Insurance costs:
One-time yearly payment of: $1,200or monthly payments of: $200
Preparing Materials
Throughout the year, you will need classroom economy materials, such as money, banking paperwork for students, and handouts. You can download the materials or order printed copies for free. Gathering and preparing materials will take approximately 2 to 3 hours.
Supplies
In addition to the materials we provide, you may wish to purchase or gather the following items.
| No. 10 business envelopes so students can conveniently hold their cash. | 2 per student (1 is kept by the student and the other is kept by the Banker) |
| Portfolio folders with clasps where students can store their bank logs and other materials. | 1 per student |
| Cash drawer or box to store excess cash. Create one from a shoe box or use an item from an old board game, such as Monopoly. | 1 per class |
| Popsicle sticks or paint stirrers for auction paddles. | 1 per student |
| Sticky notes for convenience during auctions. | 1 slip per student per auction |
| A clipboard where you can hold the offense log to keep track of fines. | 1 per class |
| Items for students to purchase at auctions, such as toys, baked goods, or gift certificates. | 3 to 7 per auction |
Student folders
Put the following items into each student folder:
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Job application | 1 |
| Rental agreement | 1 |
| Rent log | 1 |
| Bank log | 1 |
| Bank slips | 4 |
| Envelope | 1 |
Offense log
We suggest keeping an offense log where you can keep a record of when students disobey the rules. The Police Officers can write tickets based on what you write on the offense log. Using this system, the Police Officers are involved, but you maintain the ultimate authority.
Cash box
Create a cash box with three slots, one for each denomination. This is where the class will hold excess cash throughout the year. We recommend that each Banker only hold about $2,000 in cash, and store the rest in the cash box.
Visual displays
When presenting and explaining the classroom economy to your students, we recommend using visual displays to aid their understanding. In particular, it is a good idea to display the jobs list, bonus money opportunities, and fines you will use in your classroom.
You may print and display our versions or create your own displays and presentations. Some suggestions include:
| Item |
|---|
| Bulletin board |
| Posters (jobs, bonuses, fines) |
| Presentation |
Tip:
Print individual copies of display items and place them into each student's folder.
Print classroom economy cash
To start, print about $7,000 in classroom economy cash:
| Denomination | Quantity |
|---|---|
| $50 bills | 42 (seven sheets) |
| $100 bills | 18 (three sheets) |
| $500 bills | 6 (one sheet) |
Tips:
- Print the bills on colored paper.
- If you want to use smaller denominations, see Grades 2-3 materials
Other materials
For the activities throughout the year, you will need the following materials:
In addition, keep extra cash and banking materials on hand:
| Item |
|---|
| Bank logs |
| Bank slips |
| Cash |