| 1 | Understanding Value | Why do people value things differently? | Value analysis | value, subjective, preference, trade | Explain why the same item can be worth different amounts to different people | Name something valuable to you that has no obvious price tag |
| 2 | Trade and Barter | How does trade work when there is no money? | Trade and exchange analysis | barter, trade, double coincidence, exchange | What problem does the double coincidence of wants create? | Try bartering one item with a friend or family member |
| 3 | Why Money Exists | What problem did money solve? | Monetary system origins | currency, medium of exchange, standardization | Why did early communities invent shared tokens of value? | Research what was used as money in three different historical societies |
| 4 | The Household Economy | How do households balance income and spending? | Household budget analysis | income, fixed cost, variable cost, trade-off | Identify two fixed and two variable costs in a household | Map out a simple fictional household budget |
| 5 | How Money Moves | How does one person's spending become another person's income? | Money circulation analysis | circulation, income, spending, flow | Trace a single dollar through three transactions | Find a local business and think about where its money comes from and goes |
| 6 | Ways We Pay | How do different payment methods change spending behavior? | Payment method comparison | cash, debit, credit, digital payment | What is one difference in how you think about spending with cash vs. a card? | Count how many different ways to pay you observe in one trip to a store |
| 7 | Digital Money | What is money when it is just numbers in a computer? | Digital ledger analysis | digital ledger, account, transaction, record | Explain what a bank ledger does | Research how a digital transfer actually moves money between accounts |
| 8 | Friction and Spending | How does ease of spending affect how much we spend? | Spending friction analysis | friction, impulse, deliberate, spending habit | Describe one strategy for slowing down before a purchase | Try one "slow down" strategy for one week and report what you noticed |
| 9 | Opportunity Cost | What is the hidden price of every choice? | Opportunity cost analysis | opportunity cost, trade-off, alternative | Name the opportunity cost of one real purchase you made recently | For one week, notice the opportunity cost every time you spend money |
| 10 | Budgeting | How does a budget help? | Budget creation | budget, plan, priority, allocation | Create a simple fictional weekly budget | Try a personal budget for one week using your own money |
| 11 | Risk and Emergency Funds | Why do emergency funds matter? | Risk and savings analysis | risk, emergency fund, buffer, unexpected expense | Why is saving the same as buying options for the future? | Calculate how many months of a fictional household budget an emergency fund would cover |
| 12 | Banks | What do banks actually do? | Banking system analysis | bank, deposit, withdrawal, ledger, account | Name three things a bank does | Research what protections bank accounts have |
| 13 | Interest | How can money grow -- or cost more -- over time? | Interest calculation and concept | interest, principal, compounding, rate | Explain interest in two sentences to someone who has never heard of it | Calculate how much a fictional savings account would have after 5 years at 3% interest |
| 14 | Inflation | Why does the same amount of money buy less over time? | Inflation analysis | inflation, purchasing power, price level | What causes prices to rise generally over time? | Compare the price of a common item today vs. 10 years ago |
| Supp. | Taxes | Where does government money come from? | Tax system analysis | tax, income tax, sales tax, property tax, public good | What are taxes used for? | Research one public service funded by local taxes in your area |
| 15 | Finding Problems and Opportunities | How do I notice problems worth solving? | Opportunity observation | problem, need, opportunity, observation | Describe one real problem or frustration you noticed this week | Interview someone about their daily frustrations |
| 16 | Designing a Solution | How do I turn a problem into a useful solution? | Solution design | product, service, design, customer | Describe your solution and who it would help | Research a real product that started as someone noticing a frustrating problem |
| 17 | Resources and Costs | What does it take to turn an idea into reality? | Resource planning | resource, cost, time, materials, budget | What resources does your project need? Which costs the most? | Create a simple budget for your Value Creation Project |
| 18 | Sharing Value | How do I present my solution and what did I learn? | Synthesis and presentation | value creation, trade, reflection | Explain the problem your solution addresses and how it helps | Present your Value Creation Project to a real audience |