Student: Hannah Kocher School: Riverview Elementary School

IWU Supervisor: Alex Schuler Co-op Teacher: Stacy James

Teaching Date:N/A (REVISED SINCE TEACHING) Grade Level: 3
Lesson Title: Its All about the Money

Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies: DSS LESSON PLAN
2007 ACEI Standards

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s) Students will be able to explain what the characteristics of money are, what money represents,
and what makes it valuable.
B. Objective(s)(specific terms)
After visiting each center, students should be able to identify the main characteristics/qualities of money and
discuss why those characteristics are beneficial both verbally and in writing.
C. Standard(s):
NCSS: 7: Production, Distribution, and Consumption
IAS: 3.4.5 List the characteristics of money and explain how money makes trade and the purchase of goods
easier.
ISTE (May/May not be applicable.)
II. Materials & Management
A. Materials
Set of fake money
Lined Paper
16 US Dollars
Anticipatory Set PowerPoint
Limited supply worksheet
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9jexkHgjxo

B. Time 55 minutes (11:50-12:45)

There will be four centers that will each be 9 minutes long, with two minutes between to write
the sticky-note takeaway and transition to the next group.
C. Space: Students will be at their desks for the anticipatory set and then spaced around the room in
centers throughout the lesson. The groups will be located at the back table, at the front table, on the carpet,
and at a group of student desks. I will use the same groupings that Mrs. James uses during math rotations
during the afternoon, so the students will be familiar with their groupings and the process of rotating. To
keep transitions smooth, the first timer will be for the students to get a sticky note to write a takeaway on
and read where their next group is, and then the second timer (2 minutes later) will be to move to the next
center.
D. Behavior: Students should be at a low talking level throughout the entire lesson. All of the centers
require some kind of discussion, so students should be ready to offer input during each station. For students
who do not participate in discussion, they will be asked to return to their seats. There I will have something
for them to read that explains what is being discussed at each center.
E. Technology: PowerPoint is used for the Anticipatory Set, Also a video with music is showed at the
Divisibility station to engage multiple intelligences and show the ability of smaller bills to make up larger
bills.
(5 min )III. Anticipatory Set
 Pull up PowerPoint. I have a stack of Paper, Do you want it? It probably depends on what is on that paper. For
each of these options I want you to give me a thumbs up or a thumbs down to tell me if you would or would not
want these variations of stacks of paper. (GO THROUGH POWERPOINT, expect a resounding yes for the money) I
noticed that each image evoked a specific memory for each one of you. Why does the paper that is printed as
money hold more value and desire than other things that I mentioned?

IV. Purpose: Today we are going to learn more about the story money tells by discussing some of its
characteristics and unique features.

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

III. Adaptation to Diverse Students-- Demonstrate your understanding of the development and approaches to
learning unique to the students in this class as you describe the specific instructional opportunities provided in this
lesson.
A. Remediation: Much of the success that can be found in this lesson comes from engaging in discussion in
each center. It is hard to replicate the richness that can be found in peer-based discussion. I would however
recommend that students who are struggling with these concepts do some research on the six characteristics
of money. For working with the US currency, there is a game on ABCya.com that asks students to use bills and
coins to represent dollar amounts ( http://www.abcya.com/counting_money.htm) Also, the student could be
given a piece of US currency and be asked to analyze it by writing down its characteristics and distinguishable
features.
B. Enrichment: Money is a topic that can be stretched in response to the level of learners that are in the
classroom. Many of the questions within the centers are able to be thought about at both a basic level and also
a higher level. Many of the economic principles that are discussed at this lesson can be expanded on as well.
Larger amounts of money can be discussed at the divisibility station. At the uniformity station, students could
compare US currency to paper currency from other nations. At the durability/portability station, students can
do research about why currencies of the past were used (and considered valuable to those people). At the
limited supply station, students could be challenged to think about other things that are more valuable because
of their limited supply.
C. ELL: A.G. is a very bright student, especially in mathematics and lessons where little writing is required.
He should be able to keep pace with his peers in this primarily discussion-based lesson. All stations have visuals
(Limitied Supply worksheet, Physical US dollars, and paper currency will aid in comprehension. Sometimes, Alex
is not heard in group discussion because other students do not let him into the conversation. It will be
important to direct questions and discussion at him to make sure that he has the opportunity to respond and
show understanding.
D. Exceptional Needs: I think that this lesson is fast-paced with the short centers, which will keep all students
engaged. Students are used to being in groups, so that will be routine for them. Also, there will be many
opportunities for input from each student on a topic that has a significant amount of background knowledge
and familiarity. All students should be able to thrive in the environment of discussion with manipulatives and
visuals to hit many different intelligences. For students who are not able to write their short story about their
dollar bill, they can share it audibly.
(ACEI 3.2)
IV. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)
Use the major concepts and modes of inquiry from the social studiesthe integrated study of history, geography, the
social sciences, and other related areasto promote elementary students abilities to make informed decisions as citizens of a
culturally diverse democratic society and interdependent world.
(ACEI 2.4)
Include a variety of teaching strategies that encourage elementary students development of critical thinking and problem
solving.
o active participation
o multiple levels of questions
o m
odeling/monitoring

Money
6 characteristics of Money
- Durability
- Portability
- Acceptability
- Limited Supply
- Divisibility
- Uniformity
Durability means that dollar bills or coins are easily replaceable should they become damaged. Portability means that
money can easily be transported from one location to the next. Acceptability means that money is commonly accepted as a
value exchange mechanism. Limited supply ensures that money holds its value. Divisibility implies that money can be broken
down into smaller values. Uniformity establishes a standard for the look of various denominations.
Input:
We are going to work today in groups like you are used to. In the group that I am leading we will be discussing why it
is important that all money look the same. Mrs. James will be leading a group where you will discuss how money is divisible and
why that is is important. In the other two groups, you will be discussing why money is the shape that it is and why there is only
a limited amount. You will have 9 minutes at each station, and you will rotate when you hear the timer.
Centers
1.) Durability/Portability
Okay, so who can tell me what the word durable means? (CFU, if the students do not already have an idea, this part
of the station will need more time) Durable means that the object is able to be handled, transported, and washed without
losing its shape and appearance. It is very important for money to be both durable and portable, or able to travel many places.
Each bill has a long life before it is retired by the federal reserve.
Each of you has a dollar in front of you. I write you to write a quick short story about the life of your dollar bill. If it is
newer, you can write about its first owner, how stiff it feels, how it wants to travel the world, etc. If you have a older, more
used dollar, your story might be about the different places that it has been, how it got ripped, who crumpled them up, what
people have spent it on, etc. I want you to be creative and use what you see in the bill to inspire your story. You can use the
information about where it was printed, the year it was printed, and any of the places we learned about in our lesson about the
midwest (or anywhere else you know) to make your story unique.

2.) Limited Supply

Lets say that I decide that there are too many people in the United States that dont have enough money, so the government
should just print more money to give to them. Is this a good idea? (CFU)
What would happen if you kept making more money? The money that currently exists would lose its value
(On Community Day, are you more likely to get your ticket drawn if there are 10 different tickets to choose
from or a 1000? The more there are, the less value each ticket has) The more money that you print, the less value that money
has. The ability to reproduce something easily and for a small amount of money lowers the value of that object.
To think about how having a limited supply of something affects the value, lets look at this worksheet. We are going
to go through each of these comparisons and talk about which one is more valuable and why. Who can read the first line for
me? Which one is more valuable? Youre correct; original artwork is very expensive because it is the only one that the artist
made. Large works of art like this one took months to create, so the artist didnt make multiple ones. You can print out this
picture of your dog for less than 50 cents at Walmart or Meijer and print as many as you would like.
On the next line, you see two pennies. What is the difference between them? They were made in different years and
with different metals. Copper is a much more valuable metal than zinc, so the coins that are made of copper can be worth up to
a couple of dollars while pennies made from zinc are only worth 1 cent.
On the next line are two rings. One of them has real diamonds in it and the other has cubic zirconia, which are
imitation diamonds. Which one do you think is more valuable? The real diamonds are more valuable because they cant be
made by hand, they must be mined from the ground. The cubic zirconia ring is worth $8.42, but the ring with the real diamond
is about 3000 dollars.
What about the next scenario? Which will cost you more: going to a Taylor Swift concert or listening to one of her
songs on YouTube? When youre not on a school computer, you can listen to songs on Youtube all you want, but going to a
concert requires a ticket. Artists usually go on tour only once a year, and even then, they might not be playing anywhere near
where you live. If they are playing near you, you could pay between 40 and 100 dollars for just okay seats at the concert.
Hearing a person sing live is much more valuable than just hearing a song on the radio because the opportunity to do so is less
frequent.
How does the government make sure that the amount of money in the US remains at a level that doesnt devalue it?
The money in the United States is made and maintained by the US Federal Reserve. They keep track of how much
money is in circulation and limit what they make, so that money is rare enough to have value when we want to spend it. If they
made too much money, money would lose its value and the price of goods and services would have to rise.

3. Divisibility/Acceptability
(Everybody has 1 $20, 1 $10, 2 $5s, 5 $1s, 4 Quarters, 5 dimes, 5 nickels, and 10 pennies in front of them)
Were going to watch this video about the different coins and bills within our currency system. You will hear about the people
whose faces are on the money and the value each piece of money has.I want you to pay special attention to how you can make
the same amount of money in more than one way using different bills and coins.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9jexkHgjxo
I want you pair up and each take a piece of paper from the center of the table. On this piece of paper, there are scenarios that I
want you to act out with your partner. You are at Walmart; Someone is the cashier and the other person is the customer. As
you read the scenario, I want you to give the appropriate money and change to the other person out of the money that is in
front of you. After you finish, you may get a new scenario and switch roles if there is time.

4. Uniformity
(SHOW A DOLLAR BILL AND A PRINTOUT OF A DOLLAR) Which one of these is the real dollar bill, how can you tell
(CFU)? Real US Currency is easily identifiable because of a principle known as uniformity. What do you think uniformity means?
Think about what everyone in the class would look like if they were wearing uniforms.
Lets take a look at these dollar bills I have. What qualities are the same on all of them (How do we know they are real
money)?
- Same size
- Same material
- Same writing/phrasing
- Watermarks, Pictures, People
What do you do when you see a dollar that isnt green? Or one of the older bills with a different design? What if your money is
faded or ripped?
For a currency to be successful, all bills must look the same
Our money tells a story through what is printed on it. The design has been changed around throughout the years, but this
version of the $1 bill was adopted in 1957. The dollar is full of symbolism, can any of you identify parts of the bill that might be
symbolic of the United States? (CFU, that sparks discussion of symbols)
The Great Seal of the United States- Exemplifies American Values
E PLURIBUS UNUM- Out of Many, One
MDCCLXXVI- 1776 (Roman Numerals)
NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM- A New Order of the Ages
ANNUIT COEPTIS- Providence has favored our Undertakings
Pyramid- represents Strength and Duration
13 Stars- A new constellation taking its place in the universe
Holding arrows and Olive branch- Represent both warfare and peace, peace is in right talon to show that it is the dominant
force
How do you feel about money now that you understand the rich symbolism and detailed story about the history of our country
that it tells?
Resource: https://www.philadelphiafed.org/education/teachers/publications/symbols-on-american-money/

V. Check for understanding. How do you know students have learned? What strategies will you implement if all students have
not met lesson outcomes? Employ one or more strategies to determine student learning.
Checking for understanding happens throughout each station. Most begin with asking for knowledge about the
characteristics of money that will be discussed. If the students do not have the basic knowledge of what the terminology
means, the leader of the center will begin by explaining that before moving on to the deeper discussion and activity.
Checking for understanding will also occur when the students are applying their knowledge with either a discussion or
interrogation of materials.
(5 minutes)VII. Review learning outcomes / Closure
At the end of each center, have students write on a post it note something that they learned or thought was interesting
from each station. Post them around the room. After the last center, bring class back together. Ask for volunteers to
discuss something that they will take away from each station.
PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT
Develop a plan for assessing the degree to which your students have mastered the learning outcomes from this lesson. Your
plan should include formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and strengthen instruction that will promote
continuous intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of each student.
Directly align to the objective (formative, informal, concrete, tangible, evidence of learning)
A. Formative: Formative assessments occur throughout the lesson when the students are being
questioned at each center. The initial questions help guide the discussion that happens at each center.
Input in discussion and correctly completing activities show understanding during the lesson. Additionally,
the post-it note take-aways allow me to know what concepts stuck with the students as they finish at each
center.
B. Summative: A summative assessment that would go along with this lesson would be having
students analyze US currency in each of the categories discussed at the centers. Questions would be
phrased like the ones used during group discussion to see if the students can recall some of the major
topics from the discussion. This unit could be expanded to include more economic topics that use money
to drive decisions.
(ACEI 4.0)
REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
a. Blooms Taxonomy
b. Gardners Multiple Intelligences
7. Were the stations long enough that the students were able to complete everything without feeling rushed?
8. Were all the stations engaging enough to hold students attention?
Revision Date: August 25, 2015
2007 ACEI Standard
LimitedSupply Name____________

Inorderformoneytoretainitsvalue,itmustbepresentinalimitedsupply.Objectsthatarerare,unique,
andhardtoreplicateholdahighervaluethanobjectsthatcanbecopiedwithease.Ineachcase,pick
whichobjecthasthehighervaluetoday.

OriginalPaintingbyPabloPicasso PictureofyourdogyoutookonyourphonelastTuesday

1943CopperPenny 2007ZincPenny

Ringpop Diamondring

HearingTaylorSwiftssongontheradio SeeingTaylorSwiftinConcert

DivisibilityStationScenarios

Cashier:Yourtotalwillbe$13.57
Customer:*Gives$20*
Cashier:$6.43isyourchange,thankyou

Cashier:Yourtotalis$42.38
Customer:*Gives$43*
Cashier:$.62isyourchange,thankyou

Cashier:Yourtotalis$.99
Customer:*Gives$5*
Cashier:$4.01isyourchange,thankyou

Cashier:Yourtotalis$34.76
Customer:*Gives$35.76*
Cashier:$1isyourchange,thankyou