My Smart Money Wallet

Overview

Students create a simple paper wallet using drawing, folding, collage, and colour. Through an engaging design challenge, they explore the difference between needs and wants and make a picture-based spending choice, building early financial literacy through visual art.

Learning intentions

• WALT use line, shape, colour, and pattern to create an artwork.
• WALT follow a simple design and making process.
• WALT explain that money is used to make choices.
• WALT identify some things people need and some things people want.

Success criteria

• I can fold and decorate a paper wallet safely.
• I can use pictures, shapes, colours, or patterns to make my wallet interesting.
• I can show one thing I would save for and one thing I might spend money on.
• I can explain whether my choice is a need or a want.

Curriculum links

• The Arts — Visual Arts: developing practical knowledge of visual art elements, using materials and processes, and communicating ideas through artworks.
• The Arts — Visual Arts: sharing and responding to artwork using simple language about choices and ideas.
• Health and Physical Education — wellbeing and decision making: recognising needs, wants, and responsible choices.
• Key Competencies: thinking; managing self; participating and contributing; using language, symbols, and texts.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and discussion. Teacher displays the opening money-choice image and asks, “If you had five dollars, would you spend it now or save it for something special?” Students turn and talk, then share ideas; introduce the words need, want, spend, and save with simple examples.

2. 4–8 min · Look, notice, and model. Teacher uses the needs-and-wants picture slides to sort familiar examples orally, then models folding a sheet of paper into a basic wallet and decorating it with a clear symbol, border, and colour pattern. Students watch with hands in laps and explain the safety rule: scissors stay pointed down when carried.

3. 8–11 min · Plan the design. Teacher distributes the Smart Wallet design sheet and explains that students will draw a save picture on one side and a spend picture on the other, labelling each with teacher or peer support. Students sketch their ideas and circle whether each picture shows a need or a want.

4. 11–23 min · Make and decorate. Teacher demonstrates each fold again using the wallet-making instruction slides, then provides one sheet of paper, crayons or coloured pencils, glue, and pre-cut collage pieces per student. Students fold, press the edges, and decorate their wallets with lines, shapes, colours, patterns, and pictures; the teacher circulates, supports folding, and asks, “What does your picture tell us about your money choice?”

5. 23–27 min · Partner share. Teacher shows the partner-sharing prompt and pairs students with a nearby classmate. Students show their wallet and complete the sentence, “I would save/spend for ___ because ___”; partners identify which picture is a need and which is a want, accepting that some choices may be different for different families.

6. 27–30 min · Reflect and tidy. Teacher gathers attention, invites two or three students to share an art choice, and displays the reflection and tidy-up slide. Students place their wallet and worksheet in the collection area, return materials, and complete an oral exit response: “One smart money choice is ___.”

Resources

• the Smart Money Wallet slide deck
• the Smart Wallet design sheet
• A4 paper or lightweight card, one sheet per student
• Crayons, coloured pencils, or washable markers
• Child-safe scissors and glue sticks
• Pre-cut coloured paper shapes and scraps
• Teacher example wallet
• Clearly labelled collection tray and recycling bin

Assessment

• During the hook and planning, listen for students using need, want, spend, and save appropriately. Rephrase and model language where needed.
• During making, check that students can use at least two visual art elements and can explain the meaning of one wallet picture.
• Use the partner share and oral exit response to assess whether students can describe a money choice and distinguish, with support, between a need and a want. Keep the completed worksheet with the artwork as evidence of learning.

Differentiation

• Provide a pre-folded wallet, larger paper, thicker drawing tools, or hand-over-hand support for students who find folding or fine-motor tasks difficult.
• Offer picture cards or a choice board showing familiar examples such as food, warm clothing, toys, and treats. Read worksheet instructions aloud and allow students to draw rather than write.
• Use sentence starters: “I want…”, “I need…”, “I will save for…”, and “My pattern shows…”. Pair multilingual learners with a supportive peer and accept home-language discussion before sharing in English.
• Extend confident students by asking them to add a flap labelled “save” and explain how saving helps someone reach a goal. Avoid suggesting that every family makes money choices in the same way.