How it works
It was swap day in Pennyfield. Leo's kite was worth six coins, and Kit offered a shiny card for it, in a hurry.
A fair deal has equal worth, nothing hidden, no rush, and a no allowed.
Kit rushed Leo and kept a thumb on a torn corner. A card like it was worth one coin, five less than the kite, so Leo said no thanks.
Ana's six-coin book was a fair swap: the same worth, nothing hidden, no rush, and either one could say no.
Worked examples
Worth lost
- Leo's kite is worth 6 coins and Kit's card is worth 1 coin.
- 6 − 1 = 5
- Leo would lose 5 coins of worth. That is not a fair swap.
Checking a worth
- Kit says the card is rare.
- Leo looks at a card like it at the card stall, where it is worth 1 coin.
- To check a worth, look at the same thing somewhere else.
A balanced swap
- Leo's kite is worth 6 coins and Ana's book is worth 6 coins.
- On the scale they balance, and nothing is hidden.
- Nobody rushes, and either one can say no, so it is fair.
A hidden catch
- Kit's thumb covers a torn corner.
- A hidden catch is something you are not told that would change your mind.
- Kit may not have meant harm, but a hidden catch makes a deal unfair.
A taste of the worksheets
These are some of the questions on the sets. The printable sheets have more and an answer key.
- Circle every sign that a swap is NOT fair. Today only! No time to look! / Both things are worth six coins / A flaw hidden under a thumb / You are allowed to say no / One thing is worth far less than the other
- Why was the swap with Ana fair? The book looked shiny and new / Equal worth, nothing hidden, no rush, and a no was allowed / Ana asked first
- True or false? Leo loves Kit's torn card and knows all about the tear. Choosing it can still be his own choice.
- True or false? Fix the mistake. Kit says: the card is shiny, so it is worth six coins. Is Kit right?
- Stretch: a deal fails even one of the four signs. What should you do? Say yes before someone else does / Hide the problem / Pause and ask a grown-up
Words to know
- worth
- How much something is worth, in coins.
- hidden catch
- Something you are not told that would change your mind.
- rush
- Being hurried, which is a sign to slow down.
- swap
- Trading one thing for another.
Watch out for
- Shiny is not the same as worth. Check the worth.
- A rush is a sign to slow down. A fair deal can always wait.
- Fair does not always mean the same: with open eyes, a choice can still be your own.
- If someone keeps pushing a deal on you, walk away and tell a grown-up.
Try it
A kite worth 6 coins is swapped for a card worth 1. How much worth is lost?
5. 6 − 1 = 5 coins of worth.
Name the four signs of a fair deal.
Equal worth, nothing hidden, no rush, and a no allowed. If a deal fails one of them, pause and ask a grown-up.
Someone says, today only, no time to look! What does that tell you?
It is a rush, so slow down. A fair deal can always wait.
Is a torn corner hidden under a thumb part of a fair deal?
No. A hidden catch makes a deal unfair.
For grown-ups
With a grown-up, think of a swap or deal you have made. Check it with the four signs: equal worth, nothing hidden, no rush, and a no that is allowed.
Think of a swap or deal your child has made and check it with the four signs together. Telling a grown-up about a pushy offer is always a good idea.