Georgia SS3E3.d

Social Studies3rd GradeEconomic Understandings

The Standard

Explain that most countries create their own currency for use as money.

Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies · Give examples of interdependence and trade and explain the benefits of voluntary exchange.

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify currency as the money accepted in a country. They explain that countries usually issue national currencies, while some countries share a currency, such as the euro.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can match familiar countries with currencies, such as Japan with the yen and Mexico with the peso. They can explain why travelers may need different money.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think currency means only coins or that every country uses dollars. They may also assume every country has a unique currency, overlooking shared currencies such as the euro.
How to Assess It: Give this exit ticket: “Japan uses yen, and the United States uses dollars. Why might a traveler exchange money before visiting Japan?”

Lesson moves

Give groups play money labeled dollar, yen, peso, and euro, then have them sort each currency under the correct country card.
Ask students to write two sentences explaining why a traveler might need new currency when crossing a border.
Play a matching game where students pair country cards with currency cards, including several European countries that use the euro.
Examine a currency exchange board from an airport and discuss why travelers trade one type of money for another.

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