Fourth Grade Learning
Please enjoy these free resources for the learners in your life, no matter where they are learning. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often for new/updated content.
Have ideas on other resources you’d like to see added? Send us a note.
Full JA Programs Online
EDUCATORS AND PARENTS CAN NOW PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH COMPLETE JA PROGRAMS ONLINE! ACCESS VIDEOS AND ACTIVITIES FOR GRADES K-5 SO STUDENTS DON’T HAVE TO MISS OUT ON VALUABLE LESSONS RELATED TO WORK READINESS, FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
Fourth Grade Lesson Plans
During this unique time in our community, we are doing our part to help ensure students continue their JA education at home and help parents make the most out of at-home learning.
Have ideas on other resources you’d like to see added? Send us a line.
DAY 1: MAKING SMART MONEY CHOICES
LESSON 1 – JA EXCELLENCE THROUGH ETHICS: HAVING MONEY WHEN YOU NEED IT
People do not have an endless supply of money, so we have to be smart about the decisions we make on how we spend the money we earn. Students will examine the ethical responsibility on using money for need-bases vs. want-based goods and services.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Parent-led lesson with additional games and recommended reading
- Time: 45 minutes
LESSON 2 – MAKING CENTS: FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR YOUNG LEARNERS – LEARNING TO SAVE, AND EATING OUT VS. EATING AT HOME VIDEOS
Two short, 45-second videos explore the choices we make every day on how we spend money to meet our needs and wants.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Videos
- Time: 2 minutes
LESSON 3 – MONEY SMART FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, MODULE 3: BUDGETING
Creating a budget helps children plan how they will spend their money.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Parent-led lesson with additional games and recommended reading
- Time: 30 minutes
LESSON 4 – JA $AVE: VACATION TIME
Let’s Get Away! — Explore where you would go and how you would pay for vacation.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Printable activity
- Time: 15 minutes
DAY 2: PURCHASING POWER
LESSON 1 – MONEY SMART FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, MODULE 5: PAYMENT OPTIONS
Having conversations about payment options helps children understand that credit and debit are not an endless supply of free money, but are linked to our actual savings accounts or short-term loans that must be paid back.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Parent-led lesson with additional games and recommended reading
- Time: 30 minutes
LESSON 2 – JA COMPARE AND CONTRAST PAYMENT METHODS
Young students compare the different ways people can pay for their wants and needs.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Parent-led activity with printable worksheet
- Time: 15 minutes
LESSON 3 – JA CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE: JA ANALYZING CREDIT CARDS
Explore how credit cards work and the financial impact credit has on our families and businesses.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Parent-led resource with activities and additional reading
- Time: 45 minutes
DAY 3: BUYING AND SELLING
LESSON 1 – JA WHAT IS FREE ENTERPRISE?
What is free enterprise and how does your family utilize their economic freedoms to make purchasing decisions?
- Category: Entrepreneurship
- Type: Parent-led activity with printable worksheet
- Time: 15 minutes
LESSON 2 – JA THE LEGENDARY LEMONADE STAND: COST OF DOING BUSINESS
Aiden opens a lemonade stand to earn the money he needs and learns about the cost of owning a business.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Printable activity worksheet
- Time: 15 minutes
LESSON 3 – JA MONEY TRACKER AND BINGO
*WATCH INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO HERE
Young students learn how to keep track of the money you have in a bank. Watch the video on using the Money Tracker and then play the BINGO game.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Video with printable activity
- Time: 30 minutes
LESSON 4 – JA RISK AND INSURANCE GAME
Learn how everyday choices can create risks and how insurance provides added protection to help us make smart money choices.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Interactive video game
- Time: 30 minutes
DAY 4: BUILDING BUSINESS TOOLS
LESSON 1 – JA THE MONEY JAR PODCASTS: LIFELONG LEARNING #160
People have a wide range of interests. What makes someone switch from one career to another or decide to start a business?
- Category: Career Exploration and Work Readiness
- Type: Podcast
- Time: 25 minutes
LESSON 2 – CAREER EXPLORATION RESOURCES
Explore the job skills required to succeed in different career fields.
- Category: Career Exploration and Work Readiness
- Type: Online resource
- Time: 20 minutes
LESSON 3 – CAREER EXPLORATION VIDEOS
Watch videos to learn more about many interesting careers.
- Category: Career Exploration and Work Readiness
- Type: Videos
- Time: 15 minutes
LESSON 4 – LEARNING ECONOMICS WITH MINECRAFT
Students build a home in Minecraft while learning about the different resources businesses use every day.
- Category: Financial Literacy
- Type: Parent-led online course with resources and access to online game
- Time: 45 minutes
DAY 5: AM I AN ENTREPRENEUR?
LESSON 1 – JA THE MONEY JAR PODCASTS: ENCOURAGING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET #159
What does it take to be an entrepreneur? Is it something we are born with or can we develop the skills needed to start a business?
- Category: Career Exploration and Work Readiness
- Type: Podcast
- Time: 25 minutes
LESSON 2 – JA MY ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAITS
Discover what the traits of entrepreneurs are and how many you already have!
- Category: Entrepreneurship
- Type: Printable activity worksheet
- Time: 15 minutes
LESSON 3 – THE COLOR OF RESOURCES
Parent-led exploration and activities that use the story of crayons to teach how businesses use different resources to produce their products and services.
- Category: Entrepreneurship
- Type: Parent-led resources with activities, additional reading and videos
- Time: 45 minutes
LESSON 4 – 5 WAYS TO TEACH YOUR KIDS HOW TO BE GREAT ENTREPRENEURS
Share these 5 ways to begin introducing your kids to entrepreneurism at home.
- Category: Entrepreneurship
- Type: Parent resource with suggested activities and additional reading
- Time: 30 minutes
Activities English
Have ideas on other resources you’d like to see added? Send us a line.
MONEY MANAGEMENT & FINANCIAL LITERACY
JA Current Economic Climate: JA Analyzing Credit Cards (Activity) – Parent or teacher-led: Learn the pros and cons of credit cards
JA Excellence Through Ethics: Having Money When You Need It (Reading and Activity) – Parent or teacher-led: Examine the ethics of spending money on needs and wants
JA History of Prices (Reading and Activity) – Find out how people’s needs and desires affect the pricing of goods
JA Risk and Insurance (Interactive Game) – Learn all about risk taking and insurance
JA $ave: Vacation Time – Let’s Get Away! – Explore where you would go and how you would pay for vacation
JA The Legendary Lemonade Stand: Cost of Doing Business (Activity) – Aiden opens a lemonade stand to earn the money he needs and learns about owning a business
Hands On Banking (Free Online Courses) – Where does money come from and how do you earn it and use it? Let’s find out!
Learning Economics with Minecraft (Free Online Course) – Students build a home in Minecraft while learning about productive resources
Making Cents: Financial Literacy for Young Learners (Videos) – Watch these 5 short 45-second videos to learn to manage money: Learning to Save, Eating Out vs. At Home, Spend, Save, Share, How a Check Works, and Credit vs. Debit Cards
Printable Activities for Kids – Fun activities to learn about money, math and more!
Teaching kids about money at home (Reading) – Parent tips on how to discuss money with your kids
CAREER EXPLORATION & WORK READINESS
JA Career Quest Flier – Learn about yourself and careers that suit your interests and abilities
JA Global Connections – Have you ever been told you are “all over the map”? Learn about international careers and places!
JA My Interests – Complete this checklist to discover how your interests could become business ideas
JA $ave: It is Never Too Early to Decide on a College – Let’s explore how to choose a college
JA STEMBOT (Interactive Game) – Learn about STEM careers and practice STEM skills while solving puzzles and playing games
Career Exploration (Videos, Games, Activities) – Explore different careers by completing games and puzzles
Career Exploration Videos – Watch and learn about interesting careers
ENTREPRENEUR INSPIRATION
JA Excellence Through Ethics: Ethical Customer Service and Being an Ethical Customer (Reading and Activity) – Parent or teacher-led:
Examine advertising scenarios to determine if they are ethical
JA Excellence Through Ethics: Get The Word Out (Reading and Activity) – Parent or teacher-led: Create a successful product or service
Ja Robo Sellers Video Flyer (Game) – Fly your ship through the universe collecting and selling robot parts to start your own robot business
JA Science Means Business – Read about four inventors who turned their ideas into successful businesses
JA Video Library (Videos) – Watch young entrepreneurs discuss why it’s cool to run a business and share their stories and advice
5 Ways to Teach Your Kids How to Be Great Entrepreneurs (Reading) – Share these 5 ways to begin introducing your kids to entrepreneurism at home
BizKid$ Starting Your Own Business Interactive Games (Games, Online Courses, Videos) – Learn the secrets of millionaires at your own pace
Post-It Note Discovery (Reading) – Learn all about the post-it note and the man behind the invention
The Color of Resources Game (Online Course and Game) – Enjoy the journey of how crayons are made and learn about natural, capital and human resources
Activities Español
Have ideas on other resources you’d like to see added? Send us a line.
CAREER EXPLORATION & WORK READINESS
JA Folleto de Búsqueda de Carrera (Español) – Aprende sobre ti mismo y las carreras que se adaptan a tus intereses y habilidades
JA Aprendizaje Extendido: JA Sé un Ingeniero (Español) – Estudiantes construyen un avión de papel y aprenden sobre el peso, el empuje y el impacto de elevación
JA Conexiones Globales (Español) – ¿Alguna vez te han dicho que estás “por todo el mapa”? Aprende sobre algunas carreras y lugares internacionales
JA Mis Intereses (Español) – ¿En que estas interesado? Termina esta lista de verificación para descubrir cómo tus intereses podrían convertirse en ideas de negocios
ENTREPRENEUR INSPIRATION
JA Mis Rasgos Emprendedores (Español) – ¿Cuáles rasgos tienes en comúncon los emprendedores? y los tienes?
JA El Negocio de la Ciencia (Español) – ¿Te gusta inventar cosas? Lea acerca de cuatro inventores que convirtieron sus ideas en negocios exitosos
JA Hand in Hand Resources
The JA Hand in Hand video series allows students to learn foundational financial literacy concepts and videos support learning for all students through American Sign Language, closed captioning, and audio.