My+Rows+and+Piles+of+Coins+Reinforcing+Activity

Fake money Jobs around the classroom Shoebox for each group Paper to make the chart Prizes: both ‘big’ and ‘small’ Edible prize
 * Materials:**


 * Procedure:**

1. For this activity, you will need to read //__My Rows and Piles of Coins__// to your students. After you read the story you will introduce the activity

2. You will first need to assign groups. Make sure you divide your students into equal groups. Each group will be assigned a job for the school day. These jobs can include putting folders away, cleaning up, putting chairs away/pushing chairs in, line leaders, etc. At the end of the day, give your students fake money compensation for the job they fulfilled. If they did not do the job, they do not receive any money.

3. Have students create a shoebox bank they can put their earnings into. This should be called their ‘secret money box’ to connect back to the book. Students should then create a T-Chart that shows how much they have earned and how much they have spent per day. This will show them how much money they have in their secret money box.

4. At the end of each day, lay ‘small’ prizes down on the table. Have the groups divide the money between the group members. Each student has the option to buy a prize or save their money. ‘Small’ prizes could be anything from paper, pencils, pens, erasers, stickers, or anything else you might want to include.

5. This activity should take place each day for a week. Students should keep their record of what they have purchased and how much they have saved on their chart. At the end of the week, bring out the ‘big’ prizes. ‘Big’ prizes may include free homework passes, lunch with the teacher,a certain job in class for a week such as line leader, board washer, or something else to help the teacher etc.

6. The ‘big’ prizes should be more expensive than the ‘small’ prizes. Allow students to buy whatever they can afford with their saved money. Those students who have saved their money, like Saruni, will be able to afford the ‘big’ prizes.

7. After the buying occurs, discuss with your students the value of money, saving, and spending. Connect what they have learned from participating in the activity to what they learned from reading the book. Ask students if they would have done anything different with their spending and saving habits.

8. After the discussion, tell your students they each get a special prize. Connect the book to when Saruni’s parents gave him the bike for his efforts. Tell your students you appreciated the work they put into this assignment and give them a special edible treat to eat!

From this activity, students will understand labor, spending, and saving. This activity can lead into a lesson on identifying people who purchase goods and services as consumers and people who make goods or provide services as producers. Students will learn to categorize economic activities as production or consumption. After the lesson they will be able to connect what they learned in the book to the activity and have a greater understanding of economics.