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Description

Beavers learn about the history of money and the different ways we can spend money today. Then, they inspect coins with magnifying glasses, fill out a sheet of questions, do money rubbing and design their own coin.

Resources

Attachment to be printed (one copy per Beaver)
Assorted international coins. Best to ask parents to donate low value coins from home. Alternatively source from Ebay.
Tables x 3 (optional)
Magnifying glasses (optional - ideally 1 for every 1 or 2 Beavers)
Paper (coloured or white)
Scissors
Glue/tape (optional)
Pencils
Crayons
Colouring pens/pencils

Instructions

Consider setting up the 3 tables around the edges of the room with assorted coins spread out on them and the magnifying glasses. As Beavers arrive they will start exploring them. Once everyone has arrived, bring them together for the Beaver Shout and register.

Part 1 - History of money (5 minutes)

Let the Beavers know that we will be completing 2 of the 4 requirements for our money skills badge. We will start with a chat about how money came to be and then will learn about coins from around the world and get to design their own coins.

Choose two Beavers and ask them to stand up. State that "first Beaver name e.g. Hattie" is a fisherwoman and "second Beaver name - e.g. John" is an apple farmer. Say John is bored of eating apples and Hattie is bored of eating fish. Money doesn't exist yet. What should they do? (kids say swap/trade). Ask Hattie how many apples she wants for a fish? Ask John if he agrees? Let them swap their imaginary foods. Explain that the term for this is trading or bartering. In the olden days this is how people usually bought and sold things.

Now ask another Beaver to stand up. Say he is a blanket maker, but he doesn't like fish and is allergic to apples. How will Hattie and John get blankets from him? (kids will suggest they give him something else/they give him apples and he swaps with someone else). Thank the kids and ask them to sit back down.

Say that in the olden times to make it easier to swap things people started using rare, useful and valuable things instead of the money we have now. Ask if they have any ideas on what things were used. (You should hear gold, silver etc. Let them know about seashells, salt, bricks of tea which were also used).

Say that then governments started making coins so people could trade more easily. We still have coins today. Does anyone know other ways we can spend money now (kids will suggest credit cards, paper notes, paying with phones).

Part 2 Coin identification (20 minutes)

Hand out the printed worksheets and pencils (see attachment) and then say that you can now go look at the coins on the tables and fill in your answers to the questions on the sheets. Help the kids as they work through the sheets and demonstrate how to use crayons to make rubbings of coins. A dime is 10 cents, a quarter is 25 cents.

While the Beavers are busy, at the other side of the room lay out some scissors, colouring pens, paper, glue and tape. When kids reach the end of the worksheet direct them to the other side of the room to design their own coins using the materials there.

Part 3 Design your own coin (20 minutes)

Encourage them to cut out their coins. If they want they can stick them onto their worksheets. Remind them to design both sides. If some finish early they can design another coin or have another look at the coins with the magnifying glasses. Then get everyone involved in tidying up.

Tags

• Coins
• History of money
• Money Skills

Badge Links

• Money Skills - Coins/Notes
• Money Skills - History