You will learn
- Name our currency.
- Recognise notes and coins.
- Name other currencies.
- Handle money with care.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Each country has its own currency.
- Sierra Leone uses the Leone.
- Money comes as notes and coins.
- Currencies have different values.
Words to know
the kind of money a country uses
the currency of Sierra Leone
paper or polymer money
round metal money
1. Discover: Money from different places
Mohamed shows pictures of money from different places. “This is a Leone note,” says his teacher, Ms Smith. “Ghana uses the cedi. Nigeria uses the naira. The United States uses the dollar.” Mei adds, “In China the money is the yuan.” “Each country has its own money,” says Ms Smith. “When you travel, you may exchange it.”
Think: Why do countries have different money?
2. Understand: Currency
Idea 1: Currency
A currency is the kind of money a country uses. The currency of Sierra Leone is the Leone. Other currencies include the Ghanaian cedi, Nigerian naira, US dollar and euro.
Idea 2: Notes and coins
Money comes as notes and coins. Notes are used for larger amounts and coins for smaller amounts. Each note and coin shows its value, and often important symbols, people or places from the country.
Idea 3: Care
Handle money carefully: keep it clean, do not fold or tear notes, count it, and keep it safe. Never show it off or leave it where it can be lost. When we travel, we may exchange our currency for another.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Name
Our money.
- Think.
- Check.
- Say.
Answer: Leone.
Example 2 (We do it together): Match
Note or coin?
- Look.
- Sort.
- Say.
Answer: A paper picture is a note.
Example 3 (You try): Other
Ghana money?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Check.
- Say.
Answer: Cedi.
Did you know?
In July 2022, Sierra Leone introduced new Leone notes and coins, removing three zeros from the old amounts to make numbers easier to use.
Why this matters
Knowing our currency helps us use money wisely and understand other places.
4. Explore: Currency match
Match pictures of currencies to their countries. Make a poster of notes and coins using drawings (not copies of real money). Label each.
- Match.
- Draw.
- Label.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Each country has its own money.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A currency is ___.
- Our currency is the ___.
- A note is ___.
- A coin is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a currency?
A country’s money.
Question 2. What is our currency?
The Leone.
Question 3. What is a note?
Paper or polymer money.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a currency?
- What is our currency?
- What is a note?
- What is a coin?
- Name another currency.
Level 2: Grow
- Why different money?
- Why handle with care?
- Why exchange?
Level 3: Stretch
- Match currencies.
- Draw play money.
- Label.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name our currency and two others.
Show a sample answer
Leone; cedi, naira.
Another one. Look at a Leone note or coin with an adult.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Each has its own.
Fix: Never copy real money.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name our currency.
- I can recognise notes and coins.
- I can name other currencies.
- I can handle money with care.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Each country has its own currency.
- Sierra Leone uses the Leone.
- Money comes as notes and coins.
- Currencies have different values.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Buying and selling. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name our currency and two others. [3 marks]
- Say what notes and coins are. [2 marks]
- Say how to handle money with care. [3 marks]
- Say why we do not copy real money. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Leone [1]; two others [2]
- Notes [1]; coins [1]
- Three ways [3]
- Not allowed [1]; harmful [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a currency?
- What is our currency?
- What is a note?
- What is a coin?
- Name another currency.
- Why different money?
- Why handle with care?
- Why exchange?
- Match currencies.
- Draw play money.
Homework
Draw play money and label it with the Leone.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a currency? | A country’s money. | 1 |
| 2. What is our currency? | The Leone. | 1 |
| 3. What is a note? | Paper or polymer money. | 1 |
| 4. What is a coin? | Round metal money. | 1 |
| 5. Name another currency. | Cedi. | 1 |
| 6. Why different money? | Each country has its own. | 1 |
| 7. Why handle with care? | Keep it safe. | 1 |
| 8. Why exchange? | Use abroad. | 1 |
| 9. Match currencies. | Match. | 1 |
| 10. Draw play money. | Draw. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 A country’s money.; 2 The Leone.; 3 Paper or polymer money.; 4 Round metal money.; 5 Cedi.. Level 2: 1 Each country has its own.; 2 Keep it safe.; 3 Use abroad.. Level 3: 1 Match.; 2 Draw.; 3 Label..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name our currency | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Recognise notes and coins | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Name other currencies | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Handle money with care | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “All countries use the Leone.” Each has its own.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a play-money booklet.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about our currency. Please look at notes and coins together. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Show real Leone notes and coins.
- Name other currencies.
- Keep money safe.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name our currency; recognise notes and coins; name other currencies; handle money with care.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 ideas: needs and wants, goods and services, producers and consumers.
Materials. Currency pictures, paper. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare currency pictures.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the money from different places story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach currency.
Guided activity (10 min). Currency match.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is our currency? How do we handle money?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “All countries use the Leone.” Each has its own.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a play-money booklet. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 7, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, economic decision making and exchange; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and work; IB Primary Years Programme, how we organise ourselves. These sources informed the lesson.