This KS2 money lesson plan uses Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce to teach complex economic and personal finance issues in a way that is perfectly age-appropriate…
The thought of teaching finance can be daunting, but managing money is an important life skill and one that needs to be developed from a young age.
Because money can be a sensitive subject, the best approach is to use tried and tested distancing techniques, such as stories.
Looking at financial dilemmas through the eyes of fictional characters creates a safe learning environment, allowing pupils to reflect on what they have learnt and apply it to their own lives.
What is Millions about?
Damien and Anthony, two primary-aged brothers, find £229,370. They have 17 days to do something with the money before the UK changes over to the Euro.
Read with your class to the end of Chapter 8 before you start the activities. The boys have just found the money at this point and are beginning to question the value of their stash.
Money KS2 learning objectives
- Consider how making informed decisions can help you manage money
- Learn that people have different attitudes about spending money and that there is no one right answer
Starter activity
Begin by questioning Damien and Anthony’s decision to keep the money they have found. The £229,370 dropped from the sky onto the boy’s den down by the railway line.
Hot seating is a great way for pupils to air the rights and wrongs of ethical and moral dilemmas. If you find money, should you keep it? Does it make a difference if you don’t know who it belongs to? If you found a bag of credit and debit cards would you deal with it differently?
Take the hot seat yourself, either as Damien or Anthony. Describe how you discovered the bag of money and encourage the pupils to ask you questions:
- ‘Why did you keep the money?’
- ‘Why didn’t you tell an adult?’
- ‘What other choices could you have made?’
Organise the pupils into groups of three or four. Invite one pupil from each group to take the hot seat. When they’ve practised being Damien and Anthony, ask them to create a ‘sister’ for the brothers who decided to tell their dad about the money.
- ‘Why didn’t you keep it?’
- ‘Didn’t you want the money?’
- ‘What if it had been £5, not £229,370?’
Polly Barnes works as a freelance education consultant for Young Enterprise, which gives young people the life skills, knowledge and confidence they need to succeed in the changing world of work.
