Unit Plan 30 (Grade K Social Studies): Working to Earn and Help
Kindergarten students learn why people work, how money helps meet needs and wants, and practice making choices through saving, spending, and simple class market activities.
Focus: Help children understand that people work jobs to earn money and help others, and that money is used to meet needs and make choices. Students explore simple ideas of earning, spending, saving, and trading using tokens and play scenarios that connect to their daily lives.
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject Area: Social Studies (Economics • Civics • Inquiry)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students become “Money Detectives” who learn why people work and what they do with the money they earn. They discover that people have needs (things we must have to live) and wants (things that are nice to have), and that money helps us make choices. Through picture books, discussions, token activities, and a simple class market, students practice deciding whether to spend or save, and experience basic trade and fair exchange.
Essential Questions
- Why do people work?
- How does earning money help people meet their needs?
- What is a choice? What do we give up when we choose one thing instead of another?
- When should we spend money (or tokens)? When might we save?
- How can we trade and share fairly with others?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Explain in simple terms that people work jobs to earn money and to help others.
- Identify basic needs (e.g., food, home, clothes) and wants (e.g., toys, treats) and connect money to meeting needs.
- Describe a choice they make and what they give up (opportunity cost) when they choose one thing instead of another.
- Participate in a simple token system, deciding when to save and when to spend.
- Take part in a class market or trade activity, showing basic understanding of saving, spending, and fair trade/exchange.
Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (C3-based custom)
- K.C3.Econ.3 — Explain that people work jobs to earn money and help others.
- Example: Match workers to tools and places of work.
- K.C3.Econ.4 — Describe choices, saving, and simple trade/exchange.
- Example: Save three tokens for a bigger reward; trade crayons fairly.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can say that people work to earn money and help others.
- I can tell the difference between a need and a want.
- I can talk about a choice I made and what I gave up.
- I can show how to save or spend my tokens.
- I can trade or buy something in our class market in a fair way.