Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday
Below-Level Reader
Making Sense
of Dollars…
Unit 1 Week 3
SEQUENCE VISUALIZE
LESSON VOCABULARY college, dimes, downtown, fined, nickels, quarters, rich
SUMMARY Students are introduced to budget basics, including the steps in making a budget.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK
BUILD BACKGROUND Without using the terms income or expenses, ask students if they ever have their own money to spend. Discuss where they get their money and on what they spend it.
PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES Read the title aloud. Make sure students understand the difference between sense and cents. Have students look through the illustrations in the book and discuss what they think they may learn about money.
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Divide students into groups and assign one vocabulary word to each group. Ask each group to find its word in the book and in a dictionary. Then have each group draw a picture to illustrate the word. Share definitions and illustrations.
Review the vocabulary words with students. Have students tell equivalent denomination in their home countries of the coins named. Talk about the meanings of the other words.
TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
SEQUENCE Review with students that
sequence is the order in which events happen. Remind students that authors often use clue words such as
first, next, then, and
last to show sequence. Have students look for sequence clue words as they read.
VISUALIZE Tell students that
visualizing information can help them better understand a selection. Suggest that at the end of every page, students visualize the information they have just read.
READ THE BOOK
Use the following questions to support comprehension.
PAGE 3 Visualize the different ways you spend money. What do you
spend your money on? (Possible response: candy bars, comic
books, school supplies)
PAGES 5–6 What is income? What are expenses? (Income is money
you receive. Expenses are things you spend money on.)
PAGES 11–12 List the sequence for budgeting your money. (First,
separate income into three envelopes marked expenses, spending,
and saving. Then find ways to earn money. Last, start saving.)
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE
- Possible responses: total income, total expenses, total
surplus or deficit
- Possible responses: I saw myself raking leaves for a neighbor.
It made what I was reading seem real.
- Possible response: I ate a very rich dessert last night.
- Possible response: to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers
RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING Ask students to think of a time when their expenses were
greater than their incomes, such as when they wanted to buy something
special but didn't have enough money. Have students write a sequence
of events describing the situation.
CONTENT CONNECTIONS
MATHEMATICS Using real or imaginary income and expenses, have
students create their own budgets that show a total surplus or deficit.
Students can exchange their budgets with partners who will look for
ways to cut deficits or reduce spending.
L.R. TOC
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