Orb Shop Budget Skills

Overview

Lesson 19 focuses on Red Orb Shop financial literacy through budgeting, income vs expenses, and practical change-making. Students also build language and creativity by using financial vocabulary in spelling supports and composing a short money-management rap with mathematical terms, feeding into the “Red Orb Shop: Gothic Castle Mission Kit” budget product.

Learning intentions

• Students will create a simple budget plan for the Red Orb Shop using income and expenses.
• Students will identify financial vocabulary and use it correctly in oral and written forms.
• Students will practise making change accurately using play money in a role-play shop.
• Students will compose a short rap that includes budgeting terms and basic mathematics language.

Success criteria

• I can list sources of income and expenses for my Red Orb Shop mission kit.
• I can add and subtract to decide if I can afford items, and explain why.
• I can make correct change in a role-play using play money.
• I can spell key financial vocabulary with support and include at least 3 maths terms in my rap.

Curriculum links

• English (Literature): create/edit a literary text by adapting ideas from experienced stories and experimenting with devices (rap as a rhythmic text for audience).
• English (Literacy): use comprehension strategies to interpret a budget scenario and answer questions.
• English (Language): identify vivid/emotive language (optional in rap) and use cohesive language (repetition/word associations) for clarity.
• Mathematics & Financial Literacy: apply calculation thinking to manage money responsibly (income vs expenses; affordability decisions).
• Language: understand that language varies by formality (role-play customer/manager voice).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Mission checkpoint hook (visual). Teacher shows a “Red Orb Shop Budget Card” poster: Income (Orbs earned) vs Expenses (stock, supplies, rent) with picture icons. Students repeat the mission goal line: “We budget so the shop can survive the castle mission.” Students do a quick thumbs check: “Do you think income or expenses are bigger for a new shop?”

2. 5–15 min · Direct teach: Budget basics (low reading friction). Teacher uses a simple worked example on the board with sentence starters:

• “My income is ___ orbs from ___.”
• “My expenses are ___, ___, and ___.”
• “I can/can’t afford ___ because ___.” Teacher read-alouds a short scenario (1 paragraph) while students track with a colour-coded budget table. Students fill in a mini table: 1 income line and 2 expense lines for the role-play week.

3. 15–30 min · Role-play: Red Orb shop (hands-on change). Teacher sets up two stations: “Shop Manager” and “Customer.” Play money contains 10s, 20s, 50s, plus “decimal-style orb chips” (e.g., 0.50) using paper cut-outs. Prices are shown on cards with large numerals and a small word bank. Students switch roles every 3–4 minutes.

• Shop managers use a visual “Make Change” strip: Find price → Count change from customer payment → Check using addition.
• Customers receive change and verify by counting back. Teacher circulates for accuracy and language: “What is your price? What is your payment? How much change?”

4. 30–40 min · Vocabulary sprint + spelling support (dyslexia-friendly). Teacher displays 6 key words with picture cues and spoken emphasis: income, expense, budget, affordable, discount, total. Students choose one support route:

• Option A (main): trace and write the word using a “rainbow spelling” template.
• Option B (reduced writing): build the word with cut-out letters and copy only the first and last letter. Students then say a quick sentence using a frame: “My budget shows my ___ and my ___.”

5. 40–55 min · Rap composition: Money management maths (creative + mathematical terminology). Teacher provides a rap scaffold on a slide/card with gaps: “In my budget I calculate (add/subtract) / I check the total () / If it’s discounted (%) I adjust / I stay affordable—no stress, no panic!” Students write 4 short lines (or 2 lines + a spoken version). Mathematical terms word bank: total, subtract, change, discount, percent, affordable. Teacher models a 10-second call-and-response. Students practise once in pairs; one student performs while the other tracks whether 3 maths terms appear (checklist card).

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket: Income vs expenses explanation (oral or written). Students answer one prompt: “Explain (in 1–2 sentences) which is income and which is expenses in your budget and why it matters.” Choice: speak to teacher, circle on a diagram, or write one sentence with a starter.

Resources

• Printed “Red Orb Budget Card” (income/expenses table with icons)
• Role-play price cards (large numerals) and product images (e.g., potion, shield, mirror)
• Play money and orb chips (paper cut-outs for decimals)
• “Make Change” counting strip (visual steps)
• Financial vocabulary word bank cards with picture cues
• Rainbow spelling templates / cut-out letter tiles
• Rap scaffold card with line starters and maths term word bank
• Checklist cards for teacher observation
• Scenario paragraph cards (short, read-aloud ready)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checklist during role-play for correct change-making and correct use of budgeting language.
• Formative: observe vocabulary sprint—can the student match word to meaning/picture and complete an appropriate sentence frame.
• Exit ticket: student can clearly distinguish income vs expenses and explain affordability impact (oral acceptable).

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters, icon-supported tables, and colour-coded budget templates to reduce reading load.
• Offer choice of evidence: oral budget explanation, circle/diagram response, reduced writing vocabulary (first/last letters), or letter-tile spelling.
• Use short bursts (3–4 minutes) with role-switching and movement to support attention and sensory needs.
• For neurodivergent regulation: allow a “quiet counting corner” during change-making and a brief standing stretch between stations.
• Extension within the lesson: if ready, challenge a student to include a discount% calculation verbally and show it on the rap scaffold.