Managing money is a crucial concept for all children to learn as they become adults. Terms such as profit, loss, expenses, and budget are just as important as learning to count and identify coins. One of the big ideas in our second grade math curriculum is studying money.
My seventy students have qualified for the Academically Gifted Program in our district, which is funded by the state.
That means these kids have the highest IQ's in the school- some of them even off the charts! Learning is their reason for living. The students I teach are in first, second, and third grade, but an additional eighty talented students have access to our classroom materials and their ages range from kindergarten to fifth grade. Part of our curriculum includes real life application of concepts learned over the course of the year. To this end, my teaching partners and I have planned a "Math Mall" for the students to create, sell, and calculate the profits for their student-designed products. Students will track their own budgets, plan for their costs, and sell the items to each other. The team with the highest profits at the end of the unit will get to choose a charity to whom the entire group will donate their profits. What an incentive to learn how to make change!.
My Project
My students need an Apple iPad to help them learn about financial literacy and responsibility. Teaching students financial skills now can help them spend wisely, save more and make good financial choices in the future. With an iPad, my students could access apps that offer economic lessons and games about money management: Save. The Game, Finance for Kidz, Smarty Pig, Slice of Life, Allowance: Your Pocket Money, P2K Money, Saving Spree, and Kids Money. Apple technology is cutting edge and is the type of technology that the students are most comfortable using because so many of them have access to it at home. What they learn how to use at school will translate to their leisure time and their lives outside of school. Not only will this group of second graders doing the "Math Mall" be able to use the iPads, but all 150 gifted students at our school will have access to this amazing resource. What a gift this donation will be!
By funding this project you will help my students understand that financial issues can be resolved with smart choices.
As they play with the financial apps and research wall street investments, they will gain an understanding of the many financial choices that lay ahead of them. All of the apps will have a huge impact on the "Math Mall" we are planning as well as students. Most importantly, they will understand that "Money doesn't grow on trees"! Thank you for your consideration.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Hobby and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
