Standards-Aligned Financial Literacy Lesson Plans on Wealth Building and Compound Interest. Featured Resource: Song — Anyone Can Be Rich!
Core Concept Across All Grades:
Wealth is built through early saving and investing, consistent habits, patience, and smart choices—by anyone—especially when money is given time to grow through compound interest.
Core Concept Across All Grades
Wealth is built through early saving and investing, consistent habits, patience, and smart choices—by anyone—especially when money is given time to grow through compound interest.
K–2 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: K–2 (Ages 5–7)
Big Idea
Anyone can save early and give their money time to grow.
Learning Objective (Student-Friendly)
“I can save a little now and let my money grow.”
Standards Alignment
CEE – Decision Making: Understanding cause and effect
CEE – Money Management: Saving as a habit
Jump$tart – Saving: Saving early
CASEL: Confidence, self-management, inclusion
Materials
Piggy bank or container
Play coins or counters
Lesson Flow (15–20 minutes)
1. Warm-Up Conversation (3 minutes)
Ask:
“Can kids save money?”
“What happens when you plant a seed and wait?”
Teacher statement:
“Saving early is like planting a seed early. It gives it more time to grow.”
2. Listen & Repeat (5 minutes)
Play the song.
Have students repeat:
“Anyone can be rich.”
Explain:
“Rich means having enough and making good choices.”
3. Guided Discussion (5 minutes)
Ask:
“Does the song say you need a lot of money to start?”
“What does it say about starting early?”
Key takeaway:
“Saving early helps money grow over time.”
4. Practice Activity (5 minutes)
Give each student 5 coins.
Ask them to place 1 coin into the piggy bank.
Say:
“This coin is starting its growing journey.”
Assessment (Informal)
Students can:
State that anyone can save
Demonstrate saving a coin
Take-Home Connection
“Try saving a little the next time you get money.”
Grades 3–5 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: 3–5 (Ages 8–10)
Big Idea
Saving early gives your money more time to grow.
Learning Objective
Students will explain how saving and investing early, even in small amounts, helps money grow over time.
Standards Alignment
CEE – Decision Making: Short- and long-term choices
CEE – Money Management: Consistent saving
Jump$tart – Saving: Delayed gratification
NFEC: Habit-based responsibility
CASEL: Patience, self-control
Materials
Chart paper or board
Simple timeline (Now → Later)
Lesson Flow (20–25 minutes)
1. Warm-Up Question (5 minutes)
Ask:
“Is it easier to save a little at a time or a lot all at once?”
Introduce:
“Time helps money grow.”
2. Song Analysis (5 minutes)
Play the song.
Ask:
“What does the song say about starting early?”
“What does ‘inch by inch’ mean?”
Write on the board:
Start early → Save often → Let time help
3. Activity: Time Helps Money Grow (10 minutes)
Present two scenarios:
Saver A starts saving and investing early
Saver B waits and tries to save later
Ask:
“Who needs to save more later?”
“Who feels less stressed?”
Introduce (student-friendly):
“When money earns money over time, that’s called compound growth.”
4. Reflection (5 minutes)
Students complete:
“Saving early helps because…”
“One habit I can practice is…”
Assessment
Students can:
Explain why time matters
Identify saving as a repeated habit
Take-Home Extension
“Save a small amount several times and notice how it feels.”
Grades 6–8 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: 6–8 (Ages 11–13)
Big Idea
Wealth grows when saving and investing habits are combined with time and patience.
Learning Objective
Students will analyze how early saving, investing, and compound interest contribute to long-term wealth-building.
Standards Alignment
CEE – Decision Making: Long-term costs and benefits
CEE – Money Management: Strategic saving and investing
Jump$tart – Saving: Time and consistency
NFEC: Responsibility and confidence
CASEL: Self-management, agency
Materials
Scenario comparison sheets
Optional habit-tracking worksheet
Lesson Flow (30 minutes)
1. Opening Question (5 minutes)
Ask:
“Why do people think wealth comes from luck?”
Discuss habits vs. shortcuts.
2. Song as a Wealth-Building Message (5 minutes)
Play the song.
Ask:
“What choices does the song say matter most?”
“Why does starting early matter?”
Introduce definition:
“Compound interest means your money earns money, and then that money earns more money.”
3. Scenario Comparison (10 minutes)
Compare:
Person A saves and invests early
Person B waits and tries to catch up
Ask:
“Who has more options later?”
“Who feels more in control?”
Connect to:
Time
Consistency
Patience
4. Personal Application (10 minutes)
Students write:
One saving or investing habit they want to build
One reason starting early helps
One future goal their money could support
Assessment
Students can:
Explain compound interest in simple terms
Connect habits and time to future outcomes
Real-World Extension
Tie to:
Long-term goals
Education and career planning
Financial independence
Teacher Notes (All Grades)
Emphasize habits over starting amounts
Avoid comparisons between students
Reinforce effort, patience, and consistency
Pair with Get in the Habit and Budget! for sequencing
Bottom Line
Anyone Can Be Rich teaches children that wealth-building isn’t about luck or labels—it’s about starting early, saving and investing consistently, and giving money time to grow through compound interest.
Strategic Tip Regarding Full Curriculum and Compound Interest
A K–8 compound pathway using Sammy Rabbit resources. Here's a tip on each of the following Sammy songs and how to use them to reinforce lessons on compound interest.
Get in the Habit → Save consistently
Anyone Can Be Rich → Start early + time matters
Budget! → Plan and protect saving and investments
Don’t Spend More Than You Make! → Avoid leaks
Get All Lesson Plans in One PDF
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