Lesson Plans
Dictionary Term Focus: Spend
Core Concept Across All Grades
Spending is a choice about how to use money. When children learn what it means to spend—and how to spend thoughtfully—they build skills that help their money last and support what matters most to them.
K–2 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: K–2 (Ages 5–7)
Big Ideas
Spending means using money to buy something.
I am in charge of how I spend my money.
I can stop and think before I spend.
Learning Objectives
Learners can:
Recognize and understand the word spend
Explain that spending means using money to buy something
Practice stopping and thinking before making a spending choice
Standards Alignment
Council for Economic Education (CEE): Decision Making; Money and Exchange
Jump$tart Coalition: Financial Decision Making
National Financial Educators Council (NFEC): Responsible money use
CASEL: Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making
Materials
Dictionary definition of Spend (kid-friendly version)
Play money
Picture cards showing items to buy (food, toy, book, clothes)
Lesson Flow (15–20 minutes)
1. Word Introduction & Sound Familiarity (2 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Today’s word is spend.”
Have students:
Listen to the word
Say the word together: “Spend.”
Say it once more slowly: “Spend.”
Teacher uses the word in simple sentences:
“I spend money to buy food.”
“You spend money when you pay for something.”
Explain:
“Today we are going to learn what the word spend means.”
2. Simple Definition & Meaning (3 minutes)
Teacher says and displays the definition:
“To spend means to use your money to buy something.”
Have students repeat the sentence together once.
Teacher gives a concrete example:
“If I use money to buy a book, I spend money.”
“That is spending.”
3. Warm-Up Conversation: Everyday Spending (3 minutes)
Ask:
“What are some things people buy with money?”
“Have you ever seen someone pay for something?”
Reinforce:
“When you buy something with money, you are spending.”
4. Bridge to Spending Choices (3 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Spending is a choice.”
Ask:
“Can we spend money on more than one thing at the same time?”
“What happens when we spend money?”
Offer examples if needed:
“If you spend money on a snack, you don’t have that money anymore.”
“That’s why it helps to stop and think.”
Reinforce:
“Spending means choosing.”
5. Read & Discuss the Definition (4 minutes)
Read the kid-friendly dictionary definition of spend again.
Ask:
“What do we get when we spend money?”
“Do we still have the money after we spend it?”
Key idea to reinforce:
“When money is spent, it is used.”
6. Guided Practice (3 minutes)
Show picture cards and ask:
“Would you spend money on this?”
“What would you get?”
Students respond using the sentence frame:
“I spend money to buy ___.”
7. Practice Activity: Stop, Think, Spend (3–4 minutes)
Students act out:
Seeing an item
Stopping
Thinking
Choosing to spend or not spend
Teacher reinforces:
“Spending smart starts with thinking.”
Assessment (Informal)
Students can:
Explain what spending means
Identify a simple spending choice
Take-Home Connection
“Talk with someone at home about one thing money was spent on today.”
Grades 3–5 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: 3–5 (Ages 8–10)
Big Idea
Spending is a choice, and thoughtful spending helps my money last longer.
Learning Objectives
Students can:
Explain the meaning of the word spend
Identify spending choices and trade-offs
Describe what it means to spend wisely
Standards Alignment
CEE: Decision Making (costs and benefits)
Jump$tart Coalition: Financial Decision Making
NFEC: Behavioral awareness
CASEL: Self-Control, Reflection
Materials
Dictionary definition of Spend (kid and grown-up versions)
Scenario cards (save vs. spend, buy now vs. wait)
Chart paper or board
Lesson Flow (20–25 minutes)
1. Word Reintroduction & Meaning Check (4 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Today’s word is spend.”
Ask:
“How would you explain what it means to spend money?”
Read the kid-friendly definition.
Invite students to restate it in their own words.
Reinforce:
“Spending means using money to get something in return.”
2. Warm-Up Question (4 minutes)
Ask:
“What are some things people spend money on every day?”
List responses.
3. Read & Analyze the Definition (5 minutes)
Read the grown-up definition.
Ask:
“What happens when money is spent?”
“Why can’t we spend the same money twice?”
Write on the board:
Spend → Result
4. Scenario Activity (8–10 minutes)
Present scenarios and ask:
“What are the spending choices?”
“What do you give up when you spend here?”
Introduce language:
“Spending one way means not spending another way.”
5. Reflection (4–5 minutes)
Students complete:
“One smart way to spend money is…”
“I can spend wisely by…”
Assessment (Informal)
Students can:
Define spending
Identify spending choices and trade-offs
Explain what spending wisely means
Take-Home Extension
“Notice one spending choice this week and think about why it was made.”
Grades 6–8 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: 6–8 (Ages 11–13)
Big Idea
Spending choices reflect priorities and affect future options.
Learning Objectives
Students can:
Clearly define the word spend
Analyze how spending choices involve trade-offs
Explain how spending habits affect long-term outcomes
Standards Alignment
CEE: Decision Making; Money Management
Jump$tart Coalition: Financial Decision Making
NFEC: Informed financial behavior
CASEL: Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making
Materials
Dictionary definition of Spend
Scenario comparison worksheet
Optional budget snapshot worksheet
Lesson Flow (30 minutes)
1. Word Reintroduction & Precision Check (5 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Today’s focus word is spend.”
Ask:
“How would you define spending money?”
“What does it mean to spend wisely?”
Read and refine definitions.
2. Opening Question (5 minutes)
Ask:
“How do spending choices show what matters to us?”
Discuss priorities and habits.
3. Definition Discussion & Framing (5 minutes)
Ask:
“What happens if spending is not planned?”
“How does spending affect saving and goals?”
Connect to:
Needs vs. wants
Short-term vs. long-term thinking
4. Scenario Comparison (10 minutes)
Compare:
Impulsive spending
Thoughtful spending
Ask:
“Which leads to more options later?”
“Which supports goals better?”
5. Personal Application (5 minutes)
Students write:
One spending habit they have
One way they could spend more wisely
One future benefit of thoughtful spending
Assessment
Students can:
Define spending accurately
Explain spending trade-offs
Connect spending habits to future outcomes
Real-World Extension
Connect to:
Advertising and impulse spending
Budgeting
Peer pressure and social influence
Teacher Notes
Emphasize thoughtful choices, not restriction
Reinforce spending as part of a balance with earning and saving
Avoid labeling spending as “bad”
Pair with dictionary lessons for Earn, Save, Money, and Budget
Bottom Line
The word Spend helps students understand that spending is an active choice. When kids learn to pause, think, and spend wisely, they gain control over their money and make choices that better support their needs, goals, and values.
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