This lesson introduces students to the concept of earning and saving money. Students are also made aware of being able to buy items they may want after they have saved enough money for the purchase. Geography is incorporated into this lesson to illustrate that goods/services are produced, bought and sold all over the world.

"Setting the Stage" - Before starting the program, ask the students: What is your favorite item? Where do you think it was made? Did you buy that item? Did you but it with your own money? How do kids get their own money?

"Introduction to Earning and Spending"
This introductory segment narrates the story of Maggie and Matt - two children who possess a toy bank and are on a quest to discover its origins. As a touch-screen activity, students join this quest around the world to find out where this bank was made. (Discuss what a bank is and its use.)
Optional activity - Using a map or globe, locate each country as it is discussed in the story on the Learning Station. Have you ever been there? What do you think it would be like?

Touch-screen Activity -
"Trip to Fiji"
The first stop on Maggie and Matt's trip is a quick visit to Fiji. They meet a child who would like to trade a shell necklace in exchange for their bank. Do the students think this would be a good trade? Why? (This encourages reasoning.) Matt and Maggie search through Fiji, and realize that this is not the place where their toy bank was made. Advance the story to Ghana by touching the map as directed on the Learning Station.

"Trip to Ghana"
The children in the story meet a child from Ghana with a toy bank made from chocolate! (chocolate is a product of Ghana). But, after researching, the children realize that Ghana is not the place where their toy bank was made. Advance the story as directed by the Learning Station dialogue.

"Trip to Egypt"
Matt and Maggie continue their travels to Egypt. A child vendor selling toy pyramids offers to trade with the children. He would give them a toy pyramid in exchange for their toy bank. Again, talk about whether or not this would be a good trade. Once more, after asking questions, Matt and Maggie become aware that Egypt is not where their toy bank was made. Advance the story as directed by the Learning Station dialogue.
Optional - as the pyramids are introduced, do the students know what pyramids are and how large? Where is Egypt on the globe?

"Trip to India"
From Egypt, the children journey to India, where they are introduced to the sitar, a traditional Indian musical instrument. Have any students ever seen or heard a sitar being played? Again, Matt and Maggie research and ask questions about their toy bank only to be told that India is not where their toy bank was made. To advance to the final country visited, touch the map as the Learning Station indicates.

"Trip to Portugal" & "Review of Matt and Maggie's Trip"
Finally, while exploring the countryside of Portugal and asking questions as they traveled, Maggie and Matt discover that this is the country where their toy bank was made!
Touch-screen activity - As a review, the maps of the places visited are shown on the Learning Station. Students are to choose a location and review the story line. As each country is chosen, the instructions on the Learning Station will repeat the country's name and ask a question. The questions cover what items children had to trade in different countries. Students must use their memorization skills to recall the story line and answer the questions.

"Banks"
Hands-on activity - Students can now make their own bunny banks to take home. Using the preprinted handouts on the disk, students may color the different bunny parts. These parts can then be glued to a 'bank.' The bunny parts were designed to be used with any type of can, jar, box, or other container which could serve as a bank. Cylinder shaped cans, cooked cereal containers, small plastic juice containers or small shoe boxes are a few options. While creating the banks, discuss the use of a bank. The questions on the Learning Station will encourage discussion about saving money in a bank. The next segment on the Learning Station further describes the concept of earning and saving money.

"Spencer Bunny Earns Money" (part 1)
Spencer Bunny is a cartoon character who sees a toy advertised on a television commercial and decides that he really wants it. His mother tells him that if he wants to have it, he must pay for it himself. Spencer, realizing he has no money, quickly learns how to earn and save enough money to buy this toy. Through dialogue on the Learning Station, Spencer will ask the students to give him some ideas on how to earn money. Talk about different things the students think Spencer can do to earn money. Does any student earn money? What kinds of chores does he/she do to earn this money? Encourage conversation and full sentences.

"Spencer Bunny Earns Money" (parts 2 & 3)
As Spencer finds jobs that he can do in order to earn money, he puts his earned coins into his bunny bank. He is saving the coins in his bank until he has enough to buy the toy he wants. As the coins are put into the bank, students can count along with Spencer Bunny. This introduces simple addition as the coins are added to the bank after each job Spencer completes. Optional activity - give students coins to put into their banks as Spencer puts coins into his.

"Spencer Bunny Earns Money" (part 4)
Spencer is learning that as he performs more jobs, he earns more money. He also realizes that work can be fun. Ask the students about the different jobs kids can do. Are they fun? Spencer earns a total of 19 coins. The toy he wants cost 20 coins. His mother, knowing how hard Spencer has worked and proud of her son's accomplishments, gives Spencer the last coin. Now Spencer can buy the toy he wants!
Videotaping activity - Have the students talk about something they would like to buy. After sharing different thoughts, students prepare a few ideas to be videotaped. What kind of jobs could they do? Referring to the coins in their bunny banks, students talk about what they would like to buy with their saved money.

"Earn Your Own Money"
Teachers will need to supply 13 coins for each student. Use real coins or play money, or pieces of paper representing coins. Students will be ask questions by Spencer Bunny about his story. As each question is answered correctly, give the students the appropriate amount of coins to put into their banks, as directed on the Learning Station. Encourage good listening skills! (Students can make the teacher's counting job easier by repeating the number of coins they earned after each correctly answered question - "How many coins did you earn?").

"Using Your Own Money"
Touch-screen activity - Using the coins the students have earned answering questions, students can 'buy' items from the selection on the Learning Station. As an item is chosen, the student must pay the amount that is indicated on the price tag. Students then give the correct amount of coins to the teacher to purchase the items. Some students will spend all of their coins while others may want to save some - or even all - of their coins. Discuss options and choices.

"When You Get Home"
Use the preprinted handout (on disk) as a worksheet for class activity or to take home. Students circle the items they purchased.

Before Students Go Home - Review
Review vocabulary words - earn, spend, bank, vendor, pyramid, sitar
Talk about how Spencer earned money to buy the toy he wanted
Talk about how items we buy are made all over the world
What can you do to earn money?
What are the benefits of saving money?

Supply List for Activities
"Today I Discovered" - parents handout
handout of preprinted bunny parts to create bunny bank
containers to make bunny banks (plastic food containers, cereal boxes, or other lidded container)
markers, scissors, glue, etc. to decorate bunny bank (i.e., long strips of paper or straw for whiskers)
13 coins per student - real coins, buttons, or paper cutouts of coins to put into bunny bank
preprinted handout (on disk) of items to purchase
Videotape