Economics · Lesson Plan
Introducing Currency into the Classroom Economy
Lesson 3 of the MoneyInstructor-nomics classroom-economy series puts money into circulation. Once students have bought into having their own society and currency, this lesson assigns classroom part-time jobs so MoneyInstructor-Bucks have value: students earn the currency through work and learn they’ll be able to spend it. It establishes the earn-and-spend cycle that drives the classroom economy.
For Teachers
Lesson at a glance
- Topic
- Classroom Economy
- Grade Level
- Grades 3–8
- Resource Type
- Lesson + Worksheet
- Estimated Time
- 45–60 minutes
- Format
- Lesson + activity
- Materials
- Printable lesson, worksheet, pencils
What Students Learn
Learning objectives
- Explain why currency has value in the classroom economy
- Connect earning currency to doing a job
- Apply for and take on a classroom part-time job
- Recognize the link between work and pay
- Prepare for spending earned currency
Materials
What you’ll need
- Printed lesson and activity (one per student)
- Classroom currency
- Job assignment list
- Pencils
Key Terms
Vocabulary
- Currency
- Money used to buy and sell within an economy.
- Value
- What currency is worth because it’s earned and can be spent.
- Part-time job
- A classroom role a student performs for pay.
- Earn
- To receive pay for work done.
- Economy
- A system of producing, earning, and spending.
- Wages
- Pay received for doing a job.
For Teachers
Lesson plan
Estimated time: one 45–60 minute class period.
Lesson sequence
- Why currency has value (12 min). Because it must be earned and can be spent.
- Classroom jobs (15 min). Introduce the part-time jobs students can take.
- Apply & assign (12 min). Students choose and take on a job.
- Activity (11 min). Students record their job and expected earnings.
Assessment
Assess whether students can explain why the currency has value and connect their job to pay.
Discussion
Discussion questions
- Why do MoneyInstructor-Bucks have value?
- How will you earn classroom currency?
- What part-time job did you choose, and why?
- How is earning currency like earning money in real life?
- What will you do with the currency you earn?
Printable Lesson & Worksheet
Introducing Currency into the Economy — Lesson & Activity
A printable classroom-economy lesson and activity: students take classroom part-time jobs to earn currency and learn the earn-and-spend cycle.
Part of the Classroom Economy series
New to classroom economies, or want the rest of the lessons? Start with the complete guide.
Unlock the full Money Instructor library
Members get unlimited access to worksheets, lesson plans, and teacher resources across every financial literacy topic — budgeting, taxes, credit, banking, and more.
More Economics resources
Browse all Economics resources →
Paydays (Classroom Economy)
Students receive their first classroom paychecks and watch money begin to flow as they trade goods and services — part of the MoneyInstructor-nomics series.
Lesson · Grades 3 8Supply and Demand Lesson
A hands-on auction activity where students bid with classroom currency to discover how supply and demand set prices, then define the terms on an activity sheet.
Lesson · Grades 3 8Law of Demand Lesson
Students learn the law of demand and ceteris paribus, build a class demand curve by polling, then complete and graph their own demand schedules.
Lesson · Grades 3 8