FINANCIAL LITERACY UNITS

UNIT ONE: It Dosen't Grow on Trees

What is Money. Understanding goods and services, why and how money was invented, a barter role play in a pre-money society and creating a classroom trading society.

UNIT TWO: Encounters with Money

What makes up a currency, using our currency, giving of change, a class monetary system, everyday encounters with money and overseas exchange (extra for experts)

UNIT THREE: Earning, Spending and Setting Goals

Principles of choice, need and wants, the value of money, pocket money, simple account keeping, saving money by setting and achieving goals.

UNIT FOUR: How Banks Work

Understanding deposits and withdrawls, cash verses cheques, online banking and branch banking, receiving interest verses going into debt, and using ATM machines.

LEARNING ABOUT GRAPHS

Learning about, drawing, understanding and reading graphs is a major part of the statistics section of the mathematics curriculum. Statistics New Zealand have ready-to-use lessons for junior, middle and senior primary students on the Schools Corner Section of their site. Many teachers have found them a little hard to find so we have live linked five graphic topics to the web pages concerned. Simply click on the direct links below.

Topic One: Drawing and Using Pictographs

Topic Two: Drawing and Using Pie Graphs

Topic Three: Drawing and Using Stem and Leaf Graphs

Topic Four: Drawing and Using Strip Graphs

Topic Five: Drawing and Using Tally Charts

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINE MATHS

Stimulating mathematics and language topics relating to magazines and newspapers including target audiences, population growth, temperature calculation and gender preference

GEOMETRY MODELS AND SKILLS

Students Create Beautiful 3D Models in Mathematics and learn Geometric Skills. Our thanks the Jim Hogan, Adviser in mathematics for these pdf files. Click on each underlined link to download the pdf templates.

Download these templates and use them to make up stellated tetrahedrons, octohedrons, iscosahedrons, dodecahedrons and hexahedrons. The basic shapes can be modified to construct the other beautiful shapes. Painted, these make great displays. They are great activities for learning geometrical skills.

Platonics Discovered...Outlines how the platonics solids are formed. Need to get you head around this one. I wrote this page not long after I discovered the idea for myself. No wonder they have a special name.

Template for Triangles...Used for making tetrahedrons, octohedrons and iscosahedrons.

Template for Squares...Used for making the cube or hexahedron

Template for Pentagons...Used for making the dodecahedron, the fifth and last Platonic Solid.

Sample Pattern Blank... Formed by creating a hexagon and drawing in all the diameters. Very nice patterns can be created using these very symmetrical shapes. Try making the Mitsubishi Logo, the Startrek Logo, Interlocking triangles and ....

Pattern1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3

Sample Construction Sheet

WATER MATHS

Maths Shorts ideas for years 3-6+ where students calculate the amount of water used at school and at home during a day, week, month and year. Extension activities include investigating the local district water supply and taking school-wide measures to conserve water.

FINANCIAL LITERACY TASK CARDS

5 financial literacy task cards dealing with percentages, income, expenditure, balancing, credits, debits etc. Perfect for early finishers, a maths contract, learning centre or for homework

MATHS SHORTS

Short, simple and fun activities to promote an interest in mathematics. Designed for students of Years 3-8. (Ages 7-12/13)

KNOWING OURSELVES MATHS

Independent individual and group tasks for most children in the Level 2-4 area of the school. ( The activities encourage discussion and a problem solving approach. (Level 2-4 New Zealand = 9-13 year olds approx)

PROBABILITY FOR 5-8 YEAR OLDS

Probability Mathematics for the Junior School. Practical activities for 5-8 year olds involving activities to help understand probability and culminating in students experimenting with the concept of a probability line.

NEIGHBOURHOOD MATHS

Your local school block or any block in your local area provides plenty of number, graphing and mapping opportunities for your students. Activities are best suited to small groups. Curriculum Levels 2-4 (Years 4-8)

MATHEMACTION

The second in the curriculum series for the Hillary Commission promoting 30 minutes regular exercise per day. This unit focuses on mathematics - in particular number, measurement and statistics. A major unit with activities for all levels - Years 1-8+.

TREES FOR MATHS

Activities in problem solving, logic and reasoning and communicating mathematical ideas based on an environmental theme of trees. Full objectives and assessment activities provided plus strong links to the visual arts and English Most suitable for years 4-8. (8-12 year olds)

ENVIRONMENTAL MATHS

Mathematics activities for years 4-8+ based on environmental themes.

NEWSPAPER MATHS

The newspaper is a wonderful source and motivation for short maths topics including measurement, averages, time, number, calculation etc. Student activity cards for students ages 4-8+

LET'S RUN SURVEYS

A survey is a sample of the target population … in this case the class members and/or school population. This series of lessons will ensure your students know the purposes of surveys, how to conduct them and how to interpret the results.

CYCLE SAFETY MATHS

Over 750 students under the age of 15 are admitted to hospital each year because of cycle injury accidents. In this maths statistics and surveys lesson we encourage students to use mathematics to solve this serious real life problem.