They learn about spending, saving, opportunity cost, and trade-offs as they study Ryan's decisions throughout the book. Students keep a diary of expenses to track their spending and examine their opportunity costs. In this lesson, students use the book, The Berenstain Bears' Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze, to learn about spending, collecting, opportunity cost, saving, and speculating. The Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money Students read about the cubs' spendthrift ways and how Mama and Papa Bear teach them to earn and save. After reading The Hundred Penny Box, students compare how people save money in financial institutions.
Students analyze the advantages of regular saving and how savings grow with compounding.
In this lesson, students read a story about a family living in a shelter. The daughter, Livvy, and a friend, Belinda, sell tissue roses. They share their profits. Students learn about different places to save their money and the advantages and disadvantages of each. They also learn that spending and saving decisions have opportunity costs.