The big ideaA fair deal is about equal worth, nothing hidden, no rush, and a no is allowed.
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.
The kite and the book are worth the same. The torn card is worth far less.Two swaps.
Example 1: 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.
Example 2: 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.
Example 3: 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.
Example 4: 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.
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
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?
Name the four signs of a fair deal.
Someone says, today only, no time to look! What does that tell you?
Is a torn corner hidden under a thumb part of a fair deal?
Answers: 1. 5 · 2. Equal worth, nothing hidden, no rush, and a no allowed · 3. It is a rush, so slow down · 4. No
Try at homeWith 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.
For grown-upsThink 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.
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