Earning Money Today

Objective

By the end of this 30-minute session, 1st grade students will be able to:

• Understand the concept of earning money by performing jobs.
• Identify different types of jobs and how people earn money through them.
• Express personal aspirations by illustrating a job they may want to do in the future.

This lesson aligns with the following Common Core State Standards (integrated with Social Studies goals for 1st grade):

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure. (Adapted to drawing with oral explanation)
• National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS) - People, Places, and Environments; Production, Distribution & Consumption

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Materials Needed

• Storybook or story script about different jobs (e.g., "When I Grow Up" or a teacher-created story featuring relatable occupations like teacher, firefighter, doctor, farmer, grocery clerk, etc.)
• Drawing paper (one sheet per student)
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Chart paper and markers
• Picture cards showing various jobs (optional, for visual support)
• Whiteboard and markers

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Lesson Timeline

Time	Activity	Description
0-5	Introduction & Objective Sharing	Gather students on the carpet, explain today's goal: learning how people earn money through jobs. Use simple language.
5-15	Storytelling	Read aloud a story about different people earning money by working in different jobs. After each job in the story, pause and ask 1-2 comprehension questions. For example: “What does a firefighter do to earn money? Why is that important?” Encourage student responses. Use job picture cards if available to create a visual connection.
15-20	Guided Discussion	On chart paper, list student input on jobs they know or people they see working. Discuss how each job helps others and earns money. Use simple real-life examples.
20-30	Drawing & Sharing Future Jobs	Prompt students to draw themselves doing a job they might like to do when they grow up. Encourage creativity but tie it back to earning money and helping others. After drawing, 3-4 volunteers share their pictures, describing their job and what they like about it. Teachers assist language development by scaffolding sentences as needed.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide job picture cards and sentence starters (e.g., “I want to be a __ because __.”) for students who need extra support.
• Allow students who finish early to draw more details about tools or surroundings of their future jobs to deepen engagement.
• For English Language Learners, pre-teach key vocabulary (jobs, money, earn, help) with visuals before the story.

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Assessment

• Formative Assessment through Discussion: Monitor student responses to story questions for comprehension and understanding of earning money.
• Drawing Activity as Evidence: Evaluate students’ ability to connect a job to earning money and helping others by having them orally explain their drawings.
• Speaking Skills: Assess clarity and relevancy using the ELA speaking standards noted above.

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Reflection and Extension Ideas

• Post the drawings in a classroom “Job Wall” to reinforce concepts in future lessons.
• As a homework extension, invite families to talk about their jobs and how they earn money.
• Future lessons can explore the difference between goods and services with concrete examples.

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Teacher Tips to Wow the Class

• Use an animated or expressive storytelling style to captivate attention.
• Integrate brief role-play — ask a few students to act out a job as you tell the story.
• Celebrate all responses warmly to boost confidence and participation.

This lesson skillfully blends literacy standards with age-appropriate social studies content, empowering young learners to understand essential economic concepts through storytelling, discussion, and creative expression.