alt.education

"Wide Eyed in Wonder" wrote in message
news:02af8c40-7e49-4dad-9d90-381ba902df99@m23g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> On Feb 25, 11:53 pm, "teachrmama" wrote:
>
>> You don't think it is just a partial answer? Take you "detailed plan" to
>> a
>> teacher and ask if his/her principal would accept it as a lesson plan for
>> "teaching kids to save money." I know mine wouldn't, because you have
>> *no*
>> behavioral objectives. You have the children actually doing *nothing*
>> but
>> handing money to the teacher. Would you like to hear how I would teach
>> the
>> concept of saving to my kindergarten class?
>
> ABSOLUTELY. That is what I've been after from the start of the
> thread. Please, contribute. I'm assuming (per your own standard)
> that this will be in full lesson plans...right?

Why? Do you need full lesson plans to turn in for your teacher training
class?

In my kindergarten class, I would teach the concept of saving as follows:

Supplies needed: Box of marbles (about 250), clear plastic container,
pocket chart, pictures of various activities that the children will be able
to "purchase" with marbles, cards containint days of the week Monday thru
Friday, game board with 100 spaces for marbles.

Day 1: Introduce the marbles and plastic container, explaining that every
morning you will select a childto add 20 marbles to the container. Explain
that the pocket chart has pictures of 2 special activities that may be
purchased with marbles, and the number of marbles it will take to purchase
the activity. (Some examples might be 15 minutes of center time, extra
music time, special story, choice of snack, etc) Activities are priced
between 12 and 17 marbles, so there are only enoug marbles to purchase one
activity. The class must decide which one to purchase. This procedure is
followed all week. On Friday, ther will be marbles left in the container,
because not all the marbles are spent every day. Lead this into a
discussion about why there are marbles left, and whether there are enought
marbles to purchase another activity. (There shouold be a minimum of 15
marbles remaining) Follow this procedure for 2 weeks.

Week 3: This week the children begin to earn the marbles. In may class,
there are 5 transition times during the day. Transitions will be awarded
between 1 and 5 marbles, depending on how well the class does. Marbles are
awarded immediately upon completion of the transition. Instead of posting
only 2 activities at a time this week, the entire week's activity choices
will be posted in the pocket chart on Monday. Friday will have a special
activity that costs 30 marbles--a popcorn party, for example (one of my
students' favorite activities). In order to have the popcorn party, they
will have to forego ana activity at least one day during the week so they
will have enough saved to purchase the party. They are beginning to learn
the basics of long term goals versus short term goals.

Week 5: During this week, "interest" will come into play. Every day that
at least 20 marbles remain in the container at the end of the day, and extra
marble will be added. Also during this week a "supergoal" will be added.
Whatever the next very special day will be (at this point in the year it is
our spring party) is posted prominently, and the students are given the
opportunity to save marbles to purchase special napkins, cups, games, etc.
This will require foregoing a substantial number of daily activities in
order to get what they want for their party in 3 week's time.

During all of these activities, it is the children placing the marbles in
the container, counting the marbles to "pay for" the selected activities,
and discussing together whether to go for the short term or long term goal.

Now, Kenneth, do you have any questions about the specifics that I have
listed?