Measuring the Distance Money Travels
Lesson Author
Michelle Horn
Grades: 3-4
Lesson Summary
In this activity, students will reinforce their knowledge of distance, addresses, and needs versus wants while exploring the path of a quarter. Based on a story of one quarter�s day, students will follow the path in the story and make up their own using Google Earth.
Literature Connection
Follow the Money by Loreen Leedy
Follow the Money takes the reader through a day in the life of a quarter. While the quarter�s adventures begin at the U.S. mint and Federal Reserve bank, it doesn�t take long for the quarter to begin circulating among consumers who use it to purchase a variety of goods. Readers can learn more about money, its uses, and some vocabulary by reading the pages at the end of the book.
National Geography Standards
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How to use appropriate geographic tools and technologies
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The location of places within the local community and nearby communities
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The spatial concepts of location, distance, direction, scale, movement, and region
Concepts and Skills
distance, location, needs, wants
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
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Use Google Earth to locate places referenced in Follow the Money and stores located in their own neighborhood.
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Use the Google Earth ruler to measure the distance between two or more locations.
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Differentiate between needs and wants.
Google Skills Needed
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find stores with the find a business tool
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use place markers to store and recall addresses
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use the ruler to measure distance
Step-by-Step Teaching Procedures (PDF document)