📋 Teacher Cheat Sheet — Session 1

Money, Values & You · 6th Grade Financial Literacy

90 minutes Ages 11–12 Session 1 of 8 ND-Friendly

⏱ 90-Minute Agenda

Time	Block	What's Happening
0–5	🎯 Hook	Opening question: "Why does a piece of paper buy you a meal?"
5–25	📖 Lesson 1	Origins of Money — barter, double coincidence of wants
25–40	📖 Lesson 2	What gives money its value? — trust, shared agreement
40–55	🎮 Activity	Barter Simulation (10 min play + 5 min debrief)
55–70	📖 Lesson 3	Money as a tool, not a goal — keep conversational
70–80	✍️ Journal	"What do I think money is for?" — quiet write, 2 share
80–88	🔁 Recap	"One thing that surprised you today?" — quick round
88–90	👋 Close	Preview Session 2: needs vs. wants. Assign take-home.

Save for Session 2: Lesson 4 — Amana (stewardship). It bridges perfectly as an opener next week.

📚 Key Vocabulary

Barter — trading goods/services directly, no money

Double Coincidence of Wants — both people must want exactly what the other has

Currency — the form of money a group agrees to use

Shared Agreement — money works because everyone trusts it

Amana (أمانة) — stewardship; wealth is a trust to manage wisely

🧠 ND-Friendly Teaching Tips

Front-load the agenda — show slide 2 first so students know exactly what's coming. No surprises.
One idea at a time — resist the urge to explain everything at once. Pause between concepts.
Repeat key words — say "double coincidence of wants" 3–4 times before expecting students to use it.
Barter sim = sensory break — movement helps. Let it get a little chaotic. That's the point.
Journal = no pressure — "Even one sentence is great. There's no wrong answer."
Anchor on emojis — point to slide emojis when transitioning. Visual cues reduce cognitive load.
Warn before transitions — "In 2 minutes we're moving to the next part."

💬 Discussion Questions + Teacher Notes

"Why does a piece of paper buy you a meal?"
→ Let them struggle with this. Don't answer it — the lesson answers it for them.
"What problems can you think of with barter?"
→ Guide toward: spoilage, size mismatch, distance, no one wants what you have.
"Has anyone ever traded something with a friend — snack, sticker, game card?"
→ Connects abstract barter to their real experience. Great for reluctant talkers.
"If you were stranded on a deserted island with a suitcase of cash — would it help?"
→ Expected: No! No one agrees on its value there. Money = shared trust.
"What at school works like money — without being money?"
→ Trading cards, extra credit, lunch trades — any works. Celebrate creative answers.
"Is money a good thing or a bad thing?"
→ Neither — it's a tool. How you use a hammer isn't the hammer's fault.

🎮 Barter Simulation Setup

What you need: Index cards or torn paper strips. Write one word per card.

Available Goods Cards:

🌾 Wheat

🐟 Fish

🧵 Cloth

🏺 Pottery

👡 Sandals

🪵 Firewood

🥛 Milk

🍯 Honey

Need Lists (write on board or slips):

Group A needs: Fish · Cloth · Pottery

Group B needs: Wheat · Sandals · Milk

Group C needs: Firewood · Honey · Cloth

Rules (write on board):

Trade only — no freebies
Both must agree to every trade
10 minutes — get all 3 items!

Debrief Questions:

Did everyone get what they needed?
What was the hardest part?
Did anyone have to make a chain of trades?
"How would ONE card everyone accepts make this easier?" → That's money!

🎯 Opening Hook

Ask the class:
"If I gave you a $100 bill right now — what would you do with it?"

Take 3–4 answers. Then flip it:

"But wait — why does that piece of paper actually get you anything?"

Leave the confusion. The lesson resolves it. That's the magic.

✍️ Journal Prompt

Write on the board:
"What do I think money is for?"

Give 8–10 min of quiet writing.

If stuck: "Even one sentence. No wrong answers. Write what YOU actually think."

Invite 2 volunteers to share — never force.

Tell them: "We'll revisit this at the end of the course. Your answer might change."

👋 Close + Preview

Recap round:
"One thing that surprised you today?"

Keep it fast — 3–4 students, or go around the room if time allows.

Preview Session 2:

"Next week: Needs vs. Wants. Start paying attention to what you spend money on this week — or what you WISH you could spend it on."

Take-home:

Keep the journal. Finish the prompt if you didn't. Ask someone at home: "What do YOU think money is for?"