Harmon 1

Economics

3rd Grade

Mrs. Robin Harmon

EDUC 327

December 11, 2009

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Standards5

Curriculum map7

Parent letter8

Trade books9

Bulletin board11

Guest speaker12

Technology and literature13

Pre-test/post-test14

Lesson plans18

Introduction

Grade Level and Typical Learner

Students at this age want to become more independent. They are still very curious and want to explore within what they are learning. Their problem solving skills are becoming finer tuned. Students this age do not like to focus on one thing for too long but they still enjoy learning multiple things about one subject. These students still need plenty of time to play and explore. Because of their growing independence, these students require the chance to make to make their own choices and do things on their own. These students also enjoy making connections to their world.

Rationale for Unit

Because students this age are gaining their independence, it is very important for them to understand the economy because they are quickly becoming an active participant in it. These students are also becoming rapidly aware of the adult world around them and are curious as to the way it functions. Economy is such a large part of the adult world and we all interact with it sometimes multiple times per day. By helping students understand the basics of economy we are helping to make them more aware of the current events. We are also helping them to see the relevance to many other subjects being taught. By developing basic economic skills, we are helping to prepare students to handle their money in a smart way. We are also teaching them how important their future job is to society.

Goals

  • Students will be able to give examples of both goods and services.
  • Students will be able to define and give examples of interdependence.
  • Students will know the characteristics of money.
  • Students will know different ways people save money.
  • Students will accurately count money.
  • Students will be able to tell if they have enough money to purchase a certain product.
  • Students will develop an interest in the economic world around them.

Learning Objectives

  • Social Studies 3.4.2 After drawing a slip of paper from the basket, students will act out what is on their paper without using words or props so their classmates can guess what they are acting.
  • Social Studies 3.4.2 After playing the ball toss game, students will write ten goods that were stated during the game with 90% accuracy.
  • Social Studies 3.4.2 After playing the ball toss game, students will write ten services that were stated during the game with 90% accuracy.
  • Social Studies 3.4.4 After having the definition of interdependence, students will tell a story using an example of interdependence
  • Social Studies 3.4.5 After participating in a class discussion about Jack and the Beanstalk, students will list on a piece of paper two roles or functions of money.
  • Math 3.2.1 Given grocery sale advertisements, students will round the price of each ingredient needed to complete a recipe to the nearest dollar with 90% accuracy.
  • Math 3.2.1 Given the rounded prices, students will add the prices to get their rounded total cost with 100% accuracy.
  • Math 3.5.11 Given a pricing sheet, students will circle what items they are able to purchase with a given amount of money with 90% accuracy.
  • English/ Language Arts 3.2.9 After being read The Go-Around Dollar, students will create a time timeline that includes five different people from the story and how they acquired the dollar bill.
  • English/Language Arts 3.5.3 After the guest speaker presents to the class, students will write thank you notes that include all five parts of a letter.
  • English/Language Arts 3.5.3 After the guest speaker presents to the class, students will write thank you notes that include how they have decided to save their money.
  • Science 3.5.1 Given a scale and an amount of money, students will tell the teacher how much the money weighs two times.
  • Science 3.5.1 Given the weight of the coins, students will individually answer to the teacher if the weight of money has a correspondence with its value.
  • PE 3.1.1 Given an amount of money to pick up, students will walk quickly to pick up the money
  • PE 3.1.1 Given a place to put their money, students will place the given amount of money in its proper location 100% of the time.
  • PE 3.1.1 When throwing a ball, students will throw the ball in the manner specified by the teacher nine out of ten times.
  • Fine Arts-Music 3.4.2 Given a simple melody, students will create the lyrics of a song that tells what kinds of coins are needed to make a dollar.
  • Fine Arts-Visual Art 3.7.2 Given pottery clay, students will create something to hold their money in a way they feel will keep it best.

Academic Standards

Social Studies 3.4.2Give examples of goods and services provided by the local community.

Students write examples of goods and services and then act out the goods and services so that their peers can guess what they are acting out.

Students give examples of goods and services as they catch a beach ball.

Social Studies 3.4.4Define interdependence and give examples of how people in the local community depend on each other for goods and services.

Students help the teacher develop a definition and examples of interdependence. Students then tell a story that uses an examples of interdependence.

Social Studies 3.4.5 List the characteristics of money and explain how money makes trade easier

After reading Jack and the Bean Stalk the teacher will help students to list the characteristics of money.

As students weigh the money, they will form knowledge of the physical characteristics of the money.

Social Studies 3.4.6 Identify different ways people save their income and explain advantages and disadvantages of each.

In their thank you notes, students inform the guest speaker what they have decided is the best way to save their money.

Students place the money they collect in a “piggy bank” or “savings account,” whichever the student feels is more safe.

Social Studies 3.4.7 Explain that buyers and sellers interact to determine the prices of goods and services in markets.

As students go through the sale advertisements, they will compare how the prices differ from store to store and season to season.

Math 3.2.1 Add and subtract whole numbers up to 1,000 with or without regrouping, using relevant properties of the number system.

As students find the elements for their meal in the sale advertisements, they round the number to the nearest whole dollar and then add the whole numbers to form a total.

Math 3.5.11 Use play or real money to decide whether there is enough money to make a purchase.

Students are given a handful of coins. The students count the coins and then decide if they have enough money to purchase certain items with given prices.

English/ Language Arts 3.2.9 Identify text that uses sequence or other logical order

Students use the text to help create a timeline that follows the path that the dollar bill takes through the story.

English/ Language Arts 3.5.3 Write personal, persuasive, and formal letters, thank you notes and invitations that: show awareness of the knowledge and interests of the audience, establish a purpose and context, and include the date, proper salutation, body, closing, and signature.

Students write thank you notes to their guest speaker.

Science 3.5.1Select and use appropriate measuring units

Students weigh coins. They must decide what the best measurement unit will be.

PE 3.1.1 Demonstrate mature fundamental locomotor and manipulative skills with variations

Students walk quickly in a bent over fashion to collect the proper amount of money.

Students toss the ball to other students in a fashion as told by the teacher. Students then must catch the ball.

Fine Arts-Music 3.4.2 Create lyrics to match a given melody.

Students write the lyrics to a given melody. The lyrics must include a number of coins that equal a dollar.

Fine Arts-Visual Art 3.7.2 Identify, control, and use a balance of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media techniques and processes to effectively communicate ideas, experiences, and stories

Students use clay to design and make a container of some sort that will hold money.

Curriculum Map

December 9, 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are beginning a unit on economics. This unit is Social Studies based but other subject areas will be covered at the same time. This unit will take several weeks to complete as we will not be focusing on it every day. When we do focus on economics, we will only do it for a lesson or two at a time.

Some of the things we will be focusing on are supply and demand, wants vs. needs, interdependence, the purpose of money, how to save money, and goods and services. We hope to have a guest speaker coming from a local bank to speak with the students on the importance of saving money.

To become more involved with this unit, I encourage you to share your family finances with your student. Have them help balance the checkbook or pay bills. Take them with you to the bank so they can see some daily transactions take place. Have your student help you go shopping and help them to distinguish between wants and needs.

If you have any questions concerning the unit or if you would like more information on how you can help teach your student about economics, please feel free to contact me at .

Yours in Education,

Mrs. Robin Harmon

Trade Books

Aston, D. (2007). An orange in January. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

An orange’s journey is followed as it travels from the orchard to the delivery to a warehouse, to the grocery store, to the end of its journey when it is bought and enjoyed by a child. This book has a heavy influence on interdependence and natural resources. The book helps children to understand how they can enjoy fruit in the middle of winter. The illustrations in this book closely follow the text.

Milway, K. (2008). One hen: How one small loan made a big difference. Toronto: Kids Can Press.

Kojo, from Ghana, had to quit school after his father’s death so that he could help his mother collect firewood to sell at market. Kojo’s mother took a loan from other villagers and gave her son part of the money. With the money, Kojo bought a hen. Soon Kojo’s investment helped him earn enough money that he could return to school.

Polacco,P. (1992). Chicken Sunday. New York: Philomel Books.

Patricia and her friends often share a wonderful chicken dinner with Miss Eula after church on Sundays. The children stop to admire a hat that they dream of getting Miss Eula but they are mistaken for the people who “egged” the store. To prove their innocence the children make Pysanky eggs which the owner of the store allows them to sell. In exchange the shop owner gave the children the hat they were admiring, so they gave the hat to Miss Eula to wear for Easter Sunday.

Schwartz, D. (1989). If you mad a million. Boston: Lothrop.

In this book children work odd jobs and are paid for their work. The children must then decide what to do with their money. The book teaches students about saving, writing checks, paying off loans, and even interest. The book’s main point is to teach students that after they make money they have decisions to make about their money and they need to make those decisions wisely.

Silverstein, S. (1964).The giving tree. New York: Harper & Row.

At the beginning of the book, the tree provides the young boy with shade, apples, and a place to play. As the boy ages into a man he needs money so he sells the apples and needs lumber to build a house so he cuts off the branches. When the man is old he cuts down the tree to make a boat but then there is nothing left of the tree so the man rests on the stump. The book’s end is very open ended leaving room for students to interpret the true meaning of the book as they may.

Slobodkina, E. (2008). Caps for sale: A tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkey business. New York: Harper Collins.

A peddler carries all of his goods, caps, on top of his head. One day no one purchases a hat so the peddler decides that he will take a walk and a nap. He awakes to find that some monkeys have taken his caps. He has to work out a deal with the monkeys to get his caps back.

Wells, R. (1997). Bunny money. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

This book is about Max and Ruby, two rabbits, who go shopping for a birthday gift for their grandmother. The two encounter many emergencies along the way and end up spending most of their money on things other than the gift. The book subtracts the amount of money the two spend from their total amount left as they progress through the book. The two learn the difference between wants and needs and how to budget money properly

Wells, R. (1991). Max’s dragon shirt. New York: Penguin Books.

Max and Ruby go to the store to replace Max’s worn blue pants. Ruby sees many dresses she wants and Max decides that he does not want new pants but a shirt with a dragon on it instead. While Ruby is trying on dresses, Max tries on the shirt. Max gets ice cream on the shirt so they have to buy it and it costs all the money they have.

Williams, V. (1982).A chair for my mother. New York: Mulberry Books.

A little girl, her mother, and grandmother save their spare coins in a jar. They will use this money to go buy an easy chair as all of their other furniture was burned in a fire. The family goes to the bank and exchanges all the coins for paper bills. They then go to the store to find just the right chair.

Yin.(2006). Brothers. New York: Philomel Books.

Ming arrives in San Francisco from China to be with his brothers. He finds out that money is very tight so he begins to work at the general store with one of his brothers. By working at the store he befriends an Irish boy who teaches him some English. Ming uses his English to promote the store outside of Chinatown which increased sales greatly.

Bulletin Board

Guest Speaker

I would love to have a guest speaker come speak in my classroom about different ways that students can save money. Saving money is a concept that many of the students are not familiar with. I believe I would ask someone from one of the local bank branches to come speak to the students.

I would probably have someone from Beacon Credit Union come because they can talk about the Children’s savings accounts they offer. These saving accounts cater to younger children and help them learn the importance of saving their money. The people at this bank can also explain to students why keeping their money at home in a piggy bank may not be the best idea.

By having someone from a local bank, the probability is higher that students may know the bank workers. The bank worker will also be familiar with the community and the needs of the students in that area. They will also be better able to provide students with information to take home to their parents. If the parents are interested in what the bank worker tells their student, it is much easier for the parent to be able to go speak with the bank employee themselves.

Before the guest speaker comes to the class I will need to discuss the concepts of saving money with students. I will also need to explain to the students how a bank works. I will also need to tell students my expectations for them when the guest speaker is presenting. I should give them an overview of what the speaker is going to be talking about. I will also need to tell the students what they are going to need to know from the presentation and what they are going to be doing with their new knowledge.

Technology and Literature

I plan to use technology in this unit during the Science lesson. I will be using electronic scales for students to weigh the money because that is what they are most likely to see used outside of the classroom. I will also allow students to use computers to find prices for items used in their menus during the cooking lesson if they are not able to find those items in the paper sale advertisements. This will prove important especially if they are looking for items that are out of season or if what they are looking for is not something traditionally eaten in the area. When students perform the lyrics they wrote for their music lesson, I hope to use recordings of the melodies, from the internet, so that I am better able to listen to what the students wrote and I am better able to assess what they have written. If my student’s handwriting is not very good, I will allow them to use the computer to type their thank you notes. I also hope to use technology to keep communication open with parents and guardians about what the students are currently doing in their units.