101 Using Money to Trade

👩‍🏫 Teacher’s Guide

Objective
Students will understand what a trade is, identify fair trades, and solve simple money decisions within $10.

Vocabulary
trade, fair trade, value, cost, worth, choice

Teaching Notes

• Begin with a simple class demo: trade a pencil for a sticker. Ask “Is this fair?”
• Let students explain why a trade is fair or unfair.
• Use real items (erasers, crayons, toy cars).
• Introduce money slowly.
• Encourage students to think aloud when deciding fairness.

🧒 Student Worksheet

Concept and Helping Material

A trade happens when people give something and get something else.
A fair trade happens when both people feel they got something equal in value.

Hands-On Experiment or Activities

What You Need: play money, small items
What You Do:

1. Pair up.
2. One is “store,” one is “shopper.”
3. Practice trades using objects and money.
4. Discuss which trades felt fair.

Vocabulary and Definitions

• — to give something and get something
• — both sides agree it is equal
• — money needed
• — importance or usefulness
• — how much value something has

Questions to Answer

Story:
Aiden has a toy car worth $3.
Lily has a shiny sticker worth $1 and an eraser worth $2.
She wants Aiden’s car and offers both items.

1. What does Aiden have?

2. What two things does Lily offer?

3. Total value of Lily’s items?

4. Is that equal to the car?

5. Could this be fair?

6. Why might Aiden still say no?

🧮 Finance Math Practice

1. Trade $2 for a pencil → How much spent?

2. Toy costs $4, you have $6 → enough?

3. $1 sticker + $2 eraser → total?

4. Bracelet $5, you have $3. Need more?

5. Liam has $7. Book $6. Change?

Reflection

• What makes a trade fair?

• When should you say no?