Seventh graders learn that a budget has two kinds of expenses — fixed costs that stay the same each month (rent, a phone bill) and variable costs that change (groceries, gas). Knowing the difference makes budgeting far easier.
Students will be able to…
When you budget, some costs are the same every month and some change. What’s the difference — and why does it matter?
Project this and sort each expense into Fixed (same each month) or Variable (changes).
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Some monthly costs stay the same and some change — what’s the difference?
Students explore.
Students practice.
Students apply.
Students close.
Aligned to the C3 Framework (Economics) & the National Standards for Personal Financial Education.
Categorize expenses.
Explain budgeting choices.
Draw conclusions about a budget.
Manage a budget.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students name two fixed and two variable expenses a family might have. A printable expenses sheet is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.