$100 writing

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic:Everything costs money
Subject & Standard: Writing
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students write what they would buy if they had $100. Help students brainstorm what they would buy with $100. You may want to create a graphic organizer as a class to give ideas for writing. Model writing what you would buy with $100 dollars. Model drawing a picture to match your writing. Give students 10-12 minutes to create their work. This would be fun to make a class book to read to the class. Alternatively, this would be a fun project to have an author’s chair with and let the students share their ideas with each other.

Counting to 100

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Counting money
Subject & Standard: K.CC.1 Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
Time needed: 3-5 minutes each child, depending on child

Description: Children use one to one correspondence to count 100 pennies into a piggy bank.

1. Prepare a PLASTIC, clear piggy bank and 100 pennies.
2. Pull children individually to count 100 pennies into the piggy bank
3. Help children use one to one correspondence
4. Help children learn the pattern of counting from 1-100 by ones.

For children already able to count to 100, you can have students start counting at a number other than 1. For example, tell the student that there are already 25 coins in the piggy bank, and have them count the rest starting at 25.

Do I have Enough?

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Everything costs money
Subject & Standard: K.CC.6. Use matching or counting strategies to identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group. Include groups with up to ten objects.
Time needed: 10-15 minutes

Description:

1. Prepare items from classroom with price tags
2. Prepare a wallet with pennies
3. Compare the amount of pennies you have with how much the items cost
4. Ask the children, “Do I have Enough?”
5. Ask the children, “How much more do I need?”
   

Fast Food Fun

Grade Level: Kindergarten
Money Topic: Basic Money Sense
Subject & Standard: Math Add and subtract
Time needed: 15 minute fluency block

Description: This is a fun way to incorporate math into play centers. Have students role play going to a restaurant, or food truck. Students choose items from the menu, another student is the order taker. For younger children, the menu can be pictures of food with prices. The order taker writes down the prices of the food ordered and adds them up, the patrons pay with their pretend money.

Giving

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Giving
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things, Giving to others)
Time needed: 45-60 minutes

Description: Students listen to a story about giving and then practice giving to another student. They learn when we give to others, it helps them and can make us feel good. Students listen to and reflect on a story about giving. They color a picture to give to another student and explore how it feels to give something to someone. View Teacher Guide

Goods vs. Services

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Basic economics
Subject & Standard: Understanding goods vs service
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: In this lesson, students learn what goods and services are. Display pictures of goods. Tell the students that the pictures are called goods. Goods are things that people use to satisfy their wants. You can touch, see, eat, drink, or play with goods.

Ask the following: If you were hungry, which good would you want? (The groceries). If you want to sit down, which good would you want? (The couch). If you were getting ready for school, which good would you want? (The clothes). What are some other examples of goods you use? (Answers will vary but may include crayons,markers, paintbrushes, lunch boxes, toys, or candy.)

Display the picture of services. Tell the students that services are things that people do for us. Discuss the following: What service is the babysitter doing for the child? (taking care of them). What service is the nurse doing? (helping people feel better). What service is the policeman doing? (Helping people stay safe). What are some other examples of services—things people do for you? (Answers will vary but may include teaching, reading, cooking, driving, or fixing a broken bike or toy).

Model how to complete the write the room for the children and give them time to complete the task. Ask follow up questions after you’ve gathered back together: What are goods? What are some examples of goods you found around the room? What are services? What are some examples of services you found around the room?

Hey Now, It's Kids Counting Money

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Money Counting and Recognition
Subject & Standard: K.CC.1 Count to 100 by ones and by tens and K.CC.5 Use counting to answer questions about “how many.”
Time needed: 2 lessons - 15 minutes each (one for pennies and one for dimes)

Description:

You will need the 1-100 counting chart, 1-30 counting chart, Pennies and Dimes (real or pretend)

1. Using pennies and the 1-100 counting chart or the 1-30 counting chart, practice counting by ones from 1-100 or 1-30. Introduce the value of a penny as one cent, therefore we can use pennies to count by 1s.
2. Using dimes and a 1-100 counting chart, practice counting by tens to 100. Introduce the value of a dime as 10 cents, therefore we can use dimes to count by 10s.

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

Needs vs wants Game

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Needs vs wants
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students play a game where they review items people can buy and decide which ones are needs and which are wants. Understanding how needs and wants are different can help you decide the best way to spend your money. Use this teacher-guided game to teach the difference between needs and wants. Could be a great activity to leave for a sub as it’s simple, visual and easy to facilitate. View Teacher Guide

Nizzy and Cooper’s ABC adventure

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Goods and services
Subject & Standard: Use categorization, Use writing and drawing tools
Time needed: 45 minutes

Description: In this lesson, students learn what goods and services are. They listen to the story Nizzy and Cooper’s ABC Adventure. Students categorize goods and services labeled on alphabet cards. They learn a song about goods and services, identify goods and services they use, and identify the first letter of their first or last names and draw a good or a service that starts with that letter. The extension activities provide opportunities for role-play and counting. View Teacher Guide

Story Time: “It’s Not Fair"

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Needs vs Wants
Subject & Standard: K.R.5 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in text. (RL & RI)
Time needed: 10 minutes

Description: Especially designed for kids 4-6, It's Not Fair! teaches kids about money, choices, generosity, and what it means to have enough. Roxy Ramirez has saved up for weeks to buy a chemistry set, and now she's headed to the toy store to buy it! There's only one problem: along the way, she keeps running into friends who are in trouble, and need her to dip into her savings to help. Will she have enough money left over to buy something for herself?

1. Read “It’s Not Fair! A Book About Having Enough,” by Caryn Rivadeneira
2. Ask the children what they liked about the story.
3. Give time for answers. Discuss Needs vs Wants. Brainstorm (or create an anchor chart) things that we need (food, clothes, shelter, family) and things that we want (toys, vacations, treats)
   

Story Time: “Those Shoes"

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Needs vs Wants
Subject & Standard: K.R.5 - With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in text. (RL & RI)
Time needed: 10 minutes

Description: All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for "want," just "need," when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

1. Read “Those Shoes” by Meribeth Boelts
2. Ask the children what they liked about the story.
3. Give time for answers Discuss Needs vs Wants. Brainstorm (or create an anchor chart) things that we need (food, clothes, shelter, family) and things that we want (toys, vacations, treats)
   

What costs Money?

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Spending money
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students analyze a picture of things in a park to identify which ones would cost them money and which ones wouldn’t. Discuss examples of activities and things that cost money and those that don’t. Study a picture of a park and identify which things cost money and which don’t. Link to picture is included in materials. Some things cost us money, while other things do not. Understanding the difference can help us make good choices about spending money. Essential questions: What are some things in life that cost us money? What are some things that don’t cost us money? Why is it helpful to know the difference? View Teacher Guide and Student Worksheet

What’s Under the Cup?

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Money Recognition/Counting
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students play a game to identify coins or count money depending on age and readiness. Place the cups upside down on a work surface with a coin or group of coins under each cup. Students take turns lifting a cup and identifying the type of coin or counting the group of coins under the cup.
Materials: 10 Solo Cups with numbers written on the side, Coins or groups of coins to place under each cup.

Where does my money come from?

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Money Topic: Earning, saving, donating, spending
Subject & Standard: Adding and subtracting Numbers Base Ten for these grades
Time needed: 20-30 minutes. (video is about 12 minutes)

Description: Watch the "Cha-Ching: Earn, Save, Spend & Donate" video from Junior Achievement site and discuss how money is made and how it gets to us from the mint to the bank, to us.

$100 writing

Grade Level: 1st Grade

Money Topic:Everything costs money
Subject & Standard: Writing
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students write what they would buy if they had $100. Help students brainstorm what they would buy with $100. You may want to create a graphic organizer as a class to give ideas for writing. Model writing what you would buy with $100 dollars. Model drawing a picture to match your writing. Give students 10-12 minutes to create their work. This would be fun to make a class book to read to the class. Alternatively, this would be a fun project to have an author’s chair with and let the students share their ideas with each other.

Fast Food Fun

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Money Topic: Basic Money Sense
Subject & Standard: Math Add and subtract
Time needed: 15 minute fluency block

Description: This is a fun way to incorporate math into play centers. Have students role play going to a restaurant, or food truck. Students choose items from the menu, another student is the order taker. For younger children, the menu can be pictures of food with prices. The order taker writes down the prices of the food ordered and adds them up, the patrons pay with their pretend money.

Hey Now, It's Kids Counting Money

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Money Topic: Money Counting and Recognition
Subject & Standard: Count to 100 by ones and by tens and Use counting to answer questions about “how many.”
Time needed: 2 lessons - 15 minutes each (one for pennies and one for dimes)

Description:

You will need the 1-100 counting chart, 1-30 counting chart, Pennies and Dimes (real or pretend)

1. Using pennies and the 1-100 counting chart or the 1-30 counting chart, practice counting by ones from 1-100 or 1-30. Introduce the value of a penny as one cent, therefore we can use pennies to count by 1s.
2. Using dimes and a 1-100 counting chart, practice counting by tens to 100. Introduce the value of a dime as 10 cents, therefore we can use dimes to count by 10s.

How Much/How Many

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Money Topic: Free Markets and prices/Supply and Demand, Career Management including earning an income, Savings and Financial Investments
Subject & Standard: 1.OA.5 Relate counting to addition and subtraction
Time needed: 20-25 Minutes

Description:

You will need the Monster Money, by Grace Maccarone, Chart paper or chalkboard, Coin Posters. Students share the book Monster Money, by Grace Maccarone, to learn to recognize coins, know their value, and develop understanding of the concept of money as a medium of exchange. View complete lesson

Giving

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Money Topic: Giving
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things, Giving to others)
Time needed: 45-60 minutes

Description: Students listen to a story about giving and then practice giving to another student. They learn when we give to others, it helps them and can make us feel good. Students listen to and reflect on a story about giving. They color a picture to give to another student and explore how it feels to give something to someone. View Teacher Guide

Goods vs. Services

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Money Topic: Basic economics
Subject & Standard: Understanding goods vs service
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: In this lesson, students learn what goods and services are. Display pictures of goods. Tell the students that the pictures are called goods. Goods are things that people use to satisfy their wants. You can touch, see, eat, drink, or play with goods.

Ask the following: If you were hungry, which good would you want? (The groceries). If you want to sit down, which good would you want? (The couch). If you were getting ready for school, which good would you want? (The clothes). What are some other examples of goods you use? (Answers will vary but may include crayons,markers, paintbrushes, lunch boxes, toys, or candy.)

Display the picture of services. Tell the students that services are things that people do for us. Discuss the following: What service is the babysitter doing for the child? (taking care of them). What service is the nurse doing? (helping people feel better). What service is the policeman doing? (Helping people stay safe). What are some other examples of services—things people do for you? (Answers will vary but may include teaching, reading, cooking, driving, or fixing a broken bike or toy).

Model how to complete the write the room for the children and give them time to complete the task. Ask follow up questions after you’ve gathered back together: What are goods? What are some examples of goods you found around the room? What are services? What are some examples of services you found around the room?

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

Needs vs wants Game

Grade Level: 1st Grade

Money Topic: Needs vs wants
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students play a game where they review items people can buy and decide which ones are needs and which are wants. Understanding how needs and wants are different can help you decide the best way to spend your money. Use this teacher-guided game to teach the difference between needs and wants. Could be a great activity to leave for a sub as it’s simple, visual and easy to facilitate. View Teacher Guide

What costs Money?

Grade Level: 1st Grade

Money Topic: Spending money
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students analyze a picture of things in a park to identify which ones would cost them money and which ones wouldn’t. Discuss examples of activities and things that cost money and those that don’t. Study a picture of a park and identify which things cost money and which don’t. Link to picture is included in materials. Some things cost us money, while other things do not. Understanding the difference can help us make good choices about spending money. Essential questions: What are some things in life that cost us money? What are some things that don’t cost us money? Why is it helpful to know the difference? View Teacher Guide and Student Worksheet

What’s Under the Cup?

Grade Level: 1st Grade

Money Topic: Money Recognition/Counting
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students play a game to identify coins or count money depending on age and readiness. Place the cups upside down on a work surface with a coin or group of coins under each cup. Students take turns lifting a cup and identifying the type of coin or counting the group of coins under the cup.
Materials: 10 Solo Cups with numbers written on the side, Coins or groups of coins to place under each cup.

Where does my money come from?

Grade Level: 1st Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, donating, spending
Subject & Standard: Adding and subtracting Numbers Base Ten for these grades
Time needed: 20-30 minutes. (video is about 12 minutes)

Description: Watch the "Cha-Ching: Earn, Save, Spend & Donate" video from Junior Achievement site and discuss how money is made and how it gets to us from the mint to the bank, to us.

$100 writing

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Money Topic: Everything costs money
Subject & Standard: Writing
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students write what they would buy if they had $100. Help students brainstorm what they would buy with $100. You may want to create a graphic organizer as a class to give ideas for writing. Model writing what you would buy with $100 dollars. Model drawing a picture to match your writing. Give students 10-12 minutes to create their work. This would be fun to make a class book to read to the class. Alternatively, this would be a fun project to have an author’s chair with and let the students share their ideas with each other.

$100 writing

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Money Topic: Everything costs money
Subject & Standard: Writing
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students write what they would buy if they had $100. Help students brainstorm what they would buy with $100. You may want to create a graphic organizer as a class to give ideas for writing. Model writing what you would buy with $100 dollars. Model drawing a picture to match your writing. Give students 10-12 minutes to create their work. This would be fun to make a class book to read to the class. Alternatively, this would be a fun project to have an author’s chair with and let the students share their ideas with each other.

Class Cash

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, spending
Subject & Standard: NBT.2 Using objects to add and subtract within 100, math skills, teaching students to work for compensation, good choices = good consequences.
Time needed: 10 minutes to explain, ongoing the entire year

Description: A Class Cash/Store helps students earn class cash for completing many tasks throughout the day. Examples include: being on time for school, completing classwork, keeping their desk clean, doing their classroom job, turning in their homework, etc. Play money is kept in a “wallet” (envelope) and students are in charge of their own wallet. Money earned is counted at the end of the week and may either be saved for future purchases or spent, depending on items the student wishes to purchase from the class store. The class store has small treats and prizes as well as some items that don’t require the teacher to purchase anything, such as ‘Lunch with the Teacher’, ‘Free Time’, ‘Extra Reading Minutes’, ‘No Homework Pass’, etc. The class price list is posted and students make their purchase decisions. As the year progresses, students have assignments to run the store, be the banker, etc., giving them the opportunity to learn how to make change and exchange items for money. It’s a great incentive, classroom management tool as well as a chance to practice math skills. It’s a nice introduction to young students into the world of consumer goods.

Explore Economics: How Daniel Got What He Wanted

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Saving, spending, decision making and budgeting
Subject & Standard: Numbers Base 10
Time needed: 20 minutes

Description: This activity "How Daniel Got What He Wanted" is found on the Federal Reserve St. Louis site. It has a lesson plan ready. Video presentation (about 5 minutes), poster and all. In this lesson, students identify examples of borrowing, saving, spending, and receiving gifts.

Fast Food Fun

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Basic Money Sense
Subject & Standard: Math Add and subtract
Time needed: 15 minute fluency block

Description: This is a fun way to incorporate math into play centers. Have students role play going to a restaurant, or food truck. Students choose items from the menu, another student is the order taker. For younger children, the menu can be pictures of food with prices. The order taker writes down the prices of the food ordered and adds them up, the patrons pay with their pretend money.

Hey Now, It's Kids Counting Money

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Money Counting and Recognition
Subject & Standard: Count to 100 by ones and by tens and Use counting to answer questions about “how many.”
Time needed: 2 lessons - 15 minutes each (one for pennies and one for dimes)

Description:

You will need the 1-100 counting chart, 1-30 counting chart, Pennies and Dimes (real or pretend)

1. Using pennies and the 1-100 counting chart or the 1-30 counting chart, practice counting by ones from 1-100 or 1-30. Introduce the value of a penny as one cent, therefore we can use pennies to count by 1s.
2. Using dimes and a 1-100 counting chart, practice counting by tens to 100. Introduce the value of a dime as 10 cents, therefore we can use dimes to count by 10s.

Goods vs. Services

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Basic economics
Subject & Standard: Understanding goods vs service
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: In this lesson, students learn what goods and services are. Display pictures of goods. Tell the students that the pictures are called goods. Goods are things that people use to satisfy their wants. You can touch, see, eat, drink, or play with goods.

Ask the following: If you were hungry, which good would you want? (The groceries). If you want to sit down, which good would you want? (The couch). If you were getting ready for school, which good would you want? (The clothes). What are some other examples of goods you use? (Answers will vary but may include crayons,markers, paintbrushes, lunch boxes, toys, or candy.)

Display the picture of services. Tell the students that services are things that people do for us. Discuss the following: What service is the babysitter doing for the child? (taking care of them). What service is the nurse doing? (helping people feel better). What service is the policeman doing? (Helping people stay safe). What are some other examples of services—things people do for you? (Answers will vary but may include teaching, reading, cooking, driving, or fixing a broken bike or toy).

Model how to complete the write the room for the children and give them time to complete the task. Ask follow up questions after you’ve gathered back together: What are goods? What are some examples of goods you found around the room? What are services? What are some examples of services you found around the room?

Money Task Cards

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Adding and subtracting
Subject & Standard: Solve story problems
Time needed: 10-20 minutes

Description: Help students add and subtract, using dollars and cents, with real-world scenarios. Write story problems involving money sense on notecards and hang them throughout the classroom. Ideas include; “ I want to buy a new game that costs $20. I have $15 right now. How much more money do I need?” Or, “ I bought some candy with my $10 bill. My change was $3. How much did my candy cost?” Students move from one to the other, solving the problems until time is up.
Essential Questions: Can I add and subtract using dollars and cents, using real world scenarios?
Materials: Notecards.
Vocabulary: ‘Add’, ‘subtract’, ‘sum difference’

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

What costs Money?

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Money Topic: Spending money
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students analyze a picture of things in a park to identify which ones would cost them money and which ones wouldn’t. Discuss examples of activities and things that cost money and those that don’t. Study a picture of a park and identify which things cost money and which don’t. Link to picture is included in materials. Some things cost us money, while other things do not. Understanding the difference can help us make good choices about spending money. Essential questions: What are some things in life that cost us money? What are some things that don’t cost us money? Why is it helpful to know the difference? View Teacher Guide and Student Worksheet

What’s Under the Cup?

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Money Topic: Money Recognition/Counting
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students play a game to identify coins or count money depending on age and readiness. Place the cups upside down on a work surface with a coin or group of coins under each cup. Students take turns lifting a cup and identifying the type of coin or counting the group of coins under the cup.
Materials: 10 Solo Cups with numbers written on the side, Coins or groups of coins to place under each cup.

Where does my money come from?

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, donating, spending
Subject & Standard: Adding and subtracting Numbers Base Ten for these grades
Time needed: 20-30 minutes. (video is about 12 minutes)

Description: Watch the "Cha-Ching: Earn, Save, Spend & Donate" video from Junior Achievement site and discuss how money is made and how it gets to us from the mint to the bank, to us.

Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Producers and Consumers, Productivity
Subject & Standard: 2.NBT.5 Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Time needed: 30-40 minutes (Could be continued with the extention activities over a few days.)

Description: Read Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst aloud to your students.

Divide the class into pairs, and give each a set of coin manipulatives and item cards. Tell them that you are going to read the book again and that they are to remove the number of coins Alexander spends at each point in the story from their manipulatives and put them on top of that items card. When you've finished the book, check to see if any pair still has "unspent" coins.

Provide a work page that is 12” x 18” which contains 10 boxes marked off for the student to record each “transaction” that is made. Read the book again, stopping at each "transaction" so the students can record it on the paper. For example, have students write the amount of money Alexander receives from his grandparents in the first box. Then in the second box, have them calculate how much money Alexander has left after he buys all his gum. Continue this way throughout the story until Alexander has spent his last 20 cents.

Class Cash

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, spending
Subject & Standard: NBT.2 Using objects to add and subtract within 100, math skills, teaching students to work for compensation, good choices = good consequences.
Time needed: 10 minutes to explain, ongoing the entire year

Description: A Class Cash/Store helps students earn class cash for completing many tasks throughout the day. Examples include: being on time for school, completing classwork, keeping their desk clean, doing their classroom job, turning in their homework, etc. Play money is kept in a “wallet” (envelope) and students are in charge of their own wallet. Money earned is counted at the end of the week and may either be saved for future purchases or spent, depending on items the student wishes to purchase from the class store. The class store has small treats and prizes as well as some items that don’t require the teacher to purchase anything, such as ‘Lunch with the Teacher’, ‘Free Time’, ‘Extra Reading Minutes’, ‘No Homework Pass’, etc. The class price list is posted and students make their purchase decisions. As the year progresses, students have assignments to run the store, be the banker, etc., giving them the opportunity to learn how to make change and exchange items for money. It’s a great incentive, classroom management tool as well as a chance to practice math skills. It’s a nice introduction to young students into the world of consumer goods.

Explore Economics: How Daniel Got What He Wanted

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Saving, spending, decision making and budgeting
Subject & Standard: Numbers Base 10
Time needed: 20 minutes

Description: This activity "How Daniel Got What He Wanted" is found on the Federal Reserve St. Louis site. It has a lesson plan ready. Video presentation (about 5 minutes), poster and all. In this lesson, students identify examples of borrowing, saving, spending, and receiving gifts.

Fast Food Fun

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Basic Money Sense
Subject & Standard: Math Add and subtract
Time needed: 15 minute fluency block

Description: This is a fun way to incorporate math into play centers. Have students role play going to a restaurant, or food truck. Students choose items from the menu, another student is the order taker. For younger children, the menu can be pictures of food with prices. The order taker writes down the prices of the food ordered and adds them up, the patrons pay with their pretend money.

Hey Now, It's Kids Counting Money

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Money Counting and Recognition
Subject & Standard: Count to 100 by ones and by tens and Use counting to answer questions about “how many.”
Time needed: 2 lessons - 15 minutes each (one for pennies and one for dimes)

Description:

You will need the 1-100 counting chart, 1-30 counting chart, Pennies and Dimes (real or pretend)

1. Using pennies and the 1-100 counting chart or the 1-30 counting chart, practice counting by ones from 1-100 or 1-30. Introduce the value of a penny as one cent, therefore we can use pennies to count by 1s.
2. Using dimes and a 1-100 counting chart, practice counting by tens to 100. Introduce the value of a dime as 10 cents, therefore we can use dimes to count by 10s.

Goods vs. Services

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Basic economics
Subject & Standard: Understanding goods vs service
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: In this lesson, students learn what goods and services are. Display pictures of goods. Tell the students that the pictures are called goods. Goods are things that people use to satisfy their wants. You can touch, see, eat, drink, or play with goods.

Ask the following: If you were hungry, which good would you want? (The groceries). If you want to sit down, which good would you want? (The couch). If you were getting ready for school, which good would you want? (The clothes). What are some other examples of goods you use? (Answers will vary but may include crayons,markers, paintbrushes, lunch boxes, toys, or candy.)

Display the picture of services. Tell the students that services are things that people do for us. Discuss the following: What service is the babysitter doing for the child? (taking care of them). What service is the nurse doing? (helping people feel better). What service is the policeman doing? (Helping people stay safe). What are some other examples of services—things people do for you? (Answers will vary but may include teaching, reading, cooking, driving, or fixing a broken bike or toy).

Model how to complete the write the room for the children and give them time to complete the task. Ask follow up questions after you’ve gathered back together: What are goods? What are some examples of goods you found around the room? What are services? What are some examples of services you found around the room?

Money Task Cards

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Adding and subtracting
Subject & Standard: Solve story problems
Time needed: 10-20 minutes

Description: Help students add and subtract, using dollars and cents, with real-world scenarios. Write story problems involving money sense on notecards and hang them throughout the classroom. Ideas include; “ I want to buy a new game that costs $20. I have $15 right now. How much more money do I need?” Or, “ I bought some candy with my $10 bill. My change was $3. How much did my candy cost?” Students move from one to the other, solving the problems until time is up.
Essential Questions: Can I add and subtract using dollars and cents, using real world scenarios?
Materials: Notecards.
Vocabulary: ‘Add’, ‘subtract’, ‘sum difference’

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

What costs Money?

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Money Topic: Spending money
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students analyze a picture of things in a park to identify which ones would cost them money and which ones wouldn’t. Discuss examples of activities and things that cost money and those that don’t. Study a picture of a park and identify which things cost money and which don’t. Link to picture is included in materials. Some things cost us money, while other things do not. Understanding the difference can help us make good choices about spending money. Essential questions: What are some things in life that cost us money? What are some things that don’t cost us money? Why is it helpful to know the difference? View Teacher Guide and Student Worksheet

What’s Under the Cup?

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Money Topic: Money Recognition/Counting
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students play a game to identify coins or count money depending on age and readiness. Place the cups upside down on a work surface with a coin or group of coins under each cup. Students take turns lifting a cup and identifying the type of coin or counting the group of coins under the cup.
Materials: 10 Solo Cups with numbers written on the side, Coins or groups of coins to place under each cup.

Where does my money come from?

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, donating, spending
Subject & Standard: Adding and subtracting Numbers Base Ten for these grades
Time needed: 20-30 minutes. (video is about 12 minutes)

Description: Watch the "Cha-Ching: Earn, Save, Spend & Donate" video from Junior Achievement site and discuss how money is made and how it gets to us from the mint to the bank, to us.

Writing a Math Story

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Money Topic: Budgeting
Subject & Standard: 2.W.3: Write narrative pieces in which they retell an elaborated event or short sequence of events; include details to describe actions, thoughts, and emotions using temporal words in sequential order; and provide a concluding statement.
Time needed: 45 minutes

Description: After learning how to add and subtract decimals, the students will listen to Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst, then write their own story that involves adding and subtracting money. Students are required to show their math work.

1. Students will listen to the teacher read Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday.
2. Class will discuss the steps that happened in the story to cause Alexander to not be rich anymore.
3. The students will write their own story either about themselves or a made up character that involves the addition and subtraction of money.
4. Instructor will give them an example: I started with $200 that I got for my birthday. I wanted to buy this really cool game so I did. It cost $15.95. That left me with $184.05. I had to babysit for my neighbor on Tuesday and I made $12. Now I have $196.05.
5. When students are finished they must turn in their story and show their math work for each step of the problem.

The students will be assessed on the accuracy of the math work in the story.

$100 writing

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Money Topic: Everything costs money
Subject & Standard: Writing
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students write what they would buy if they had $100. Help students brainstorm what they would buy with $100. You may want to create a graphic organizer as a class to give ideas for writing. Model writing what you would buy with $100 dollars. Model drawing a picture to match your writing. Give students 10-12 minutes to create their work. This would be fun to make a class book to read to the class. Alternatively, this would be a fun project to have an author’s chair with and let the students share their ideas with each other.

Class Cash

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, spending
Subject & Standard: NBT.2 Using objects to add and subtract within 100, math skills, teaching students to work for compensation, good choices = good consequences.
Time needed: 10 minutes to explain, ongoing the entire year

Description: A Class Cash/Store helps students earn class cash for completing many tasks throughout the day. Examples include: being on time for school, completing classwork, keeping their desk clean, doing their classroom job, turning in their homework, etc. Play money is kept in a “wallet” (envelope) and students are in charge of their own wallet. Money earned is counted at the end of the week and may either be saved for future purchases or spent, depending on items the student wishes to purchase from the class store. The class store has small treats and prizes as well as some items that don’t require the teacher to purchase anything, such as ‘Lunch with the Teacher’, ‘Free Time’, ‘Extra Reading Minutes’, ‘No Homework Pass’, etc. The class price list is posted and students make their purchase decisions. As the year progresses, students have assignments to run the store, be the banker, etc., giving them the opportunity to learn how to make change and exchange items for money. It’s a great incentive, classroom management tool as well as a chance to practice math skills. It’s a nice introduction to young students into the world of consumer goods.

Explore Economics: How Daniel Got What He Wanted

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Saving, spending, decision making and budgeting
Subject & Standard: Numbers Base 10
Time needed: 20 minutes

Description: This activity "How Daniel Got What He Wanted" is found on the Federal Reserve St. Louis site. It has a lesson plan ready. Video presentation (about 5 minutes), poster and all. In this lesson, students identify examples of borrowing, saving, spending, and receiving gifts.

Fast Food Fun

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Basic Money Sense
Subject & Standard: Math Add and subtract
Time needed: 15 minute fluency block

Description: This is a fun way to incorporate math into play centers. Have students role play going to a restaurant, or food truck. Students choose items from the menu, another student is the order taker. For younger children, the menu can be pictures of food with prices. The order taker writes down the prices of the food ordered and adds them up, the patrons pay with their pretend money.

Goods vs. Services

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Basic economics
Subject & Standard: Understanding goods vs service
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: In this lesson, students learn what goods and services are. Display pictures of goods. Tell the students that the pictures are called goods. Goods are things that people use to satisfy their wants. You can touch, see, eat, drink, or play with goods.

Ask the following: If you were hungry, which good would you want? (The groceries). If you want to sit down, which good would you want? (The couch). If you were getting ready for school, which good would you want? (The clothes). What are some other examples of goods you use? (Answers will vary but may include crayons,markers, paintbrushes, lunch boxes, toys, or candy.)

Display the picture of services. Tell the students that services are things that people do for us. Discuss the following: What service is the babysitter doing for the child? (taking care of them). What service is the nurse doing? (helping people feel better). What service is the policeman doing? (Helping people stay safe). What are some other examples of services—things people do for you? (Answers will vary but may include teaching, reading, cooking, driving, or fixing a broken bike or toy).

Model how to complete the write the room for the children and give them time to complete the task. Ask follow up questions after you’ve gathered back together: What are goods? What are some examples of goods you found around the room? What are services? What are some examples of services you found around the room?

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

Regions Market

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Selling, earning, graphs, entrepreneurship
Subject & Standard: Standards codes are different depending on the grade level
Time needed: 15 minutes

Description: Students learn to read and analyze a graph that shows a farmers market type scenario. Ask and answer questions based on the graph. Found on Junior Achievement Site.

The Gift of Time

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Charitable Giving
Subject & Standard: 3.W: Students will learn to write for a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences using appropriate grammar/conventions, syntax, and style.
Time needed: 30 Minutes

Description: Read Horton Hatches and Egg by Dr. Seuss. Students will become aware that there are many ways in which one can give a "gift." They will also learn that they can feel joyful about giving. View complete lesson

What costs Money?

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Money Topic: Spending money
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students analyze a picture of things in a park to identify which ones would cost them money and which ones wouldn’t. Discuss examples of activities and things that cost money and those that don’t. Study a picture of a park and identify which things cost money and which don’t. Link to picture is included in materials. Some things cost us money, while other things do not. Understanding the difference can help us make good choices about spending money. Essential questions: What are some things in life that cost us money? What are some things that don’t cost us money? Why is it helpful to know the difference? View Teacher Guide and Student Worksheet

What’s Under the Cup?

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Money Topic: Money Recognition/Counting
Subject & Standard: Spend (Buying things)
Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Description: Students play a game to identify coins or count money depending on age and readiness. Place the cups upside down on a work surface with a coin or group of coins under each cup. Students take turns lifting a cup and identifying the type of coin or counting the group of coins under the cup.
Materials: 10 Solo Cups with numbers written on the side, Coins or groups of coins to place under each cup.

Writing a Math Story

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Money Topic: Budgeting
Subject & Standard: 3.W.3: Write narrative pieces to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, event sequences, and provide a concluding statement.
Time needed: 45 minutes

Description: After learning how to add and subtract decimals, the students will listen to Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst, then write their own story that involves adding and subtracting money. Students are required to show their math work.

1. Students will listen to the teacher read Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday.
2. Class will discuss the steps that happened in the story to cause Alexander to not be rich anymore.
3. The students will write their own story either about themselves or a made up character that involves the addition and subtraction of money.
4. Instructor will give them an example: I started with $200 that I got for my birthday. I wanted to buy this really cool game so I did. It cost $15.95. That left me with $184.05. I had to babysit for my neighbor on Tuesday and I made $12. Now I have $196.05.
5. When students are finished they must turn in their story and show their math work for each step of the problem.

The students will be assessed on the accuracy of the math work in the story.

Class Cash

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, spending
Subject & Standard: NBT.2 Using objects to add and subtract within 100, math skills, teaching students to work for compensation, good choices = good consequences.
Time needed: 10 minutes to explain, ongoing the entire year

Description: A Class Cash/Store helps students earn class cash for completing many tasks throughout the day. Examples include: being on time for school, completing classwork, keeping their desk clean, doing their classroom job, turning in their homework, etc. Play money is kept in a “wallet” (envelope) and students are in charge of their own wallet. Money earned is counted at the end of the week and may either be saved for future purchases or spent, depending on items the student wishes to purchase from the class store. The class store has small treats and prizes as well as some items that don’t require the teacher to purchase anything, such as ‘Lunch with the Teacher’, ‘Free Time’, ‘Extra Reading Minutes’, ‘No Homework Pass’, etc. The class price list is posted and students make their purchase decisions. As the year progresses, students have assignments to run the store, be the banker, etc., giving them the opportunity to learn how to make change and exchange items for money. It’s a great incentive, classroom management tool as well as a chance to practice math skills. It’s a nice introduction to young students into the world of consumer goods.

Drawing your own Business on a Comic Strip

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Money Topic: Becoming an entrepreneur, Learning about careers, Making money
Subject & Standard: Language arts, Fine arts and Social studies
Time needed: 75 min

Description: In this CFPB activity "Drawing your own business comic strip" students will explore entrepreneurship by reading a story about entrepreneurs and drawing a comic strip about starting a business. After reading the Money Monsters Start Their Own Business chapter book, they will identify some personality traits, skills, or characteristics that are helpful for entrepreneurs. Draw their own comic strip about starting a business. After the activity discuss if students feel that they have the personality traits or characteristic traits to be entrepreneurs? Would they consider starting your own business?

Explore Economics: How Daniel Got What He Wanted

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Money Topic: Saving, spending, decision making and budgeting
Subject & Standard: Numbers Base 10
Time needed: 20 minutes

Description: This activity "How Daniel Got What He Wanted" is found on the Federal Reserve St. Louis site. It has a lesson plan ready. Video presentation (about 5 minutes), poster and all. In this lesson, students identify examples of borrowing, saving, spending, and receiving gifts.

Fast Food Fun

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Money Topic: Basic Money Sense
Subject & Standard: Math Add and subtract
Time needed: 15 minute fluency block

Description: This is a fun way to incorporate math into play centers. Have students role play going to a restaurant, or food truck. Students choose items from the menu, another student is the order taker. For younger children, the menu can be pictures of food with prices. The order taker writes down the prices of the food ordered and adds them up, the patrons pay with their pretend money.

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: 4th Grade

Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

PACED Pretzels

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Money Topic: Scarcity, decision making, buying goods and services
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 45–60 minutes

Description: In the "PACED Pretzels" activity students learn about the five-step PACED decision-making process. They watch a video that explains the PACED model and how Sarah uses the process to decide which pet to adopt. They complete a decision-making grid for a family trying to decide what to do for dinner tonight. In groups, the students participate in a taste test to determine the best mini pretzel based on criteria established during a classroom discussion. They learn about ways to complete a decision-making grid for criteria with different weights.

Regions Market

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Money Topic: Selling, earning, graphs, entrepreneurship
Subject & Standard: Standards codes are different depending on the grade level
Time needed: 15 minutes

Description: Students learn to read and analyze a graph that shows a farmers market type scenario. Ask and answer questions based on the graph. Found on Junior Achievement Site.

Career Writing Prompt

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Careers
Subject & Standard: 5.W.5: Fluently write in cursive and manuscript
Time needed: 5-10 Minutes (ongoing)

Description: School and workplace skill writing prompts. For this activity, students write responses to prompts that relate to skills applicable to both school and the workplace. Writing prompts can be used as bell work or class starters. The responses need to be a minimum of three to five sentences.

Class Cash

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, spending
Subject & Standard: NBT.2 Using objects to add and subtract within 100, math skills, teaching students to work for compensation, good choices = good consequences.
Time needed: 10 minutes to explain, ongoing the entire year

Description: A Class Cash/Store helps students earn class cash for completing many tasks throughout the day. Examples include: being on time for school, completing classwork, keeping their desk clean, doing their classroom job, turning in their homework, etc. Play money is kept in a “wallet” (envelope) and students are in charge of their own wallet. Money earned is counted at the end of the week and may either be saved for future purchases or spent, depending on items the student wishes to purchase from the class store. The class store has small treats and prizes as well as some items that don’t require the teacher to purchase anything, such as ‘Lunch with the Teacher’, ‘Free Time’, ‘Extra Reading Minutes’, ‘No Homework Pass’, etc. The class price list is posted and students make their purchase decisions. As the year progresses, students have assignments to run the store, be the banker, etc., giving them the opportunity to learn how to make change and exchange items for money. It’s a great incentive, classroom management tool as well as a chance to practice math skills. It’s a nice introduction to young students into the world of consumer goods.

Drawing your own Business on a Comic Strip

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Becoming an entrepreneur, Learning about careers, Making money
Subject & Standard: Language arts, Fine arts and Social studies
Time needed: 75 min

Description: In this CFPB activity "Drawing your own business comic strip" students will explore entrepreneurship by reading a story about entrepreneurs and drawing a comic strip about starting a business. After reading the Money Monsters Start Their Own Business chapter book, they will identify some personality traits, skills, or characteristics that are helpful for entrepreneurs. Draw their own comic strip about starting a business. After the activity discuss if students feel that they have the personality traits or characteristic traits to be entrepreneurs? Would they consider starting your own business?

Explore Economics: How Daniel Got What He Wanted

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Saving, spending, decision making and budgeting
Subject & Standard: Numbers Base 10
Time needed: 20 minutes

Description: This activity "How Daniel Got What He Wanted" is found on the Federal Reserve St. Louis site. It has a lesson plan ready. Video presentation (about 5 minutes), poster and all. In this lesson, students identify examples of borrowing, saving, spending, and receiving gifts.

Fast Food Fun

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Basic Money Sense
Subject & Standard: Math Add and subtract
Time needed: 15 minute fluency block

Description: This is a fun way to incorporate math into play centers. Have students role play going to a restaurant, or food truck. Students choose items from the menu, another student is the order taker. For younger children, the menu can be pictures of food with prices. The order taker writes down the prices of the food ordered and adds them up, the patrons pay with their pretend money.

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

PACED Pretzels

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Scarcity, decision making, buying goods and services
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 45–60 minutes

Description: In the "PACED Pretzels" activity students learn about the five-step PACED decision-making process. They watch a video that explains the PACED model and how Sarah uses the process to decide which pet to adopt. They complete a decision-making grid for a family trying to decide what to do for dinner tonight. In groups, the students participate in a taste test to determine the best mini pretzel based on criteria established during a classroom discussion. They learn about ways to complete a decision-making grid for criteria with different weights.

Regions Market

Grade Level: 5th Grade
Money Topic: Selling, earning, graphs, entrepreneurship
Subject & Standard: Standards codes are different depending on the grade level
Time needed: 15 minutes

Description: Students learn to read and analyze a graph that shows a farmers market type scenario. Ask and answer questions based on the graph. Found on Junior Achievement Site.

Career Writing Prompt

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Careers
Subject & Standard: 6.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic that conveys ideas and information clearly and provide a concluding section that supports the information or explanation presented.
Time needed: 5-10 Minutes (ongoing)

Description: School and workplace skill writing prompts. For this activity, students write responses to prompts that relate to skills applicable to both school and the workplace. Writing prompts can be used as bell work or class starters. The responses need to be a minimum of three to five sentences.

Class Cash

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Earning, saving, spending
Subject & Standard: NBT.2 Using objects to add and subtract within 100, math skills, teaching students to work for compensation, good choices = good consequences.
Time needed: 10 minutes to explain, ongoing the entire year

Description: A Class Cash/Store helps students earn class cash for completing many tasks throughout the day. Examples include: being on time for school, completing classwork, keeping their desk clean, doing their classroom job, turning in their homework, etc. Play money is kept in a “wallet” (envelope) and students are in charge of their own wallet. Money earned is counted at the end of the week and may either be saved for future purchases or spent, depending on items the student wishes to purchase from the class store. The class store has small treats and prizes as well as some items that don’t require the teacher to purchase anything, such as ‘Lunch with the Teacher’, ‘Free Time’, ‘Extra Reading Minutes’, ‘No Homework Pass’, etc. The class price list is posted and students make their purchase decisions. As the year progresses, students have assignments to run the store, be the banker, etc., giving them the opportunity to learn how to make change and exchange items for money. It’s a great incentive, classroom management tool as well as a chance to practice math skills. It’s a nice introduction to young students into the world of consumer goods.

Drawing your own Business on a Comic Strip

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Becoming an entrepreneur, Learning about careers, Making money
Subject & Standard: Language arts, Fine arts and Social studies
Time needed: 75 min

Description: In this CFPB activity "Drawing your own business comic strip" students will explore entrepreneurship by reading a story about entrepreneurs and drawing a comic strip about starting a business. After reading the Money Monsters Start Their Own Business chapter book, they will identify some personality traits, skills, or characteristics that are helpful for entrepreneurs. Draw their own comic strip about starting a business. After the activity discuss if students feel that they have the personality traits or characteristic traits to be entrepreneurs? Would they consider starting your own business?

Economics for Success

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Financial literacy, work-readiness & career exploration
Subject & Standard: 6.W.4: Conduct short research projects to craft an argument or answer a question and SL.6: Speaking and Listening
Time needed: Six, 45-minute lessons (volunteer led, teacher led or self-guided by the student)

Description: Junior Achivement Economics for Success introduces middle school students (ages 11–14) to initial work and career readiness and personal finance concepts. Students explore career interests and opportunities and learn about financial roles and responsibilities. They learn about planning for a career, including the importance of self-awareness to guide choices, relevant post-high school education to enable those choices, and sufficient income to pay for their wants and needs. Students recognize and develop transferable skills, useful regardless of career. And they learn about the costs of expenses and setting personal financial priorities.

Finance Park

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Personal finances, budgeting, career exploration
Subject & Standard: SL.6: Speaking and Listening and 6.NS.2: Apply and extend previous understandings of numbers to the system of rational numbers
Time needed: 13 lessons (40 mins each) + a capstone learning experience (3-4 hours)

Description: Junior Achievment Finance Park is Junior Achievement’s capstone program for personal financial planning and career exploration. This program, comprising a curriculum and a simulation, helps students build a foundation on which they can make intelligent financial decisions that last a lifetime, including decisions related to income, expenses, savings, and credit.

This educator-led classroom curriculum culminates with a visit to JA Finance Park, a realistic on-site or mobile facility, or virtually in the classroom, where students engage with volunteers and put into practice what they’ve learned by developing a personal budget.

Please email beckyv@ja-utah.org to request access. This is a free program. We just need to know basic information such as teacher, school and number of students to set up the simulation experience for your class.

It’s My Business!

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Starting a Business
Subject & Standard: Family and Consumer Science 5:2 Conduct and analyze a market survey.
Time needed: Six, 45-minute lessons (volunteer led, teacher led or self-guided by the student)

Description: Junior Achievement It's My Business! provides students an opportunity to learn how to turn an idea into a business. The program introduces students to the process of design thinking as a problem-solving process and provides an authentic entrepreneurial experience for students, with each session building toward a product-pitch competition.

It’s My Future

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Work-readiness & career exploration
Subject & Standard: 6.SL.1: Participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations on topics, texts, and issues.
Time needed: Six, 45-minute lessons (volunteer led, teacher led or self-guided by the student)

Description: Junior Achivement It's My Future offers students practical information to help prepare them for the working world. Students develop the personal-branding and job-hunting skills needed to earn a job. Following participation in the program, students will be able to:

• Develop the personal-branding and job-hunting skills needed to earn a job.
• Research potential careers.
• Create a basic resume.
• Recognize appropriate behavior for an interview.
• Differentiate between soft and technical skills.
  

Mixed Economy

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Economic Reasoning
Subject & Standard: 6.SP.5 Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context.
Time needed: 30 Minutes

Description: Learn why most countries have a mixed economy. Show the Mixed Economy PowerPoint on an LCD projector, or print slides for students to see. Guide them through the slides then let them answer the following questions on the last slide.

With your partner, answer the following questions:

1. What bad things could happen if an economy was pure market? (Be specific, at least 3 sentences)
2. What bad things could happen if an economy was pure command? (Be specific, at least 3 sentences).

Morning Work Task Cards/Story Problems

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 5-10 minutes to explain, ongoing activity all year

Description: I like to have one or two tasks projected on my board as students arrive at school each morning. Why not incorporate money sense into this? Example: Kate wants to buy a doll that costs $25. She only has $13. How much more money does she need? Problems can be simplified for younger grades and be more complicated for older students as math skills are learned.

PACED Pretzels

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Scarcity, decision making, buying goods and services
Subject & Standard: Versatile. Depending on your task card or story problem, you can incorporate several standards.
Time needed: 45–60 minutes

Description: In the "PACED Pretzels" activity students learn about the five-step PACED decision-making process. They watch a video that explains the PACED model and how Sarah uses the process to decide which pet to adopt. They complete a decision-making grid for a family trying to decide what to do for dinner tonight. In groups, the students participate in a taste test to determine the best mini pretzel based on criteria established during a classroom discussion. They learn about ways to complete a decision-making grid for criteria with different weights.

Understanding How to Manage Money

Grade Level: 6th Grade
Money Topic: Money Management
Subject & Standard: Earn, Save and invest, Protect, Spend, Borrow
Time needed: 75 min

Description: Understanding how to manage money is a lifelong journey. What are your current money skills? What can you do to manage money better? The CFPB "Mapping your Money Journey" guide provides teacher’s an outline for a lesson that will help students manage money better.