Day 1- Trading

Objectives:
After students participate in the trading activity, they will be able to
describe when and why trading works.
Students will be able to name items that were traded before money
existed as a set currency.
Materials/Preparation:
A stack of cards with different types of items in the blanks
Piece of paper to record trades
Procedure:
1. Explain to students in the past there was a time when there was no
universal or common type of money between different people.
a. What problems might exist if no two people had the same kind
of money to use to buy or sell things?
2. Students will start an activity where the only thing they could buy
something they wanted is if they traded something they already had
and was willing to get rid or for something they want.
3. Pass out cards to children that have the sentence frame I have
________________ and I want ________________.
a. Blanks will be filled in with different type of food, clothing,
animals, technology, etc.
b. Tell students they are to record all the trades they make with
students for the whole 15 minutes.
4. Once every student has one, tell them the goal is to find one person
or even multiple people to make a trade with in order to get the
specific thing they want.
5. If a student makes a successful trade, they can go grab a new card
from the stack and keep going to try and make as many successful
trades as they can.
a. Allow 15 minutes for kids to try and make trades.
6. Once group is back together, ask them why it was difficult or easy to
make a trade. If someone had what you wanted but they did not
want what you had to give away, did the trade work out? Did you
ever trade with multiple people?
a. Trades only occur when both people get something they want,
it has to be mutually beneficial.
Assessment:
The assessment for this day would just be looking at the records of
kids trades during the game. So some students may notice that if
they trade with multiple partners, everyone can end up getting what
they want whereas other students might only trade with one other
person but get less successful trades.
Differentiation:

Again, there is differentiation built into the activity, so higher level

students might organize a group trade where lower level students
may only look to one other person the whole time.

Day 2: Wants and Needs

Objectives:
Students will be able to describe the difference between a want and
a need.
Students will be able to identify the three basic needs every family
needs but explain how not everyone has the same kinds of wants.
Materials/Preparation:
2 pieces of paper, one with the word WANT and the other NEED.
Various pictures of items either classified as a need or want.
Place one card on the right of the room and one on the left
Procedure:
1. Begin by asking students if anyone in their own words can explain the
difference between a need and a want.
2. Tell students that they will begin by playing a game. There is a sign on
the right wall of the classroom labeled NEED and a sign on the left wall
of the class labeled WANT.
3. Teacher will have a stack of pictures of different items. The teacher will
go one by one through the stack, making sure to hold up the picture of
an item to say what it is.
4. Instruct students that after an item is shown, they must either walk to
the right side of the room if they think it is a NEED or walk to the left
side of the room if they think it is a WANT
a. Pictures would include items such as shoes, water, food, puppies,
football, scooter, car, school, etc.
b. As the teacher, I will be expecting students to vary in their
responses especially with the pictures of a car or school. But the
differing beliefs among students would be a great way to lead
discussion after the activity is over.
5. If you notice students who were not in complete agreement if it was a
need or a want, after the activity is over ask students why they thought
it was either a NEED or a WANT.
6. Tell students that there are three basic needs every person needs.
Display the picture from the activity that were needs so the class can
see.
7. Ask students to look at the pictures and use their previous knowledge
and see if they can come up with what these three basic needs might
be.
a. Guide students into thinking about food, shelter, and clothing.
8. Tell students that everyones needs are going to be the same, but ask if
everyones wants are going to be the same?

a. Students should recognize that people have different interests or

wants
Assessment:
Have students write a story of at least 2 sentences about one thing
they want the most and why. Students will draw a corresponding
picture to their story.
Differentiation:
Students of higher ability can use the assessment to write a longer
story about what they want and why but also how they might get
what they want. Lower achieving students can just write a picture of
what they want and try to use labels or only write one sentence
about what it is they want.
Day 3- Money Values and Relationships
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify names of coins, their values, and
which types of money have a larger amount than others.
Students will be able to explain relationships between coins and
bills. (equivalence between different coins and bills)
Describe how money is used to buy the things we need and want as
individuals.
Materials:
Envelopes
Plastic money sets
Poster paper
Large paper cut outs of different coins/bills.
Procedure:
1. At the beginning of class, as students walk in the door they will take
one envelope from a bin.
a. Instruct students to write their names on them as soon as they
get to their desks and then put it away.
2. Explain how last session they learned about needs and wants. Ask
how people get the things they need or want? If a person needs
food, how do they get it?
a. Students should recognize that money pays for the items we
need and want (connect to day 1 by describing the differences
between using money and trading)
3. Direct the classs attention to the chart paper at the front of the
board. Split it up into two columns. One will be to place the actual
coin or bill cut out on one side and the other column will be for
recording that relating coins value or amount.
4. Have large cut outs of a quarter, dime, nickel, penny, one dollar bill,
5 dollar bill, 20 dollar bill, and 100 dollar bill.

5. Call on students to come up and choose one type of money and ask
them to name it and tape it in one column and call on someone else
to record its amount.
6. After students make this coin chart, direct them to pull out the
envelopes they chose earlier.
7. Tell students to look inside (theyll find different types of coins and
bills) and count up the total amount. Check with a partner when
done.
8. Once every student has their total figured out, have them line up in
the classroom from smallest monetary amount to largest. This will
promote communication and collaboration between peers to try and
order themselves correctly.
Assessment:
As a form of assessment, students will have to use the same total
they came up with in the previous activity but instead students will
have to create a different combination of coins or bills to reach this
total.
Differentiation:
For the assessment aspect, dont limit students to just creating one
other possible combination for their total. Allow them to brainstorm
as many combinations as they want. Also ask them, thinking back to
the ordering of lowest to greatest monetary value where a check or
credit card would fit into that line?
Day 4- Job Switch
Objectives:
Students will be able to list a variety of different jobs in their
communities
Students will be able to explain characteristics or talents of specific
jobs
Students will be able to demonstrate how if there is a set amount of
money, you need to use it first toward your needs and then later for
wants.
Materials:
Whiteboard and markers
Piece of paper for each student
Procedure:
1. Ask kids to remember back to the last lesson on money
2. Lead a class discussion about why we need money? (for our needs
and wants) If we had a restricted amount of money to buy both the
things we need and want, which items do you think we should buy
first? Why?
3. If money helps us buy what we need, how do people get the money?
(jobs!)

4. What are some jobs you know of? Maybe jobs your parents do?
(make a list on the board of various jobs called out)
5. Hand out pieces of paper so theres enough for each student.
Explain students will be folding their paper in half so there are two
long columns. In one column they will make a list of all their hobbies
or things they like to do. In the other column they will write a list of
the school subjects theyre most interested in.
6. Then tell students to crumple up their papers and throw them across
the room. Once everyone has thrown their paper, tell students they
must stay where they are and pick up a crumpled piece of paper
around them.
7. Once they open up the paper, they will read through both lists and
depending on what that students interests were and what they did
well at in school, it is a the job of the new finder to come up with at
least 3 different jobs their partner could do the best.
Assessment:
Give students a worksheet that has one job as the title and how
much money that job has to spend in a week. Underneath there will
be a list of different things that person wants to spend money on.
The student will have to rank the items in order of most important to
buy first, and what to buy last if there is money left over.
Differentiation:
When students are switching papers, higher level students can look
at the two lists and come up with some jobs that specific person
might not do so well in.

Day 5: Save or Spend?

Objectives:
Students will be able to recognize saving helps you buy something
you might not have money for right away.
Students will be able to write out a plan in steps as to how they are
going to save money.
Materials:
15 stickers for each kid
Variety of small prizes (toys, coloring books, games, etc)
Table tents for sticker amounts of each prize
Scenarios for students to write their savings plan on.
Procedure:

1. Do starting activity that will lead discussion later. Tell students that
there is a class store set up for them and different prizes cost
different amounts of stickers.
2. Hand out 5 stickers to each student before students look at the
store. Explain that in five minutes you will give them five more
stickers. They can choose to buy things right away, or they can wait
instead.
a. Students will probably vary in those who want to get a lot of
smaller prizes with their five stickers or those students who
want to wait in order to get more stickers they can add on to
buy a bigger prize.
3. Repeat two more times so students can have a maximum of 15
minutes (hand out increments of 5 stickers three times in total)
4. Once students decide on prizes, have the class regroup together. Ask
students what they chose to spend their stickers on? What prizes did
they want the most? Did anyone save their stickers to buy that
larger prize instead of spending right away? Did anyone do a
combination of both spending right away and saving some for later?
a. Guide students to thinking about when you have something
you really want, you would want to make a plan to save money
in order to get it.
Assessment:
As an exit slip for todays instruction, hand each student a scenario
that reads:
Pretend your parents gave you $5 each week for an allowance. Usually,
you spend $1 each day of the school week to buy your favorite snack at
lunchtime. However, you have noticed that new movie you wanted to
buy just went on sale for $20. Your parents tell you that you must use
your allowance money to buy the movie. Make a plan that describes
the steps you would take in order to buy the movie you want.
Differentiation:
I think there is a lot of differentiation innately in the sticker activity,
students have the freedom to choose how they want to spend their
money or stickers. For the assessment, I could change the
scenario for both higher level and lower level students.
Day 6: Give me your Money
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain what taxes are.
Students will be able to explain why taxes are important and what
they are used for.
Materials:
15 stickers for each student
Variety of small prizes & table tents for amounts of each prize

Procedure:
1. Before starting the activity, ask students to recap the day before at
the class store.
a. Everything they bought at the class store was exact price it
showed. In real life, when you buy something that says its 2
dollars for example, is it always 2 dollars when we pay?
b. Tax is a big part of our world. Tell students tax is always
calculated by adding a small percentage of the price onto an
item that makes it more. Our taxes get collected by businesses
or the government and they use it to create things that help a
whole community.
2. After a discussion about tax and why its important, students will
participate in the class store again. Same as yesterday they will be
given 5 stickers to start off with but today when they buy something,
they will have to pay a tax to me.
a. For prize(s) they buy under 5 stickers, they will have to give
me an extra sticker
b. For prize(s) they buy between 5 and 10 stickers, they will have
to give me an extra 2 stickers.
c. For a prize(s) they buy between 10 and 15 stickers, they will
have to give me an extra three stickers.
3. Play for 15 minutes, giving kids 5 more stickers every 5 minutes.
4. At the end discuss with kids what the difference was between last
class store activity and this one. Did students have to save up more
or make different decisions in what they wanted to buy because they
had to pay a tax Were they able to buy more or less items they
wanted?
Assessment:
The assessment I would choose to do would be based on how much
tax or total stickers the students gave me in todays class store.
For example, at the end of the 15 minutes, if I have 14 stickers of
the total paid toward tax I would ask students to come up with one
way we could use the 14 stickers in order to buy something that
would benefit the whole class and why.
Differentiation:
For the assessment, I could alter it so higher level students could think
about real life examples of what buildings or things the government
uses taxes for, so free to us, that helps the whole community. (parks,
bike trails, etc)

Day 7: Banks
Objectives:
Students will explain the importance of banks.

Students will provide rationale for why people have a separate

savings and spending accounts. Why it is important they are
separate.

Materials:
Building materials such as egg cartons, Pringles cans, milk jugs, any
kinds of containers.
Colored paints, markers, beads, feathers, etc.
Scissors to cut out slots for coins and money
Paper
Procedure:
1. Ask students if any of them have a piggy bank at home and wait for
student responses
2. Tell students that there are much larger banks that contain more
than one persons money.
a. Banks can hold money just for saving or they can hold money
that is used just for spending.
b. Why do you think there are two different places our money can
go in a bank? Why is it important to separate the money we
want to save and the money we want to spend?
c. Do any of the students have their own money saved in a bank?
3. Tell students today they will be creating their own bank, sort of like a
piggy bank, that they can decorate however they want. But their
banks will have two different slots to put money in. One slot or
container will be strictly for money you want to save and the other
will be for money they want to spend.
4. Tell students they can use the materials they brought from home or
look at the front of the classroom to find more. (Pringles cans, egg
cartons, milk jugs, etc) and they will be provided with colored paints,
feathers, markers, and different art supplies.
5. Give students 15 to 20 minutes to work on their banks.
Assessment:
After students create their banks, have them write up a rationale for
why they designed their banks the way they did.

Day 8- Business

Objectives:
Students will be able to identify different expenses businesses have
to spend their money on
Students will be able to explain how businesses make a profit
Materials:
Blue and red slips of paper
Whiteboard
Scenario slips for each student
Marker
Glue or tape
Procedure:
1. Explain to students the term business. That a business is the place
where people work. It is somewhere you go when you are looking to
buy certain things.
2. Create a list on the board of common businesses kids are familiar
with.
a. Can prompt kids by asking them to think about where they
might go if they need to buy groceries, if they want to rent a
movie, if they want to get a hair cut, if they want a place to
keep your pet while on vacation, etc.
3. Next explain that businesses always are trying to make a profit. A
profit can only occur when the money they get from customers is
greater than what the business has to spend money on.
a. Looking at the list of businesses, what might those places have
to spend money on just to stay open? Do they have more than
one worker there? All workers need to be paid. Do they have to
buy separate goods to make something? Those goods will cost
money.
4. Read students a scenario about a local bakery
a. A local bakery charges $20 for their cakes. In order to make
one cake, they have to buy all of the ingredients. Flour will
cost the bakery $4, sugar will cost the bakery $3, and eggs will
cost the bakery $8, and milk will cost the bakery $6. Will the
bakery make a profit?
5. Give students a slip of blue paper that represents the 20 dollars the
bakery charges for a cake to their customers.
6. Give students multiple red slips of paper that are smaller than the
blue. One slip will be the $4 for the flour, another will be the $3 for
the sugar, $8 for the eggs, and $6 for the milk.
7. Instruct student to write the different money amounts on the red
slips the business has to spend money on. Then they will have to
glue or tape down the red slips on top of the blue slip.
8. Once students do this, they can notice that the blue is completely
covered up by the red, so in fact they would not make a profit.
Assessment:

From the bakery activity, have students fill out an exit slip explaining
what changes they would make to the bakery so their business does
end up making a profit. Students will be able to explain they need to
either charge more for their cakes or buy cheaper versions of the
ingredients they need.
Day 9- Make Your Own!
Objectives:
Students will use their knowledge acquired from the previous days in
the unit in order to create a savings plan in order to save money to
start their own business, name their business, describe what the
purpose of their business is going to be/what they are going to sell,
and what things theyll need to spend money on to keep their
business open and what they will charge customers to make a profit.
Materials:
Procedure:
1. Have students first brainstorm 3 different businesses they would like
to start and come up with a name.
2. Tell students next to each business, they have to come up with an
estimate of how much it would cost to buy a place to start this
business. (Talk about predicting what answer would make sense
logically before actually calculating)
3. Next, the teacher will walk around to each student and tell them to
choose a slip of paper. On the slip it will give them a pretend
monthly income or salary along with a list of items they must buy
using that salary
4. Once students subtract all of their costs, they will be left with a sum
of money they can choose to save.
5. Using that extra money and the number they created to start their
business, theyll have to come up with a plan of how much they will
save each month toward their business and how long it will take.
6. Once they buy their place of business, they have to create a name,
decide what they want to sell, how much theyll sell it for, and what
expenses theyll have (paying workers, electricity, how theyll get
goods) in order to make a profit.
7. This will be done in a drawing, labels, and a connecting written
explanation.
Assessment:
This final day activity will act as the final assessment, up until this
point assessments have been mostly informal checking for
understanding. This one would actually be graded against a
checklist.
Differentiation:
For differentiation, I could organize ahead of time the different
scenarios I would want to give students. For lower achieving
students I would make their income and spending categories less

money and less things. The higher achieving students I would

provide further extension questions, maybe having them compare
different businesses and see which one is making more profit, and
what choices might be the cause of that.

Day 10- Job Day!

Objectives:
Students will see real life examples of different careers and
businesses with people who are familiar to them.
Procedure:
1. Inviting parents to come and share stories about what they do in
their jobs, if they work for a larger or local business, and how they
budget money.
2. Parents can take their turns talking about own experiences, have
kids ask questions at the end of each
Assessment:
Tell students to write down a list of 3 new jobs or ideas they learned
while listening to the parents of their classmates

The End!!
Resources:
http://www.scholastic.com/regions/
http://askatechteacher.com/2014/04/11/websites-that-teach-your-kidsabout-money/
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/money/

Parents!