Teacher Downloads
Student Worksheet

Concepts Used
Rate
Unit Rate
Proportion
Measurement

Grade level
Grades 5-8

Subject Areas
Math
Social Studies

NCTM Standards
Properties of Numbers
Computation
Algebra
Measurement
Technology

NETS*S
1c, 3d, 4c, 6b

Money Makes the World Go Around


Objectives
  • Use exchange rates to find currency amounts from around the world
  • Write and solve proportions


Lesson Description

Money comes in many forms around the world.  Crisscrossing across the Google Earth globe, students connect the monetary units to the related country in a series of exchange rate problems.  Each challenge is presented as a word problem which includes a unit rate.  The students can record their proportion work and answers on the Foreign Exchange Worksheet.

This lesson can be enhanced in a variety of ways, such as in collaboration with the Social Science teachers.  Ask students to bring in samples of foreign currency or share stories of their travel abroad.

Additional locations and problems can be added to the file by the teacher or the students themselves.  Note:  The exchange rates used are from January, 2008; these values can be updated with editing.