Maple Street Fair Choices

Overview

In this third lesson of the four-part unit “Money Decisions, Habits, Goals,” students apply decision-making skills to a fictional Maple Street Fair. They read a short case, identify the fair’s goal and resources, and compare choices using evidence without sharing personal or household financial information.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to identify a goal, time frame, resources, commitments, and available options in a short business case.
• Students will be able to use details from words and pictures as evidence.
• Students will be able to compare options by immediate cost, possible long-term cost or growth, risk or protection, and rights or access.
• Students will be able to explain a choice using a simple model, chart, or sentence.

Success criteria

• I can state the Maple Street Fair’s goal and when it needs to happen.
• I can record the fair’s resources, required commitments, and choices.
• I can use evidence from the case to compare at least two options.
• I can explain which option best supports the goal and why.

Curriculum links

• Reading informational text: ask and answer questions using evidence from the text and illustrations.
• Integrating information: combine details from words, numbers, and visual information.
• Informative writing: organize facts and explain an idea clearly.
• Mathematical modeling: represent a real-world situation with drawings, tables, labels, and simple comparisons.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Introduce the fair problem Open with the Maple Street Fair hook and learning goal. Show the question: “How can a small fair make a good money decision?” Explain that the class will study a fictional case only; students should not discuss real family money. Briefly revisit the unit ideas of goals, habits, and careful choices.

2. 5–12 minutes – Read and notice evidence Display the short Maple Street Fair case in the case reading and evidence prompts and read it aloud while students follow. The fair wants to raise money for new community garden tools in two weeks. It has a small amount of money from ticket sales, volunteer helpers, donated tables, and three possible choices for selling snacks or games. Pause for students to point out facts, numbers, and picture clues.

3. 12–17 minutes – Model Assignment 5 Think aloud using a familiar example from the case. Model how to record the goal and time, income or resources, required commitments, and available options on Assignments 5 and 6 Money Decision Record. Clarify that a commitment is something the fair must pay, provide, or do, while an option is a choice it can make.

4. 17–28 minutes – Complete Assignment 5 Give each student a worksheet. Students complete the first section independently for three minutes, then compare answers with the group. Support them in locating evidence in the case rather than guessing. Ask: “What is the fair trying to do?” “What does it already have?” and “What must it remember to provide or pay for?”

5. 28–38 minutes – Compare options for Assignment 6 Return to the four-part comparison chart and discussion prompts. Together, compare two or three fictional options. Students record evidence about immediate cost, long-term cost or growth, risk or protection, and rights or access. Use child-friendly explanations: immediate cost is what is needed now; long-term growth is what may help later; risk is what could go wrong; rights or access means whether people can use or join fairly.

6. 38–43 minutes – Explain a recommendation Students complete the recommendation section of the worksheet: “The fair should choose ___ because ___.” Each student must include at least one case detail. Invite all three students to share, accepting different recommendations when they are supported by evidence. Use the recommendation sentence frame and share-out prompt.

7. 43–45 minutes – Review and exit check Show the final review and exit question. Students answer orally or on the bottom of the worksheet: “What is one piece of evidence that helped you make your decision?” Reinforce that strong decisions connect a goal with evidence and consider both benefits and possible problems.

Resources

• the Maple Street Fair lesson deck
• Assignments 5 and 6 Money Decision Record
• Pencils and clipboards or writing surfaces
• Highlighters or colored pencils
• Teacher copy of the fictional Maple Street Fair case
• Board or chart paper for modeling the comparison
• Optional counters or sticky notes for representing resources and choices

Assessment

• Listen for accurate identification of the goal, time frame, resources, commitments, and options during discussion.
• Review Assignment 5 for relevant details taken from the case.
• Review Assignment 6 for comparisons across the four categories and a recommendation supported by evidence.

Differentiation

• Read the case aloud, revisit one paragraph at a time, and provide picture-supported explanations of “commitment,” “risk,” and “evidence.”
• Offer sentence frames: “The goal is ___ by ___,” “The fair has ___,” and “I recommend ___ because the case says ___.”
• Allow students to draw, dictate, or orally explain answers before writing; use highlighting to mark evidence in matching colors.
• Extend confident students by asking them to identify a trade-off, explain why another option might be less suitable, or suggest one fair rule that protects access for everyone.