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Earning Money

Third graders explore where money comes from — doing chores, receiving an allowance, working a job, selling something, or getting a gift. Understanding how money is earned is the foundation of every money choice.

Grade 3Earning Money40 minutes1 class periodEconomics · C3Explicit teaching4 StandardsC3 / NSPFE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain earning.
  • ✓Name ways to get money.
  • ✓Connect work to pay.
  • ✓Value earning.
Essential Question

Money doesn’t appear by magic — people earn it! What are the different ways to get money?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Earning Explorer

Project this and tap each. Have students learn the ways people earn money.

💵 Explore ways to earn — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Inquiry Flow (Hook · Explore · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Where Money Comes From

5 min

Money doesn’t appear by magic — how do people get it?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask where money comes from.
  • Ask how grown-ups get it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Wonder.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Earning Money

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Earning Explorer.
  • Present each way.
  • Note work → pay.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note it.
  • Connect.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a chore you could do.
  • Name a way to earn.
  • Explain it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Name it.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Apply

9 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Plan a way to earn $5.
  • List the steps.
  • Share your plan.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Plan.
  • List.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

4 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a way to earn.
  • Say how it works.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the C3 Framework (Economics) & the National Standards for Personal Financial Education.

C3
D2.Eco.2.3-5

Explain income and incentives.

NSPFE
Earning Income

Identify ways to earn money.

C3
D2.Eco.1.3-5

Connect work to earning.

C3
D4.6.3-5

Draw conclusions about earning.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Earning picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I can earn by ___.”
  • Use examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with chores and allowance.
  • Use pictures.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Design a lemonade stand.
  • List a week of chores.
  • Compare earning ways.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💵Earning cards
  • 💻The Earning Explorer
  • 📋A chore chart
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

earnget money by workingchoresjobs at homeallowanceweekly money from familyjobwork you get paid forselltrade something for moneyincomemoney you receivegiftmoney given to youworkeffort to earn
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does it mean to EARN money?
To get money by working or doing a task.
QUESTION 2
Name one way a kid could earn money.
Doing chores, an allowance, or selling something (like lemonade).
QUESTION 3
How do most grown-ups earn money?
By working at a job.

Reflect: earning money.

Have students name one way they could earn money and the steps to do it. A printable earning sheet is in the Social Studies library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Earning MoneyFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Earning MoneyQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Earning MoneyPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: allowance, chores, earn, gift, income, job, sell, work
  1. money you receive
  2. money given to you
  3. get money by working
  4. weekly money from family
  5. trade something for money
  6. effort to earn
  7. jobs at home
  8. work you get paid for

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does it mean to EARN money?
  2. Name one way a kid could earn money.
  3. How do most grown-ups earn money?
Answer key — Part A: 1) income · 2) gift · 3) earn · 4) allowance · 5) sell · 6) work · 7) chores · 8) job
Part B: 1) To get money by working or doing a task. 2) Doing chores, an allowance, or selling something (like lemonade). 3) By working at a job.