In this lesson, Arianna learned about Supply & Demand, two related and core aspects of Economics. Through a verbal lesson and then a hands-on exercise, she was able to understand and apply the concepts to real life examples. She did well with the subject matter.

We read aloud to articles; what is a stock?, why invest in stocks? We stopped at points in the reading to stress important terms and concepts. Jackson completed post-reading multiple choice questions. I asked him to share/think aloud related to how he determined/chose the best answer. Last, we looked at his account balance and portfolio.

We read a loud an article about stocks and completed a post-reading quiz related to the article. Bobby monitored his portfolio and we looked at news stories and charts pertaining to his stocks and other companies of interest.

For our calendar activities today, we reviewed the current day, date, and discussed yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We completed our practicing day sequencing activity in which Danny was given a random starting point and the next two days, he then had to state the next day. Once he named the day, he had to search the word bank, find the correct day and write it on the line. We then looked at a calendar that tracked the weather for one month. We answered questions based on the information presented on the calendar. Next, we moved on to our economics unit. We began the topic of "Money" in our Florida Studies Weekly packet. We read that we need money to buy goods and services as well as things we want and need. We learned that we earn money by doing jobs. We saw pictures of various American currency. On the activity page, Danny was excited to complete a connect the dots picture and discover a piggy bank! We examined pictures of money and in three different photo sets of 3-4 items and Danny had to find the one that was different. We supplemented the lesson with a Brain Pop Jr. learning video about saving and spending money. We saw that people earn money doing jobs and kids can earn an allowance from their parents. We discussed that when Danny gets bigger, maybe he can earn an allowance like the girl in the video, too! We spend money to get our needs and wants and a budget helps us control our spending. The bank is where we keep our money and we may choose to share our money (donate) by giving it to people or groups to help others. We discussed the easy quiz together. We then read, Ella Earns Her Own Money by Lisa Bullard. Ella wants to buy a $20.00 soccer ball. We see her working hard, doing various jobs to add up money and save for the ball. Finally, we completed a picture sort of dollars vs. coins.

We talked in general about preparing for a test. The importance of physical preparation related to proper rest, and diet/nutrition, were discussed. Also, mental preparation regarding positive thoughts were highlighted. Then, Stephen read the directions pertaining to the Social Studies practice section of the Stanford Test. Stephen scored 2/4 on the multiple choice practice questions. We went over each question together and I asked Stephen to talk through how he determined each response. I shared a test-taking strategy related to analyzing the stem/question and looking for key words and intent. Then, looking for ways to identify/narrow potential choices in order to determine the "best" answer. Then, we watched an introductory video related to stocks. I asked Stephen pointed questions related to his stocks in his portfolio related to profit and loss.

In this lesson, Gracyn watched a PBS video on going shopping. This video covered the topics of making a budget.

Student absent.

We began our session with a review of the calendar and practicing sequencing of days. We then moved into our Florida Studies Weekly packet on consumers and producers. We reviewed the concepts of goods and services along with consumers and producers with a Brain Pop Jr. learning video. We paused the video and discussed the concepts throughout. We then read, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, and, If You Take a Mouse to School, both by Laura Numeroff. These books offered us the opportunity to practice identifying goods and services as well as consumers and producers throughout. It's a great way to relate to the concept as Danny enjoys these fun stories as well! We then completed the activity page and assessment for consumers and producers. Danny did a nice job differentiating between pictured goods and services as well as answering two-choice questions. He scored 12/13 on his assessment.

Jackson watched a short video to help him navigate the stock market site. We read aloud part of an article about the stock market crash of 1929. Then Jackson checked his account balance and his portfolio. He conducted research on some companies and then purchased stocks based on his research findings.

We read aloud together an article related to how money is created. Money as debt, reserve requirements, relationship to government, and currency backing were areas of focus. Stephen successfully completed post-reading multiple choice questions. Then, Stephen, looked at his portfolio. To date, he recognized that he still has a significant cash balance and that his investments have shown profit verses loss.