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Lesson 6. Making money

Introduction 

Have you ever really looked at the money that you have in your purse/wallet? If asked, could you say anything about the symbols or images that are commonly used on coins and banknotes? In this lesson students will be given the opportunity to work together to design their own banknote, using symbols and images that depict what they think money means to young people today.

Resources

Time: Single class period

Materials:

CCPC Money Matters Money Talks Lesson 6 The Europa seriespdf | 2472 KBCCPC Money Matters Money Talks Lesson 6 Student worksheet Making moneypdf | 904 KBCCPC Money Matters Money Talks Lesson 6 Homework task My attitudes to moneypdf | 1343 KB

Activity 1: About money

Step-by-step instructions

1. Remind the class that in Lesson 4: Getting value for money they learned that money needs to be:

  • Reliably stored, saved and retrieved
  • Predictably useful
  • A standard unit of account

2. Ask the students to think about the money that they use every day, and to brainstorm any other characteristics of money that come to mind.

Note: Depending on your class, you may wish to prompt students to think about the physical features of the money they use every day, such as its size, colour, texture and symbols.

3. Explain that the euro coins and banknotes are part of everyday life for over 320 million people living in the euro area. The euro area is also known as the euro zone, and consists of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro as their currency. Banknote designs are identical throughout the euro area.

Note: Depending on your class, you may may want to share some of the information provided in the Teacher resource sheet: The €5 Europa series. 

Activity 2: Making money

1. Ask the class to take a few minutes to think about what money means to young people. Depending on your class you may wish to prompt students using the following questions:

  • How do young people get the money to meet their personal needs and wants?
  • Do young people have enough money or too much money?
  • How do you feel when you have enough or too much money? How do you act?

2. Explain that they are going to work together to design a banknote which incorporates words/phrases/images depicting what money means to young people.

3. Divide the class into small groups.

4. Distribute copies of Student worksheet: Making money and instruct each group to design their banknote.

5. Invite each group to ‘pitch’ their banknote to the class, and explain the inspiration for their designs.

6. Ask the class to discuss which aspects of the various designs they thought were most effective, and note their responses on the white/blackboard.

7. Conclude by inviting students to display their banknote designs on the classroom walls.

Homework task

Distribute one copy of Student worksheet: My attitude to money – survey to each student. Depending on your class you may wish to read through the survey to ensure that all students understand the terminology used in the survey.

 

Ask each student to write their name in the space given at the top of the sheet. Invite students to complete the survey for homework.

 

Explain that their completed surveys will not be made available to the rest of the class, but all surveys will be collected to work out the average class response. They will examine class results in Lesson 9.

 

NOTE: The student survey and compiled class results must be completed in order to do Lesson 9.

 

The steps for reviewing this homework task are given at the start of Lesson 7.

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