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Free Financial Literacy
Educator Toolkit

Free financial literacy teaching resources for grades 1–5: lesson plans, discussion guides, assessments and classroom printables. Start with a 15-minute activity that needs no book, or use Clarence Gets a Bargain for a four-week read-aloud unit.

Start the free wants vs. needs activity →
See the four-week lesson plan overview →

✅ Refreshed toolkit is here.

All 6 docs now match the published book, anchored to real pages, with verified standards alignment. Open any card below to view in-browser or click Print PDF.

Plus, ready-to-print:

Free resource access · Browser-print to PDF · No login or email. Book-based lessons require access to the book.

Everything You Need to Teach It

From first read-aloud to final assessment — the complete classroom program for Clarence Gets a Bargain, ready for Grades 1–5.

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Educator Preview

Full overview of the book's educational content, teaching philosophy, and classroom integration guide. Start here.

OverviewGrades 1–5
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Lesson Plans

Four 45-minute weekly sessions. Real page references, standards codes, differentiation for grades 1–2 and 3–5, and a send-home bridge prompt for each week.

Jump$tart 2021CCSS4 Weeks
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Discussion Guide

Six chapter sections with three depth levels per prompt — Literal, Inferential, Evaluative — plus the book's official 21-term back-matter glossary in Mom's voice.

3 Depth Levels21 Vocab TermsRead-Aloud Ready
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Assessment Worksheet

10-question pre and post-test anchored to real book content. Answer key, scoring rubric, accommodations page, and 25-row class data tracking table for grant reporting.

Pre/PostAnswer KeyGrant-Ready
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Family Activity Sheet

Five take-home activities (5–15 min each) tied to specific book pages. Sortable by “5 minutes,” “next store run,” or “quiet weekend.”

FamilyTake-HomeGrades 1–5
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Standards Alignment Chart

23-row concept-by-concept crosswalk to Jump$tart 2021, CEE, CCSS Math & ELA, and FDIC Money Smart. Framework source URLs for grant-reviewer verification.

Jump$tartCCSSCEEFDIC
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Each doc opens in a new tab. Click 🖨️ Print PDF in the toolbar to save or print. All materials are free to reproduce and distribute within your institution.

Standards Aligned Across 4 Major Frameworks

Jump$tart National Standards Common Core (CCSS) Council for Economic Education FDIC Money Smart K–5 Title I Grant Compatible Est. Lexile AD 620L Est. Guided Reading L–N

More Where That Came From

Six files above. Eight more below. Still free. Still no login.

Educator Preview →
What the book covers, page by page.
Zero-Prep Lesson Plans →
Open it, read it, teach it. That's the prep.
Standards Crosswalk →
Filter 23 concepts by framework. Grant-ready.
Smart Shopper Challenge →
A classroom game with a scoreboard.
Sea-Mart Secret Mission →
Send them into a real store with a job.
The Money Talk →
The take-home half. Parents do this part.
Wants vs. Needs Module →
The concept the whole book turns on.
The Aisle Five Assembly →
Author visits. In person or virtual.

Need Classroom Sets?

"Volume pricing that would make Clarence himself nod in approval." Bulk orders for schools, libraries, and districts available. The book + free toolkit = a complete financial literacy program.