — and do you know?
  • What forces are pulling you toward spending without your awareness?
  • Why did Will Smith go broke at 22 — and what does it have to do with you?
Know / Be Able To
Know: Endorphin-spending link; Whole Money Picture; the 56% statistic. Do: Create a personal Whole Money Picture sketch; identify 1–2 spending triggers; connect Will Smith's story to a concept from the chapter.
2
STAGE 2 — ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Task
Whole Money Picture sketch (Day 3 of Week 1): students create a visual map of their own income, spending, savings, and goals. Private; graded for completeness, not financial accuracy.
Other Evidence
  • Exit ticket: "In your own words — why does spending money feel good?"
  • Class discussion contribution on Will Smith's story
  • Journal entry: "One spending trigger I recognized in myself this week"
3
STAGE 3 — LEARNING PLAN (WHERETO)
PhaseTimeTeacher MovesStudent ActivityClose
H Hook 10 min Open: "How does someone with $10 million go broke?" Take guesses before revealing the answer. Read Will Smith's story from Ch. 1 aloud. Discussion: what was actually driving his spending? Listen, react, take notes. Make a prediction before the answer is revealed. Share one initial reaction with a partner. Quick show of hands: "Has money ever felt like it just disappeared?"
E Equip 15 min Direct instruction: the endorphin-spending connection; the 56% statistic; Whole Money Picture framework. Post vocabulary on word wall: endorphins, Whole Money Picture, discretionary spending. Add vocabulary to journal. Draw a quick sketch of their own Whole Money Picture (5 min, private). Share one observation with a partner. Partner share: "One thing in your money picture you hadn't thought about before."
E Explore 15 min Life Hack workshop: "Go to the Gym, Not the ATM." Explain the science. Ask: "What else could you do instead of spending when you feel stressed or bored?" Brainstorm as a class. Write their personal substitution strategy: "When I feel the urge to spend impulsively, I will _____ instead." Add to journal. 3–4 volunteers share their strategy. Class evaluates: would it actually work?
O Organize 10 min Preview Weeks 1–3: what's coming. Establish norms for the unit (money is personal; we don't share family financial details). Distribute entry survey. Complete entry survey. Set one personal financial goal for the 3-week unit. Exit ticket: "In your own words — why does spending money feel good?" (2 sentences)
D
DIFFERENTIATION & SUPPORT
Support (Struggling Learners)
Provide a pre-labeled Whole Money Picture template with categories filled in (job, allowance, food, entertainment, etc.). Allow drawing instead of writing for the journal entry. Offer a sentence starter for the exit ticket: "Spending feels good because…"
Extension (Advanced Learners)
Research the full UCLA future-self study and present a 2-minute summary to the class next session. Compare the book's endorphin-spending claim to a peer-reviewed study on consumer psychology. Write a persuasive argument: should teens be legally restricted from taking on debt?
ELL / Language Support
Pre-teach key vocabulary: endorphin, discretionary, impulsive. Use visual Whole Money Picture with labeled categories. Allow journal entry in home language with key English terms highlighted. Partner with a supportive bilingual peer during discussion activities.
Materials Needed
Entry survey (printed or Google Form) · Vocabulary list for word wall · Ch. 1 of book · Student journals/composition books · Whiteboard space for class diagram · Whole Money Picture template (for support students)
Sample Lesson Plan — Week 1, Day 1
From: Student Handouts — Peer Pressure Scenario Cards
Sample · Student Handout · Week 3 · Chapter 19

Peer Pressure Scenario Cards

Role-play activity · Cut apart and use in pairs or small groups · Escalating difficulty
The Money $avvy Teen
Chapter 19 · Grades 9–12
Print, cut, and distribute
How to use: Cut along the dotted lines. Give each pair one card. Student A plays the "Pressurer" and Student B practices responding with their standard phrase: "I'm watching my money for a while." After the role-play, switch roles. Then discuss: What made it hard to say no? What made it easier? Progress to harder cards as students build confidence.
1
Level: Easy

Your friend says: "Come on, everyone is going to the mall after school. You have to come — it'll be so fun. Just a little shopping." You have $20 left until next week and you need it for lunch.
Your standard phrase:
What happened in your body when you said it?
2
Level: Easy

Your group of friends is all buying the same $35 hoodie to wear on a class trip. "Everyone's getting one — don't you want to match?" You haven't budgeted for it and your paycheck doesn't come for another week.
Your standard phrase:
What might you say if they push back?
3
Level: Medium

A close friend says: "I know you said you're saving money, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime concert. If you don't come you'll regret it forever. I'll pay and you can pay me back eventually." The ticket costs $75.
Your standard phrase + follow-up:
What does Ch. 18 say about this situation?
5
Level: Hard

"I just feel like you never want to do anything fun anymore since you started this 'saving money' thing. Are we still even friends?" This is your best friend. You don't want to hurt their feelings, but you also can't afford what they want to do.
Your standard phrase + a follow-up:
What would the author say about a friend who says this?
Teacher Notes: Cards 1–2 are good starting points for most students. Cards 3–4 introduce the borrowing/lending dimension from Ch. 18. Cards 5–6 are emotionally harder and work well for older or more advanced students. The goal is not to script responses but to build the muscle of saying no comfortably. The debrief is as important as the role-play itself — look for students who can identify what made their body feel uncomfortable when declining, and validate that discomfort as normal.
Sample Handout — Peer Pressure Scenario Cards
From: Assessments — Mini End-of-Unit Quiz (first 6 questions of 10)
Sample · End-of-Unit Quiz · 3-Week Format

Mini End-of-Unit Quiz
Chapters 1 · 3 · 5 · 10 · 17 · 19

The Money $avvy Teen
Total: 30 points · 20 minutes
Answer key included (instructor copy)
Score
___
/ 30
Directions (Multiple Choice): Circle the letter of the best answer. Each question is worth 2 points. The full quiz includes 10 multiple choice questions and 2 short answer questions covering all 3 weeks of the unit.
Section A — Multiple Choice2 pts each · 20 pts total
1
The author argues that spending money is enjoyable because it releases:
  • A
    Adrenaline — the same chemical released during competition
  • B
    Endorphins — the same feel-good chemicals released by exercise and food
  • C
    Dopamine — a chemical only released by addictive behaviors
  • D
    Serotonin — a chemical released exclusively during social activities
2
Which of the following is NOT one of the three forces the author identifies as creating a Spending Rip Current?
  • A
    Emotional triggers (spending to cope with stress or anxiety)
  • B
    Habit formation (the brain automating spending behaviors)
  • C
    Peer envy (wanting what others have)
  • D
    Credit cards (disconnecting the pleasure of buying from the pain of paying)
3
Leo Burnett, quoted in Chapter 5, said the goal of good advertising is to:
  • A
    Inform consumers about the genuine benefits of products
  • B
    "Penetrate the public mind with desires and beliefs"
  • C
    Build brand loyalty through honest, fact-based messaging
  • D
    Create a memorable experience that consumers associate with quality
4
If you carry a $6,329 credit card balance at 24% APR and pay only the minimum each month, approximately how long will it take to pay it off?
  • A
    About 3 years
  • B
    About 10 years
  • C
    About 27 years
  • D
    About 50 years
5
The author's primary recommendation regarding lending money to friends is:
  • A
    Lend freely — it strengthens friendships
  • B
    Only lend to family, never to friends
  • C
    Adopt a no-lending policy as your default to protect both your money and your relationships
  • D
    Lend freely as long as you set a clear repayment date first
6
The recommended "standard phrase" for handling peer pressure to spend is designed to:
  • A
    End the friendship if the other person doesn't accept it
  • B
    Give a short, non-defensive response that doesn't invite debate
  • C
    Explain in detail why you can't afford the purchase
  • D
    Redirect the friend's attention to a cheaper alternative activity
→ Questions 7–10 and the two short answer questions continue in the full package. The complete quiz also includes a full instructor answer key.
Sample Assessment — Mini End-of-Unit Quiz
From: Assessments — Personal Financial Manifesto Rubric (Instructor Copy)
Sample · Rubric · Instructor Copy · 3-Week Format

Personal Financial Manifesto — Grading Rubric

Total: 20 points · Scored on depth of reflection, not financial accuracy · Do not distribute to students
The Money $avvy Teen
Week 3 Culminating Task
Grades 9–12
Grading philosophy: This manifesto is a reflection task, not a content quiz. Award points for genuine engagement, specificity, and evidence that the student connected the material to their own life — not for "correct" financial decisions. A student who honestly admits they struggle with peer pressure and articulates a specific plan earns full credit over a student who writes generic commitments.
Section Exemplary (4 pts)4 Proficient (3 pts)3 Developing (2 pts)2 Beginning (1 pt)1
§1 Whole Money Picture
/ 4 pts
 Accurately describes current financial life with specific income/expense details; identifies one concrete change with a reason Describes financial situation with some detail; mentions a change but vaguely General description with little specificity; no clear change identified Incomplete or single-sentence response with no reflection
§2 Credit Card Commitment
/ 4 pts
 States a specific, actionable commitment (e.g., "pay in full within 3 days of bill arrival"); identifies a meaningful concept learned with explanation Commitment is clear but general (e.g., "pay it off each month"); identifies a concept learned Commitment is vague; learning stated without connection to personal action Incomplete; repetition of prompt language without personal engagement
§3 Lending Policy
/ 4 pts
 States a clear, specific policy (e.g., "I will not lend more than $10, only if I can afford to lose it, with repayment terms set upfront") with brief reasoning States a policy that is clear but lacks full specificity; no reasoning given Policy is implied but not stated clearly No clear policy articulated; general statement only
§4 One Principle
/ 4 pts
 Names a specific concept from the book, explains it accurately in own words, and connects it to a personal experience or future scenario Names a concept and explains it, but connection to personal life is thin Names a concept; explanation paraphrased from the book without personal connection Vague reference to a concept; no explanation or personal connection
§5 30-Day Challenge
/ 4 pts
 Names a specific life hack; describes exactly what they will do (how often, when, what it will replace); explains why they chose this one over others Names a life hack; describes what they'll do but lacks full specificity; gives a reason Names a life hack; describes it in general terms; no clear commitment or reason Life hack named only; no description or reasoning provided
Total: _____ / 20
18–20 = Exemplary  |  14–17 = Proficient  |  10–13 = Developing  |  Below 10 = Revise & Resubmit
Sample Rubric — Personal Financial Manifesto
Book approved by Jump$tart Clearinghouse
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The complete package.
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The 3-Week Mini-Unit is one of three formats included in the full Money Savvy Teen Educator's Resource Packet — each professionally designed, standards-aligned, and ready to print and teach on Day 1.

3-Week Mini-Unit (this package)
  • 15 full day-by-day lesson plans (UbD format)
  • 5 student handouts + activity materials
  • Mini quiz, manifesto template, rubric
  • Entry/exit survey + vocabulary word wall
  • Middle school adaptation (Grades 7–8)
9-Week Quarter Unit
  • 45 full day-by-day lesson plans
  • 8 student handouts + activity materials
  • 3 chapter quizzes + culminating exam
  • Essay prompt + rubric + takeaway plan
  • Middle school adaptation (Grades 7–8)
18-Week Full Semester
  • 90 full day-by-day lesson plans
  • 12 student handouts + activities
  • 6 chapter quizzes + 3 unit exams (100 pts each)
  • 5 essays + rubrics + personal financial plan
  • Student journal prompt list (20 prompts)
Shared Across All Formats
  • Full Educator's Guide with TOC + teacher notes
  • Standards alignment: Jump$tart · CEE · CCSS
  • 3 pacing guides (3-week, 9-week, 18-week)
  • Vocabulary word wall + financial autobiography
  • Entry/exit survey with teacher scoring notes
Request Full Package & Desk Copy
bloomsbury.com/academic
Jump$tart Clearinghouse: jumpstart.org
The Money Savvy Teen: Building Smart Financial Habits That Will Last a Lifetime
Robbie Hyman · Bloomsbury Academic, 2026
HB: 979-8-7651-8912-2  ·  ePDF: 979-8-7651-8914-6  ·  eBook: 979-8-7651-8913-9