Welcome to the Middle School Resource Portal! We are always adding new resources, so make sure to check back often. If you have any questions or would like additional help implementing the standards, please contact us here.
Illinois Personal Finance Challenge
Spring Registration Opens January 8, 2024
The Illinois Personal Finance Challenge (IPFC) makes it fun and easy to engage students while assessing personal finance learning taking place. Access to individual student and team test scores provides insight into content knowledge gained and critical thinking skills.
Middle school students gain an advantage by learning early about personal finance. Teachers who add the opportunity for the IPFC add an element of competition to their classroom. Watch the incentive to learn dramatically increase!
Registration is FREE and testing is convenient and easy to do. Online teacher registration is open January 8 through March 1, 2024.
The testing window is open from March 11 to April 3, 2024.
Practice tests and resources are available online for all teams prior to the testing window.
To learn more and register, visit the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge website.
Curriculum
Our Middle School curriculum ties the Financial Literacy and Inquiry learning standards together so that students are challenged to think critically about the world around them. By the end of the lessons, students should be able understand the stock market, how to craft a budget, interest, risk, insurance, how to bank online safely, and much more. Students explore these concepts in a variety of investigative strategies, including hands on activities, writing, and nonfiction reading.
You can download the entire curriculum by clicking the Download Curriculum PDF link below, or you can download individual activities within each lesson section.
Introduction to Curriculum
Letter from the Treasurer
Download Curriculum PDF
Lesson One Lesson Plan
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Opening Activity
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Stock Market Game
This unique game is used by thousands of students nationwide each year. Students participate in teams to research and evaluate stocks, bonds, and mutual funds to make informed, economic decisions. Competitions are held each Fall and Spring. There are also connections to Common Core with the extension program, InvestWrite. For Stock Market Game participants, InvestWrite is a writing competition on investment related topics. It is entirely FREE for a class to participate. In addition, there are many resources online, and a dedicated staffer to help answer all of your questions. Explore below to learn more:
Additional Resources
Explore the links below to find lesson plans, assessments, and more.
Standards
Standards implemented in the 2017-2018 school year included requirements for financial literacy and inquiry skills, which the Money Minded Illinois curriculum meets. Inquiry skills equip students with the skills necessary for college, career, and civic life. You can read the standards at the links below.