A visual, student-friendly mini-lesson comparing simple and compound interest. Includes teacher-modeled examples, a color-coded graphic organizer, balance comparison activity, writing prompt, and detailed answer key. Perfect for warm-ups, intervention, and STAAR review.

Teacher Note:
This graphic organizer had a dramatic impact on my students’ success — their mastery increased from 20% to 74% after using it consistently.

For best results, do not allow students to opt out of using the table.
Print only the designated support and the questions on a separate page (one per group of 2–4 students). This format prevents students from skipping the organizer and ensures they cannot avoid annotating, showing their work, or completing each part of the process.

This small change made a huge difference in student accountability and mastery!

Teach Simple and Compound Interest with clarity using this visual, step-by-step mini-lesson!

This resource is designed to help students identify principal, rate, and time, determine what the question is asking, and understand how balances change under simple vs. compound interest.

The lesson includes student discourse prompts, a color-coded graphic organizer, a comparison chart, and a writing opportunity where students explain which account earns more and why.

Your students will analyze, compare, and justify the difference between the two types of interest — all with clear modeling and support.

📦 WHAT’S INCLUDED

⭐ Teacher Example

• Step-by-step modeling
• Discourse prompts for student talk
• Identifying P, r, t and the keyword in the question

⭐ Color-Coded Graphic Organizer

• Helps students organize the P, r, t for EACH type of interest
• Supports EB & SPED learners

⭐ Balance Comparison Activity

• Students compare simple vs. compound interest totals
• Visual table for both accounts
• Leads into the writing task

⭐ Student Writing Prompt

• “Which account has the higher balance and why?”
• Students explain using math vocabulary

⭐ Detailed Answer Key

• Shows how to calculate each balance
• Explains which account earns more
• Includes the difference in amounts
• Includes the graphic organizer filled in

⭐ Welcome & Thank You Slides

📚 STANDARDS ALIGNED

TEKS:

• 8.12D – Calculate and compare simple and compound interest earnings.

Common Core (optional for buyers):

• 7.RP.A.3
• 8.F.B.5 (interpreting patterns in growth)

🎯 PERFECT FOR:

• Mini-lessons
• Warm-ups
• Small-group instruction
• STAAR review
• Intervention
• AVID tutorials
• Independent practice with support
• Sub plans

🔍 KEY FEATURES

✔ Color-coded organization
✔ Teacher example + student discourse
✔ Graphic organizer for BOTH interest types
✔ Comparison of balances
✔ Writing task for justification
✔ Complete answer key
✔ EB-friendly + visually supportive
✔ Clean, minimal, easy to follow