Teach EPF Without a Textbook
This complete high school Economics and Personal Finance curriculum is designed for teachers who want a structured, teacher-led EPF course without relying on a traditional textbook. Originally built around the North Carolina Economics and Personal Finance standards, the curriculum also supports major national economics and personal finance standards. Lessons include teacher-led slides, guided notes, student practice, and assessments designed for real high school classrooms.
The curriculum uses visually engaging presentations and student-friendly explanations to make complex topics easier to understand. A clear scope and sequence helps teachers move through the course in a logical order, while guided notes, review materials, and classroom-ready resources reinforce learning one concept at a time.
A Complete EPF Curriculum Designed for Teacher-Led Instruction
This curriculum was designed as a complete, presentation-based alternative to relying on a traditional textbook. The scope and sequence intentionally moves from foundational economics concepts into government economic policy and international trade, then into personal finance, credit and investing, and finally behavioral economics and consumer decision-making. Lessons are organized so concepts build on one another rather than feeling like a collection of disconnected topics. Each unit includes editable slide lessons, differentiated guided notes, review materials, and assessments that can be used together as the structure for a full course.
The presentations are written for teacher–led instruction, with enough explanation directly on the slides that a teacher can actually teach from them rather than constantly switching between the presentation and a separate set of lecture notes. That makes the curriculum especially approachable for newer teachers who are still getting comfortable with the content, while giving experienced teachers a flexible framework they can expand on through discussion, examples, current events, and the occasional worthwhile classroom tangent. The essential information remains on the screen, making it easier to return to the lesson without losing the main ideas students need to know. Visuals are chosen deliberately to support the content—using relevant photographs, graphs, maps, documents, and other real-world imagery rather than juvenile clip art or decorative images that add little to the lesson.
Built for North Carolina EPF. Aligned to National Standards.
This curriculum was originally designed around the North Carolina Economics and Personal Finance (NC EPF) Standards and the scope and sequence of North Carolina’s required high school EPF course. Each lesson has been mapped directly to the applicable NC standards so teachers can see where specific economics, personal finance, money and credit, financial planning, and critical consumerism objectives are addressed.
Because these concepts also closely overlap with nationally recognized expectations for economics and financial literacy, the curriculum has also been independently crosswalked to the Council for Economic Education’s 2025 National Content Standards in K–12 Economics and the CEE/Jump$tart 2021 National Standards for Personal Financial Education. Rather than simply attaching a broad list of standards to each unit, the crosswalk identifies the most direct standards supported by each individual lesson.
Standards Alignment & Course Outline
This economics and personal finance curriculum was developed around North Carolina’s EPF standards and independently mapped to national economics and personal finance standards. The alignment connects individual lessons to relevant standards rather than simply attaching a broad list to an entire unit. Explore the abbreviated course outlines below to see the lesson sequence, key topics, and selected standards connections.
North Carolina EPF Standards
Designed specifically for the North Carolina Economics and Personal Finance course, this curriculum connects lesson content to applicable NC EPF objectives. From foundational economics to financial planning and critical consumerism, the outline identifies where standards are addressed throughout the course. Use this preview to explore the content and see how the lessons fit your instructional planning.
National Economics & Personal Finance Standards
The curriculum has also been independently crosswalked to the Council for Economic Education’s 2025 National Content Standards in K–12 Economics and the CEE/Jump$tart 2021 National Standards for Personal Financial Education. This outline highlights relevant connections by lesson, helping teachers evaluate how the curriculum supports their economics and personal finance courses.
Explore the Curriculum by Unit
Explore the six units that make up the complete Economics and Personal Finance course.
UNIT 1
Foundations of Economics
Introduces scarcity, economic systems, and how markets work. Students explore supply and demand, economic indicators, and the choices people and businesses make when resources are limited.
UNIT 2
Government & the Economy
Explores how government influences the economy through fiscal, monetary, and regulatory policy. Lessons also examine public budgets, business organizations, and the rights of workers and property owners.
UNIT 3
International Trade
Explores why nations trade, how trade agreements work, and the effects of trade barriers. Students examine globalization, free versus fair trade, and the United States’ role in the global economy.
UNIT 1
Personal Finance Foundations
Introduces budgeting, income, and payroll deductions. Students explore career and college decisions, the costs of buying a car or home, and the role of insurance in financial planning.
UNIT 1
Credit and Financial Planning
Helps students understand credit, manage debt, and plan for their financial futures. Lessons explore banking and investing, retirement and estate planning, and the risks of predatory lending.
UNIT 1
Financial Literacy & Consumer Skills
Examines how advertising, social media, and psychology influence financial decisions. Students learn to compare purchases, recognize scams, and evaluate information to become more informed consumers.
Curriculum at a Glance
Grades 9-12
Designed specifically for high school Economics and Personal Finance courses
Complete Course Curriculum
Covers the major economics and personal finance concepts students need to know.
Visual Textbook Alternative
Visual presentations explain complex concepts in clear, student-friendly language.
Flexible for Your Classroom
Use the curriculum as your course foundation or pair it with your own activities and resources.