Money Discussion Prompts and Pause Points 

Before the Movie: 

How do you think people bought things before there was printed money? (Predict)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:55:  What are the strengths and weaknesses of the barter system? (Summarize)

Timecode 2:54: Why was marking weight on a coin important? Why might sellers carry their own scales to weigh coins? (Identify cause/effect)

Timecode 4:01: In what way are printed government bills a halfway point between using gold coins and using cryptocurrency? (Draw conclusions)

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Money topic. (Make connections)

What role do agreement and trust play in determining the value of money? (Identify cause/effect)

If you did an afternoon’s work for a business-owner, would you rather be paid in bitcoin or cash? Explain your answer. (Reflect, Apply new knowledge)

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Money Topic Page to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.