CoinQuest Classroom — Financial Literacy That Students Actually Love

Curriculum

Six Worlds. Six Grade Bands. One Mission.

Each grade band features a unique themed world, AI guide character, and age-appropriate financial literacy content.

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Grades K-2

Penny Island

AI Guide: Copper

Coins Counting Money Wants vs Needs Saving

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Grades 3-4

Treasure Trail

AI Guide: Clover

Making Change Saving Goals Earning Spending Plans

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Grades 5-6

Galaxy Station

AI Guide: Marco

50/30/20 Budgeting Simple Interest Banking

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Grades 7-8

City Arena

AI Guide: Aria

Credit & Debit Impulse Spending Compound Interest

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Grades 9-10

Summit Labs

AI Guide: Sterling

Investing Stocks Compound Growth Risk

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Grades 11-12

Executive Suite

AI Guide: Morgan

Portfolio Mgmt Retirement Taxes Real Estate

Penny Island — Sample Lesson

Slide 1 of 3

Meet the Coins!

Copper holds up a shiny penny. "This is a penny! It's worth 1 cent. See the copper color? That's why they call me Copper!" Students tap each coin to hear its name and value.

Slide 2 of 3

Sorting Game

Coins fall from the sky! Drag each coin into the right piggy bank: pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Earn CoinQuest coins for speed and accuracy. Streaks unlock bonus rewards.

Quick Check

Which coin is worth 5 cents?

That's right! A nickel is worth 5 cents. You earned 10 CoinQuest coins!

Not quite! A nickel is the coin worth 5 cents. It's larger than a penny but smaller than a quarter.

Treasure Trail — Sample Lesson

Slide 1 of 3

Making Change at the Market

Clover runs a market stand on Treasure Trail. "A customer gives you $1.00 for a 73-cent apple. How much change do you give back?" Students practice counting up from the price to the payment.

Slide 2 of 3

The Savings Jar Challenge

Set a savings goal and watch your jar fill up! Each correct answer adds coins. Clover teaches the difference between short-term goals (new book) and long-term goals (bicycle).

Quick Check

You buy a toy for $3.47 and pay with $5.00. How much change?

Excellent! $5.00 - $3.47 = $1.53. Clover is impressed! +15 coins!

Let's try again. $5.00 minus $3.47. Count up: $3.47 + $0.53 = $4.00, plus $1.00 = $5.00. The change is $1.53.

Galaxy Station — Sample Lesson

Slide 1 of 3

The 50/30/20 Budget

Marco shows the crew of Galaxy Station how to split their earnings: 50% for needs (fuel, food, repairs), 30% for wants (upgrades, games), and 20% for savings. Students budget a $500 monthly allowance.

Slide 2 of 3

Simple Interest Calculator

"If you save 100 credits at 5% interest for 3 years, you earn 15 credits!" Marco walks through the formula: Interest = Principal x Rate x Time. Students calculate interest on different savings amounts.

Quick Check

Using the 50/30/20 rule, how much of a $200 allowance goes to savings?

Perfect! 20% of $200 = $40 goes to savings. Marco approves! +20 coins!

Remember: the "20" in 50/30/20 means 20% for savings. 20% of $200 = 0.20 x 200 = $40.

City Arena — Sample Lesson

Slide 1 of 3

Credit vs. Debit

Aria navigates City Arena's marketplace. "A debit card uses money you already have. A credit card borrows money you'll pay back later — with interest if you're not careful." Students compare scenarios where each card makes sense.

Slide 2 of 3

The Impulse Spending Trap

A flashy ad appears: "Limited time deal! 50% off!" Aria teaches the 24-hour rule: wait a day before any unplanned purchase over $20. Students role-play deciding whether to buy or walk away.

Quick Check

You owe $500 on a credit card at 18% APR and pay only the minimum. What happens?

Exactly! Minimum payments mostly cover interest, meaning you'll pay much more than $500 total. Aria says: "Always pay more than the minimum!" +25 coins!

When you pay only the minimum, most goes to interest. At 18% APR, a $500 balance could cost you $700+ over time. Always try to pay more than the minimum!

Summit Labs — Sample Lesson

Slide 1 of 3

Stocks & The Market

Sterling opens Summit Labs' trading floor. "When you buy a stock, you own a piece of a company. If the company grows, your piece becomes more valuable." Students explore a simulated portfolio with real company names.

Slide 2 of 3

The Power of Compound Growth

"Invest $100/month starting at age 16 with 8% annual returns. By age 65, you'll have over $700,000." Sterling shows how time is the most powerful ingredient in building wealth. An interactive chart lets students adjust variables.

Quick Check

What is diversification in investing?

Sterling nods approvingly. Diversification means not putting all your eggs in one basket. Spread across stocks, bonds, and other assets to reduce risk. +30 coins!

Diversification means spreading your investments across different types of assets (stocks, bonds, real estate) so if one drops, others may hold steady.

Executive Suite — Sample Lesson

Slide 1 of 3

Building a Retirement Portfolio

Morgan presents the Executive Suite boardroom. "A 401(k) match is free money. If your employer matches 50% up to 6% of your salary, contribute at least 6%." Students model different contribution scenarios and see retirement outcomes at age 30, 40, 50, and 65.

Slide 2 of 3

Understanding Your Tax Return

"Gross income minus deductions equals taxable income. Your effective tax rate is almost always lower than your marginal bracket." Morgan walks through a simplified 1040 form. Students calculate their tax liability on a $45,000 salary.

Quick Check

Your employer offers a 401(k) match of 100% up to 5% of your $50,000 salary. What's the maximum free money per year?

Exactly. 5% of $50,000 is $2,500 — and the employer matches 100% of that, giving you $2,500 in free money. Morgan says: "Never leave the match on the table." +35 coins!

5% of $50,000 = $2,500. If the employer matches 100% of your contribution up to 5%, they add $2,500 per year. That's $2,500 in free money!

Compliance

Standards-Aligned Curriculum

CoinQuest maps to national financial literacy frameworks and state requirements. Built by educators, for educators.

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Common Core Math

Counting, operations, measurement, data analysis, and ratios embedded in every financial scenario. Students practice math through real money problems.

2.MD.C.8 4.MD.A.2 7.RP.A.3

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Jump$tart Coalition

Aligned to all 4 Jump$tart domains: Spending & Saving, Credit & Debt, Employment & Income, and Investing. Grade-appropriate benchmarks at every level.

Spending Credit Income Investing

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State Standards

Pre-mapped to state financial literacy mandates in all 50 states. 35 states now require personal finance education — CoinQuest covers them all.

CA TX FL NY +46 more

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CEE Standards

Maps to the Council for Economic Education's National Standards for Financial Literacy. 6 content areas, all grade levels, all benchmarks.

Earning Saving Spending Borrowing Protecting Investing

Need a detailed standards mapping for your district's curriculum review?

Request Full Standards Document

Financial Literacy That Students Actually Love

Six Worlds. Six Grade Bands. One Mission.

Meet the Coins!

Sorting Game

Which coin is worth 5 cents?

Making Change at the Market

The Savings Jar Challenge

You buy a toy for $3.47 and pay with $5.00. How much change?

The 50/30/20 Budget

Simple Interest Calculator

Using the 50/30/20 rule, how much of a $200 allowance goes to savings?

Credit vs. Debit

The Impulse Spending Trap

You owe $500 on a credit card at 18% APR and pay only the minimum. What happens?

Stocks & The Market

The Power of Compound Growth

What is diversification in investing?

Building a Retirement Portfolio

Understanding Your Tax Return

Your employer offers a 401(k) match of 100% up to 5% of your $50,000 salary. What's the maximum free money per year?

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Why Students Stay Engaged

Coin Economy

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Standards-Aligned Curriculum

Common Core Math

Jump$tart Coalition

State Standards

CEE Standards

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