This book best accompanies a unit on money!
It allows children to take a first look at money, how it should and can be used, and the values of the different bills, and coins.

It is suggested that you use play money for these activities!

Day One:
-Read the book.
-Read Note from the author, the paragraph that discusses "What we would do without money"
-Pass out change that can make a dollar, ask the students to make a dollar in three different ways. For example: using four quarters, ten dimes, ect.
Day Two:
-Talk about tax, and the percentage of sales tax that is taken out in your state. Read authors note at back of book, the paragraph that says, "Income tax"
-Give students enough bills and change to make five dollars in three different ways.
-discuss the different ways you came up with five dollars as a class.
-Have them figure out how much tax there would be on five dollars, using percentages.
Day Three
-Discuss why we use banks, and begin talking about interests.
-Give students enough money to make ten dollars in three different ways.
-Read author's note at the back of the book entitled "Banks: They Don't Work Like Piggybanks" and also "Interest and Compound Interest" Focus in on interest because compound interests may be too difficult for students.
-Find how much interests would be earned on a $100 at 4% intests annually.
-Discuss as a class.
Day Four,Five, and Six:
-Begin discussing larger amounts of money and the use of checks.
-Read Author's note in back of the book entitled: "Checks and Checking accounts.
-Create a classroom bank with it's own name.
-Distribute check books (blank ones can be obtained from banks, they are usually willing to donate these) to each student.
-Teach students how to write a check.
-Teach students how to keep a balanced ledger.
Day Seven:
-Create a classroom store.
-Have students purchase items from store with check book.
Day Eight:
-Balance checkbooks today!
Day Nine:
-Discuss loans, and how loans work.
-Read author's note in back of book entitled: "Loans"
-Allow students to take out a loan if they choose.
Day Ten:
-Have students predict how high they think a million dollars in pennies would be.
-Read Author's note entitled: "will a million dollars in pennies really stack up 95 miles high?
-Have student's write what they would buy with a million dollars.

This Unit does not have to end in two weeks, it can be carried on throughout the whole semester even as you move into other units.

If You Made a Million Book Picture

Other books that can be used in the math classroom.

Online Bookstore: you can order this book or any others that would help you in your classroom. Amazon