How to Find Resources by Grade Level and Topic on EconEdLink

EconEdLink provides a search tool that filters its library by grade level and topic, so you can narrow hundreds of K-12 personal finance and economics resources down to what fits your classroom. Use it when you know your grade band and subject area but don't want to browse the whole catalog. The site describes the library as free and covering lesson plans, videos, games, and activities.

Step 1: Open the resource search

Go to the "Search for Resources" section of the site. The page states you can "easily search by grade level and topic to find quality personal finance and economics lesson plans, videos, games, and activities."

Step 2: Select a grade level

Use the Select a Grade dropdown. The available options are:

Choosing a specific grade band removes resources aimed at other levels. Leave it on "All Grades" if you want the widest results.

Step 3: Select a topic

Use the Select a Topic dropdown to narrow by subject. The topic list shown on the site includes areas such as:

• AP Macroeconomics
• Aggregate Supply and Demand
• Balance of Payments
• Business Cycle
• Circular Flow
• Crowding Out
• Debt
• Economic Growth
• Economic Institutions
• Exchange Rates

The list continues beyond these entries, so scroll the dropdown rather than assuming the visible items are the full set.

Step 4: Apply and review results

Click Apply to run the search with your grade and topic selections. Click Clear to reset the filters and start over. Results can include lesson plans, videos, games, and activities, so check the resource type on each result rather than assuming everything is a full lesson.

What you'll find in the catalog

Beyond the search tool, the site highlights current additions that show the range of formats:

• My Classroom Investor — a free investment simulation for grades 9-12, built around a 30-year simulation using real-world market scenarios, where students make saving and investing decisions and respond to changing conditions.
• Monetary Tug-Of-War: Limited vs. Ample Reserves — a new high school lesson where students review monetary policy by using yarn to adjust limited- and ample-reserve curves.
• On-demand webinars — recorded sessions such as "Student-Led Financial Learning Through Hip Hop" and "Gifting Sense: Lifelong Financial Literacy Begins With Simple Consumer Decisions."

These examples illustrate why filtering matters: a simulation, a hands-on lesson, and a recorded webinar all serve different grade levels and teaching goals.

Common snags

• Too few results: a narrow topic combined with a specific grade band can return a short list. Try "All Grades" first, then tighten.
• Wrong format: the catalog mixes lessons, videos, games, and activities. If you need something ready to teach tomorrow, confirm the result is a lesson rather than a video or game.
• Topic naming: topics are organized around economics concepts (for example, "Aggregate Supply and Demand"), not around course names, except where an exam is named directly (for example, "AP Macroeconomics"). Search by concept if the course title doesn't appear.

Quick reference

1. Open the resource search.
2. Pick a grade band (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, College, or All Grades).
3. Pick a topic from the dropdown.
4. Click Apply; click Clear to reset.
5. Check the resource type before assigning.