In this post, there are two free percent of a number cheat sheets for a consumer math unit on calculating percentages of numbers and calculating discounts. Each can be added to student notebooks as a reference when learning how to calculate percentages.
The first percent sheet reminds students of the divisor when calculating the percent of a number. For example, We can divide 125 by 5 to find that 25 is 20% of 125. This sheet prints on half a page to fit into a student notebook.
The second is a friendly percentages reference that's helpful for calculating discounts. If a shirt is 15% off, we can calculate the shirt's price by finding 85% of the original cost of the shirt. I always find this easier than calculating 15% then subtracting that amount from the original price.
This friendly percentages sheet can also be referenced during an exponentials unit when calculating decay. If the value of a car is depreciating by 15% per year, we can use .85 as the exponential's base.
Do you start math class with a warm-up or a bell ringer? My classes started going more smoothly once I got my warm-up routine down.
Our classroom routine:
Students enter our classroom and grab a warm-up out of the basket at the front of the classroom. The warm-ups were either a 1/2-sheet or 1/4-sheet of paper and would get glued into their interactive notebooks or on binder paper. Students get time to work on their warm-up independently before we go over the answers together to make sure we were all on the same page.
Sometimes if students weren't focused, I'd switch gears and collect the warm-ups for points. This kept students on their toes. I'd only ever do this when the warm-up was a spiral review of material students had recently learned. This was usually the case with our warm-ups-- they'd be a short review of previous material before moving on to learn new math concepts.
I put together an 18-unit pack of consumer math warm-ups to get students thinking about real-world math as soon as they sit down for class. There are at least 6 warm-ups included for each curriculum unit listed below, along with answer keys:
18 units of consumer math warm-ups:
Wants vs. needs
Checks and registers
Wages and salary
Bank accounts
Budgets
Electronic banking and credit cards
Credit score
Discounts and coupons
Sales tax and tip
Percent change
Unit price
Income taxes
Car loans
Mortgages
Student loans
Investing
Car insurance
Health insurance
The warm-ups are all sized to be cut and pasted into an interactive math notebook. Students answer their warm-ups on their notebook paper, discuss with each other and report out on their answers to create a classroom discussion. These are the same warm-ups included in the Scaffolded Consumer Math Curriculum.
Part of owning the Scaffolded Consumer Math Curriculum is free yearly updates to the curriculum's income taxes unit so that students always have the most up-to-date information. This update happens every January, after which you can go into your account and re-download the curriculum for free. This year's curriculum update is complete and all files are ready to be re-downloaded.
All W-2, W-4, 1040 and Schedule 1 images in the curriculum have been updated in the student book, teacher book, student notebook sheets, PowerPoints, warm-ups and quizzes. All answer keys and completed 1040s have been updated to reflect this year's numbers.
For tax year 2024, the Standard Deduction for single people increased from $13,850 to $14,600, and the additional amount added to a dependent's income on the dependents worksheet (Publication 501, Table 8) increased from $400 to $450, if they earned less than the Standard Deduction.
Some years the 1040 has changed significantly, other years it barely changes. In 2018, the 1040 was suddenly a lot shorter than previous years, but it grew back to its present size by 2022. I keep a free 1040 cheat sheet updated here every year. It's set up to help working teens file their federal income tax returns, but it can also be used for simple tax returns.
When the curriculum was first available in 2022, it was a giant zip folder. I had heard from a few teachers that the file was too big for their computers to download, so I broke the files up into individual downloads. This year, I added a "download all at once" option so that you have the choice to again download the entire curriculum in one go. The individual files are still there in case the file is too big for your internet/computer.
You can read more about what is included in the consumer math curriculum here on my blog.
I'm so excited to be able to share with you that the Scaffolded Consumer Math Curriculum now includes a curriculum map.
This was something that should have been included right from the start, and I have been kicking myself for never having built a curriculum map while writing the curriculum. A couple months ago, I found a super organized, awesome, 22-year veteran teacher who was willing to take on the job, and I am SO HAPPY to now be able to say the curriculum does include a curriculum map.
Overview of the curriculum map:
The consumer math curriculum map has 2 tabs for each of the 18 curriculum units. One tab is in color and the other tab is in black & white, in case you'd prefer printing.
The very first tab is an overview of the curriculum. From there, each tab is a detailed breakdown of what is included in each unit.
The curriculum map is an editable Google Sheet. You can download it as a Excel spreadsheet, if you prefer.
You can find the Scaffolded Consumer Math Curriculum here on my website for download.
The Scaffolded Consumer Math Curriculum is a printable high school math curriculum written especially for teens with mild to moderate learning disabilities. While the curriculum covers all topics all teens are interested in learning -- budgets, taxes, credit score, insurance, etc. -- it's written in a way that is approachable for students who have difficulty reading. My focus was to write a personal financial literacy curriculum that feels age-appropriate to older teens while making the material easy to understand.
There are a lot of hidden costs to owning a car, costs that students may not think about when they are dreaming of driving themselves around. In this buy a car project, students learn about the costs associated with buying and owning a car so that they can be prepared when the time comes to buy their own car.
Teaching the ins and outs of budgeting was one of my favorite units to teach in Consumer Math. It started with us calculating net monthly income and ended with us commenting on how much we all spend on food. It was a fun unit to teach because it gave students the tools to analyze their own spending and how it aligned with their future goals.
In our wages and salary unit, we learned that net monthly income is about 70% of gross monthly income. We often used this net income estimation when budgeting.
How do I file a tax return? What is a credit score? How much of my paycheck will be withheld for taxes? How much rent can I afford? How do I calculate a budget?
I got a TON of questions just like these while teaching high school consumer math. Many of the questions were about topics I assumed my students already knew. But how would they know? My seniors were excited and a bit nervous about life after high school, and they hadn't learned any of this material yet.
When I taught consumer math, there was no curriculum, and I spent a lot of time piecing the course together from materials found online. My students were all seniors with IEPs for mild to moderate disabilities in math/reading, so it was important that I found accessible materials that were also age-appropriate and highly-engaging. I wanted my students to enjoy building their personal financial literacy, so I decided to build the consumer math curriculum they needed.
This new, printable consumer math curriculum is an approachable guide to building financial literacy for teens. It includes warm-ups, a student book, accompanying student notebook sheets, a teacher's book, PowerPoint projector notes, editable quizzes, and all answer keys. The curriculum will answer all of your students' personal finance questions and more. It's now available on my website and on TPT.
"Hands-down, this is the best consumer math curriculum. Easy to use even if you don’t have the greatest understanding of certain concepts. Warm-ups for access to extra practice problems as well as walkthrough PowerPoints and much more. So thankful I got it! My students enjoyed learning each concept and were able to work through excellent real-world math problems making it relatable!” -Teacher Jodi Staggers
Here's a short video overview of the student book and student notebook sheets. Please note that 2 additional units have been added to the curriculum since the video-- a car insurance unit and a health insurance unit:
18 Units:
Wants vs. needs
Checks and registers
Wages and salary
Bank accounts
Budgets
Electronic banking and credit cards
Credit score
Discounts and coupons
Sales tax and tip
Percent change
Unit price
Income taxes*
Car loans
Mortgages
Student loans
Investing
Car insurance
Health insurance
*The income taxes unit is updated every year. Re-downloads to get updates and additions are always free.
"This Consumer Math curriculum is amazing. It is so well organized! I also used the activity bundle and this made a super year long course! I would highly recommend it!" - Teacher Amy Field
Files included:
Student book - 18 units (199 pages)
Teacher’s book - 18 units (203 pages)
Student notebook sheets (122 half sheets)
Workbook (alternative format to notebook sheets)
PowerPoint projector notes
Editable quizzes for each unit
Warm-ups for each unit
Curriculum map
All answer keys
Details:
The student book is a reference that includes vocabulary, examples, and all of the information students need to know.
The student notebook sheets are half-sheets designed for building an interactive notebook. The sheets provide space for students to answer the questions posed in the book, and also include additional analysis questions. Students paste these notebook sheets into a composition notebook, which then becomes their own personal finance reference.
If you'd like a larger workbook format, a student workbook is also now included. This is an alternative to the student notebook sheets if you would rather students have full-page notes instead of building a notebook.
The teacher’s book and student notebook sheets answer key include all answers to all questions presented in the student book and the extra analysis questions on the student notebook sheets.
The projector notes match the student notebook sheets so that you can complete notes along with your students on the board.
The quizzes are completely editable. Quiz answer keys are included for all quizzes and are also editable.
The warm-ups for every unit are formatted for student notebooks.
Three projects are included for budgeting, buying a car, and percent change in the stock market.
FAQs:
Who is this curriculum for?
I wrote this consumer math curriculum for high school students who may have mild to moderate disabilities in math and/or reading. Teachers and parents of general education students are also using the curriculum.
Can the curriculum work for younger students?
If your students have already been introduced to percentages, this consumer math curriculum may work for them. However, I feel that high school students will be more invested in learning the material as it answers the questions they currently have about their personal finances.
What standards are covered?
This consumer math curriculum covers the following National Standards for Personal Financial Education:
Earning Income: wages and salary, gross pay, exact net pay, approximating net pay, pay schedules, tips, earning interest, retirement savings, 401(k) employer matching, filing income taxes, tax deductions, wage theft, insurance
Spending: budgeting, keeping a register, comparing unit prices, sales tax, discounts, coupons
Do you have a printout that I can give to my admin for approval?
Yes, you can find a printout here for your administrator. If a quote and my W-9 are needed for a PO, please send me an email to shana@scaffoldedmath.com.
Will the curriculum be sent in the mail?
The curriculum is a set of printable PDF and PowerPoint files. Nothing will be sent in the mail.
Are activities included?
The curriculum does not contain activities other than the student notebook pages, warm-ups and a few projects. For additional activities, there is a big bundle of printable and interactive digital consumer math activities available.
How many licenses do I need?
The curriculum is licensed for 1 single teacher to use with his or her students year after year.
I homeschool. Will this work for me?
Yes, homeschooling families are using the Scaffolded Consumer Math Curriculum. The projector notes are meant to shine onto a classroom board, so may not be necessary to use, but everything else will work. All of the information needed to complete the notebook sheets is in the student book.
Do you have a sample of the curriculum?
A preview of the curriculum is available to view and download here.
Is this a year-long or semester-long course?
This consumer math curriculum is meant to be a year-long course counting as 1 math credit. Some teachers have completed the curriculum in one semester without additional supplements.
Will the curriculum be updated?
Yes, the income taxes unit is updated every January to reflect changes to the 1040. Re-downloads to get updates and additions are free. *The curriculum has been updated for the April 2026 tax season.
Do you accept school purchase orders?
Yes, purchase order information can be found here.
With everything you need in one place, this consumer math curriculum will make teaching the course easy for you and enjoyable for your students. Consumer math is such an important and fun course to teach, and I hope your students thoroughly enjoy building their financial literacy with you!
The printable Scaffolded Consumer Math Curriculum is available here on my website and here on TPT. Please send me an email to shana@scaffoldedmath.com if you have any questions.
Entering code SAVE25 at checkouttakes $25 off when purchasing the curriculum and activities bundle together.
Who doesn't love a good unit price fail? Once I started taking photos of unit pricing to take back to my consumer math class, fails seemed to pop up everywhere. This was one that had me standing in the baby aisle for way more time than I'd care to admit:
Teaching students how to complete a federal 1040 tax form can be a bit tedious. There are lots of lines with tiny print, and most are irrelevant to younger folks. I update this 1040 cheat sheet every year to make the process of completing a 1040 a lot less stressful, especially for working teens.
I love teaching teens how to build their financial literacy. There's something so empowering about knowing how to work with percentages, how to budget and what all that fancy-sounding financial language means.
Teaching teens about personal finance was even empowering to me. It made me feel I was giving my students the tools they needed to avoid being taken advantage of financially, which can happen to any of us.
In this post, I want to share some of the financial literacy activities I've made for my high school consumer math students over the years. My students have really enjoyed these activities and I think yours will, too. Some are printable, some are digital and some come in both formats.
Teaching Teens Financial Literacy
One of my favorite topics to teach students is financial literacy. Teens have a lot of questions about money management, from buying a car to credit cards to income taxes. Some of the questions my consumer math students would ask made me wonder how any kid could leave high school without taking a personal financial literacy class.
Below are financial literacy activities and other resources to help teens build these important skills in school. There is also a big bundle of consumer math activities linked below.
One of the most exciting things for a teen is becoming a driver. This buying a car project has students look at all of the costs associated with owning a car, from the price of the car to shopping around for insurance. If your students like escape rooms, this buying a car escape room covers finance costs when buying a car with a loan.
This financial literacy word wall supports students in a consumer math course to learn all of the vocabulary that surrounds managing money. It includes printable color, printable black and white and no-prep digital in Google Slides. All 3 versions are included in the same file.
This new consumer math curriculum builds teens' financial literacy skills in an approachable way. The curriculum is printable and includes a student book, teacher's book, student note sheets, PowerPoint slides, editable quizzes and more. You can find the curriculum here on my website and here on TPT.
(If you're already a scavenger hunt pro, you can find the FREE percents scavenger hunt covering tax, tip and discounts linked at the end of this post.) If you have wanted to give scavenger hunts a try in your math classroom but weren't exactly sure where to start, I wrote this step-by-step guide. I love scavenger hunts because they are super engaging and self-checking. They are also a great way to differentiate assessments, especially for nervous students who don't do well on tests.
A few years ago, I posted on Instagram about doing my students' taxes. All of my seniors, most of whom have after school jobs, learned how to file a 1040 income tax return in our consumer math class.
Still, some feel nervous about doing the "real thing". The idea that my students aren't getting their tax refunds because the process is so confusing really bothers me. I'm glad the IRS seems to be making some changes, like allowing some of us to file free online. Still, filing taxes can be overwhelming, so I wanted to make the process easier with a simple 1-page 1040 cheat sheet.
I update this free 1040 income tax return cheat sheet every year so that it stays current.
Can dependents file their own taxes?
Yes! Even if you live at home with your parents, you can file a tax return and get a refund. This is a change from years ago. Being listed as a dependent on someone else's tax return does not prevent the dependent from filing their own 1040 federal tax return and getting a refund of any tax overpayment. IRS Publication 501 covers taxpaying dependents, and was used to make this 1040 cheat sheet.
Parents can still claim their child as a dependent, even if the child files their own income tax return. The IRS publishes their Standard Deduction Worksheet for Dependents every year with directions for dependents filing income tax returns. Calculations from this worksheet are included on the 1040 cheat sheet linked here.
During our income taxes unit, we learn how to file a federal 1040 tax return to move past the paperwork intimidation, and so they become comfortable filing for free on paper if they're ever being asked to pay to file online. Students should be comfortable filing their tax return so that they get the money back they are owed.
Even figuring out Turbo Tax was enough to deter one student from getting his tax refund two years in a row! He was owed close to $1,000 by the time we did his federal and state returns for both years.
It is important to me to teach my students how to file their taxes with a free paper Form 1040. This way they are empowered to get their income tax refund without paying anyone to do their taxes for them. My students deserve to get their money back.
On this 1040 income tax cheat sheet, I focused solely on the lines of a 1040 that students need to fill out in order to get their refund. I made this sheet for students, parents and teachers who want to help their kids get their money back.
All of the required IRS forms to file a tax return are linked in the sheet, so the cheat sheet works printed or while viewing as a PDF. Students will need a blank 1040 and a copy of this year's Tax Table, which are both linked in the PDF.
I think all kids should know at least the basics about paying taxes, balancing a checkbook, finding sale prices and tips, so I made a set of Consumer Math activities that teach these skills.
Inside the bundle is this income tax task cards activity that walks students through completing a federal Form 1040 and Schedule 1 for a fictional character.
