Money Matters: How to Become a Smart Consumer, Grades 4-6

Money and credit are important elements of our everyday lives. Even young children are aware of the fact that money has value; that is, it can be used to purchase things we want, it can impress other people, and if not managed well, it can create financial problems.

An old saying goes, "A fool and his money are soon parted." The good news is that people don't have to be fools about their money. They can learn to recognize the forces that affect their spending and to make wise economic decisions. This unit is the beginning of a lifelong learning process. Its focus is on helping students build awareness of market forces and develop skills that enable them to ask the right questions, analyze their motivations, and recognize what options are available.

Teaching students how to be better consumers just got easier. This usable format has everything—lesson plans, project ideas, and reproducible worksheets—to provide a complete curriculum. Students will learn about money and credit, wants versus needs, budgets, checking accounts, smart buying, package analysis, and more. These are skills and concepts that they will use now and in their adult lives.