Here you’ll find a variety of lesson plans, with one for each age group. Feel free to mix and match the activities that work best for your students. There’s also an alternative lesson plan at the end for even more flexibility.
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Pre-K Lesson Plan (Ages 3-4)
Learning Objectives
Identify different activities in a typical day (e.g., playing, eating, sleeping).
Understand the sequence of a day (morning, afternoon, night) through discussion.
Practice making choices by selecting a preferred activity on a craft clock.
Materials
Procedure (35 minutes)
(5 mins) Introduction: Gather students and ask them to share one thing they did this morning before coming to school. Talk about the different parts of the day.
(10 mins) Read Along: Watch the 'Money Time' read-along video together. Pause to ask simple questions like, 'What is he spending his time on now?'
(15 mins) My Choices Clock Craft: Give each student a paper plate. Have them draw pictures of their favorite activities (e.g., playing with blocks, snack time, story time). Help them cut out two 'hands' from construction paper and attach them to the center of the plate with a brass fastener. They can move the hands to point to how they want to 'spend' their time.
(5 mins) Show and Tell: Allow a few students to share their clocks and talk about which activity they are most excited to 'spend' their time on.
Kindergarten Lesson Plan - Age 5
Learning Objectives
Sort daily activities into 'Must-Do' and 'Want-to-Do' categories.
Understand that time is a valuable resource that can be 'spent'.
Practice making choices about how to use free time after responsibilities are met.
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Plastic coins or paper coins
Picture cards of daily activities (e.g., brushing teeth, playing, reading)
Procedure (35 minutes)
(5 mins) Warm-Up: Ask students to name one thing they *have* to do every day (like eating breakfast) and one thing they *want* to do (like playing outside).
(10 mins) Read Along: Watch the 'Money Time' read-aloud video, emphasizing the idea of 24 'time dollars'.
(15 mins) Sorting Activity: Give each student or small group two containers labeled 'Must-Do' and 'Want-to-Do' and a handful of 'time coins'. Show picture cards of activities one by one. Students discuss which category the activity belongs in and place a coin in the corresponding container.
(5 mins) Discussion: Talk about the results. Do we have more must-dos or want-to-dos? Emphasize that we have to 'spend' our time on the must-dos first.
1st Grade Lesson Plan - Age 6
Learning Objectives
Connect the 24 hours in a day to the 24 'time dollars' from the book.
Create a simple visual budget of their daily schedule.
Define and provide examples of 'spending', 'saving', and 'wasting' time.
Materials
Procedure (40 minutes)
(5 mins) Introduction: Review the book's concept. Ask, 'If we have 24 time dollars each day, how many hours do we have?' Guide them to connect the two.
(10 mins) Read Along: Watch the 'Money Time' read-aloud video.
(20 mins) Time Budgeting Activity: On a large piece of chart paper divided into 24 squares, model how to create a time budget. Have students use 24 sticky notes to represent their 24 hours. They can draw or write activities (e.g., 8 for sleep, 7 for school, 1 for homework, 2 for play) and place them on their own 'budget' worksheet.
(5 mins) Discussion: Talk about their budgets. Introduce the terms 'spending' (learning), 'saving' (sleeping), and 'wasting' (arguing, too much screen time) time.
2nd Grade Lesson Plan - Age 7
Learning Objectives
Apply time management concepts to achieve a weekly goal.
Prioritize tasks to balance responsibilities and personal goals.
Analyze the positive outcomes of 'investing' time wisely.
Materials
Procedure (45 minutes)
(5 mins) Introduction: Discuss the idea of 'investing'. Explain that investing time in something, like practice or reading, can have a big payoff later.
(10 mins) Read Along: Watch the 'Money Time' read-along video.
(20 mins) Goal Setting & Planning: Ask students to set a small, achievable goal for the week (e.g., read a chapter book, learn a new drawing technique, practice a skill for 15 minutes a day). They will use a weekly planner template to first block out their 'must-dos' (school, chores) and then schedule specific times to 'invest' in their goal.
(10 mins) Share and Commit: Students can share their goal and their plan with a partner, explaining how they plan to 'invest' their 'Money Time' to succeed.
Alternative Lesson Plan - Ages 3 - 7
Learning Objectives
Develop a concrete understanding of time as a finite resource.
Practice making thoughtful choices about how to use a set amount of free time.
Visually represent the 'spending' of time during an activity period.
Materials
Procedure (40 minutes)
(5 mins) Introduction: Show the children a jar filled with 24 pom-poms. Explain that these are their 'time dollars' for their free play time today. Each activity will cost some time dollars.
(10 mins) Read Along: Watch the 'Money Time' read-along video to introduce the core concept in a story format.
(15 mins) Time Jar in Action: Set up different activity stations (e.g., building blocks, art, reading nook). Assign a 'cost' to each (e.g., 1 pom-pom for 10 minutes). As children choose an activity, they move the correct number of pom-poms from the main jar to that activity's bowl. This visually depletes the main time jar.
(10 mins) Reflection: When the main jar is empty, gather the children. Look at the bowls to see how the time was spent. Ask, 'Where did most of our time dollars go? What was the most fun way we spent our time?'