Designing Class Currency and Trade System
Created byMelanie Calderon
2 views0 downloads

Designing Class Currency and Trade System

Grade 3Social Studies5 days
★★★★★
4.0 (1 rating)
In this project-based learning experience, 3rd-grade students are tasked with designing a unique class currency that mirrors their community's values and needs while exploring the roles of different currencies in global and cultural trades. Through engaging entry events and hands-on portfolio activities, such as a barter and trade simulation and currency design workshop, students learn about the purpose of currency, the challenges of barter systems, and the cultural diversity of monetary designs. By designing their own class currency, students gain insights into economics, the importance of cultural representation in currency, and the practical application of these concepts in a community setting.
Currency DesignEconomic SystemsBarterCultural RepresentationTrade SystemsCommunity ValuesEducational Economics
Want to create your own PBL Recipe?Use our AI-powered tools to design engaging project-based learning experiences for your students.
📝

Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we, as 3rd graders, create a unique class currency that effectively represents our community's values and needs, while understanding its role in our economy and exploring how different cultures use barter and trade?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What is the purpose of currency in an economy?
  • How do different cultures and communities use barter and trade?
  • What are the essential features of a good currency?
  • How does the design of currency reflect the values and needs of a community?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will be able to explain the purpose of currency in an economy and its role as a medium of exchange.
  • Students will understand the basic concepts of barter and trade and how they are utilized in different cultures.
  • Students will design a unique class currency that reflects their community's values and needs.
  • Students will analyze how different currencies reflect the culture and priorities of the communities that use them.

3rd Grade Social Studies Economic Standards

3-SS-E-1
Primary
Understand the role of money in the economy, the purpose of currency as a medium of exchange, and the basic concept of barter and trade.Reason: This project involves students creating a class currency and engaging in a barter and trade system, which directly relates to understanding the purpose and role of currency in an economy.
3-SS-E-2
Primary
Identify how currencies vary among different cultures and the historical progression of trade and barter.Reason: The project requires students to explore how different cultures use barter and trade, which aligns with understanding the diversity of currencies and trade systems.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Marketplace Mayhem

Students are presented with a chaotic 'marketplace' scenario where existing currency systems have suddenly disappeared. They must quickly brainstorm how to create and regulate a new class currency to restore order, prompting inquiry into currency creation and exchange.
📚

Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Barter and Trade Simulation

Students will engage in a barter and trade simulation to understand the basic concepts of barter and how trade differs from using currency. This activity will deepen their understanding of the need for currency by experiencing firsthand challenges that barter systems can create.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Set up a classroom marketplace with items for trade, assigning each student an item to barter.
2. Give students time to trade with each other, using a barter system, to obtain the items they need or want.
3. Lead a reflection session where students discuss the difficulties of barter and the benefits of using a standard currency instead.
4. Ask students to relate the simulation experience to the currencies they explored in the previous activity.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA reflective journal entry comparing barter and trade systems to currency-based systems.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsMeets 3-SS-E-1 through experiential learning about currency's role as a medium of exchange and 3-SS-E-2 by exploring traditional barter systems.
Activity 2

Class Currency Design Workshop

In this creative workshop, students will design their own class currency. This hands-on activity connects their understanding of cultural influences and the practical needs of a community to their unique currency design.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Review the essential features of a good currency and cultural influences from previous activities.
2. Divide students into small groups, each responsible for creating a component of the class currency (e.g., bill design, denomination values, symbols).
3. Provide art supplies for students to draw, color, or collage their currency designs, ensuring each component connects to their classroom's community values and needs.
4. Have each group present their components, explaining how their design reflects the class or community's values.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA class currency, complete with bills and coins, designed to reflect the community's values and understanding of currency and trade.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports 3-SS-E-1 and 3-SS-E-2 by applying knowledge of currency, trade, and cultural representation to create a tangible class currency.
Activity 3

Global Trade Connections

Students will explore real-world trade connections using various currencies. They will examine how trade impacts economies and how currencies facilitate international collaboration, tying back to the foundational knowledge gained through designing their own currency.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce students to the concept of global trade and its importance in the modern economy.
2. Provide case studies or examples of international trade agreements and the use of different currencies.
3. Facilitate discussions about how different currencies impact trade and the economic relationships between countries.
4. Have students present a short report on one global trade scenario using visual aids or digital formats.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA report or presentation on a global trade scenario, highlighting the role of currency in international trade.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsExpands on 3-SS-E-1 and 3-SS-E-2 by connecting classroom learning to real-world economic systems and global trade.
Activity 4

Currency Concept Exploration

In this initial activity, students will explore basic concepts of currency by examining different currencies from around the world. They will learn about different features and the purposes of money in various cultures. This will help them build foundational knowledge essential for creating their own class currency.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce students to the concept of currency and its purpose within an economy as a medium of exchange.
2. Present examples of currency from various cultures (both contemporary and historical) including unique features and cultural symbols.
3. Guide discussions on the purpose of these features and how they reflect the values of each culture.
4. Have students draw or list the features they would like in their class currency based on what was learned.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA list or drawing of desired features for the class currency, reflecting an understanding of currency design principles and cultural influences.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with 3-SS-E-1 by introducing the concept of currency and its role in economics, and 3-SS-E-2 by examining how currencies vary among cultures.
🏆

Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

3rd Grade Currency Creation Assessment Rubric

Category 1

Understanding of Currency Concepts

Assessment of students' grasp of the purpose of currency as a medium of exchange and their understanding of barter and trade.
Criterion 1

Currency Purpose Understanding

Evaluates students' ability to explain the purpose and role of currency in the economy.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding by explaining the purpose of currency in detail and its role as a medium of exchange across different contexts.

Proficient
3 Points

Shows thorough understanding by describing the purpose of currency and its role within a basic economic system.

Developing
2 Points

Displays emerging understanding by recognizing the purpose of currency, but with limited ability to describe its role effectively.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows initial understanding with minimal explanation of the currency's purpose.

Criterion 2

Barter and Trade System Insight

Assesses students' comprehension of barter systems and their differentiation from currency use.

Exemplary
4 Points

Offers comprehensive insight into barter systems, highlighting distinct challenges and solutions compared to currency use.

Proficient
3 Points

Describes barter systems clearly, differentiating them from currency use and identifying some pros and cons.

Developing
2 Points

Shows basic understanding with some differentiation between barter and currency, but lacks depth in advantages or disadvantages explanation.

Beginning
1 Points

Has minimal insight into barter systems and struggles to differentiate from currency-based systems.

Category 2

Creativity and Application in Currency Design

Evaluation of creativity and application of learned concepts in the design of a class currency.
Criterion 1

Design Creativity

Measures originality and cultural relevance in currency design.

Exemplary
4 Points

Incorporates highly original and culturally relevant features in their currency design, fully reflecting the community's values.

Proficient
3 Points

Includes creative and relevant features in their currency design, which reflect community values adequately.

Developing
2 Points

Design exhibits some creativity, but may lack relevance or full reflection of community values.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows limited creativity with minimal reflection of community values in the currency design.

Criterion 2

Feature Integration

Assesses integration of essential currency features learned from various cultures.

Exemplary
4 Points

Effectively integrates multiple essential currency features learned from various cultures in a cohesive design.

Proficient
3 Points

Incorporates essential currency features adequately, demonstrating understanding of cultural influences.

Developing
2 Points

Includes some essential features with limited integration of cultural influences.

Beginning
1 Points

Rarely includes essential features or demonstrates cultural influence in design.

Category 3

Communication and Reflection

Evaluation of students' ability to communicate their ideas and reflect on their learning process throughout the project.
Criterion 1

Presentation and Explanation

Measures clarity and effectiveness in presenting and explaining their currency project.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presents ideas clearly and effectively with thorough explanations and justifications for their currency design.

Proficient
3 Points

Presents and explains their currency design clearly with appropriate justification.

Developing
2 Points

Presents ideas with some clarity, but explanations may lack sufficient detail or justification.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to present ideas clearly with minimal explanation or justification provided.

Criterion 2

Reflective Journaling

Assessment of the depth of reflection in journaling activities comparing barter and trade to currency systems.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides deep reflection with comprehensive analysis comparing barter and trade to currency-based systems.

Proficient
3 Points

Offers clear reflection with solid comparisons between barter and trade and currency systems.

Developing
2 Points

Supplies basic reflection with some comparison between barter, trade, and currency systems.

Beginning
1 Points

Gives minimal reflection with scant comparison between systems.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Reflect on the process of creating our class currency. What were the most challenging and rewarding aspects of this project for you?

Text
Required
Question 2

How well do you think our class currency represents our community's values and needs?

Scale
Required
Question 3

In your opinion, why is it important for different cultures to have unique currencies? Select the reasons that resonate most with you.

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Cultural representation
Economic independence
Ease of trade within a region
Reflecting historical significance
Encouraging tourism
Question 4

After participating in the barter and trade simulation, how has your understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different trade systems changed?

Text
Required