This book contains a set of 12 lessons for middle school students that demonstrate how mathematical processes and concepts may be applied to the study of economics and personal finance. Mathematics educators can find lessons connecting mathematics instruction to practical problems and issues that students encounter throughout their life. The lessons are designed to provide economic skills and knowledge that students can use as savers, investors, consumers, producers, and informed citizens. The book also outlines the correlation of lessons with national mathematics and economics standards. In Lesson 1, students use currency exchange rates to convert the prices of a Big Mac into U.S. dollars. In Lesson 2, students continue to learn about exchange rates as they listen to the story of an American girl planning a trip to Mexico. In Lesson 3, students analyze data for baby-sitting wages (a price for labor) and the price of movie tickets since 1945. Lesson 4 introduces students to the Consumer Price Index and the construction of price indexes. Lesson 5 is designed to introduce students to the benefits of competition utilizing proportions to compare different rates. Lesson 6 is designed to reinforce the usefulness of percentages in comparing fractions of unequal size and provide students with practice in using percent to calculate simple interest. Lesson 7 focuses on the economic topic of decision-making. Lesson 8 is designed to acquaint students with the relationship between earnings and education. Lesson 9 introduces students to the idea that not all skills are valued equally in the marketplace. Lessons 10 and 11 focus on identifying how prices are derived. In Lesson 12 students learn about budgets. (BT)