Summary
This lesson engages students in the concept of money and counting money. Students participate in hands-on activities that allow them to visualize and master the skill.
Essential Question(s)
How are coins the same and different? What is the value of each coin?
Snapshot
Engage
Students analyze a real coin and record their observations in their Coin Book using an "I Notice, I Wonder" chart.
Explore
Students listen to and discuss the "The Coin Counting Book" by Rozanne Lanczak Williams. Students record their thinking and choose one specific coin to illustrate in their Coin Book.
Explain
Using the strategy, 30-Second Expert, students work in groups and then share what they know about their coin. Students complete the other coin pages and then play the "Do You Want to Battle Me?" money game.
Extend
Students solve real-life problems with the game, I Will Sell You This For, that involves buying and selling small objects with their classroom money.
Evaluate
Students write a sentence describing different coins and their values. They also write a sentence explaining how they count money.
Materials
Variety of coins (classroom sets)
Hand Magnifiers
Book " The Coin Counting Book" by Rozanne Lanczak Williams
Coin Book handout (attached; 1 per student)
What I Know About Coins-Assessment Handout (attached; 1 per student)
Task Cards for the Challenging Money Problems (attached; 1 per student)
Primary Writing Paper (attached)
Engage
25 Minute(s)
Show students how to complete the T-Chart in their coin books.
The first column of the "I Notice, I Wonder" T-Chart is labeled "I Notice" and the second column "I Wonder." Have students draw a vertical line between the columns. Tell students they are each going to look for details on a coin. Pass out coins and hand lenses. Have the students look at their coins carefully using the hand lenses. They should record their findings in the "I Notice" column and any wonderings or questions under "I Wonder."
You may need to guide and encourage students' interest by asking a variety of questions such as:
What do you see in the middle of the coin?
Are there any words?
Is the coin the same on both sides?
What do you notice about the edges of the coin?
What color is your coin?
Why did they pick those pictures to put on the coin?
Do you have questions or wonderings?
Students should continue to record their findings and thoughts in their coin book.
Next, have students share their findings with their Elbow Partner and work together to write an "I think" statement in their Coin Book.
Mini Practice: Have the paired students combine their coins and figure out the total value. You may also want to challenge them to double or triple the value.
Explore
25 Minute(s)
Read The Coin Counting Book by Rozanne Lanczak Williams aloud or show the video version.
As you read the book, stop periodically for student discussion. Then, give students time to record information about the various coins in their Coin Books. Have students choose their favorite coin and complete that coin page in their Coin Book by drawing a picture of both sides of the coin. Students should use their hand magnifiers to help them with the drawings.
Mini Practice: Have the students pick a coin. It could be their favorite one. Then, have them move about the room looking for someone whose coin value, when added to theirs, equals 10 cents. Then, if time allows, have them look for someone whose coin value, when added to theirs, equals 15 cents.
Explain
25 Minute(s)
Group students by the coin page they drew in the Explore part of the lesson. Using the 30-Second Expert strategy, have students share what they know about that coin in their groups. If groups are too large, create more than one group for that coin.
Next, have each group present what they have discovered about their coins to the whole class. Groups who have chosen the same coin might repeat things, but that's okay.
Have students return to their "I Notice, I Wonder" T-Charts and add any new questions. After the class discussion, give students time to complete the remaining pages in their Coin Books.
Mini Practice: Students play a game called "Battle Me." Students turn to their Elbow Partners and say, "Do you want to battle me?" Then, their partner says, "Yes, I want to battle you." They then ask, "What coins added together make 10 cents? What coins added together make 15 cents?" and so on. Have students take turns battling each other. Have students record what they have learned in their Coin Book. For example, students may write, "I learned that two dimes and one nickel make 25 cents."
Extend
25 Minute(s)
Have students work with their Elbow Partners for this exercise. Have each student select three different items from their desk or from the room that could be for sale. Then, ask them to assign a "pretend price" to each item. For example, the student may pick their glue stick and say they are selling this item for 10 cents. Then, their partner will use coins to show the value of that particular item.
Have students repeat the same steps three times, then switch roles. Ask students to record their thinking in their Coin Books. You may need to model the steps, so students know what to do.
Mini practice: Select items from your desk and price them at 25 cents. Instruct students use their coins and come up with different ways to make 25 cents.
Evaluate
25 Minute(s)
Have students return to their "I Notice, I Wonder" T-Charts. Ask students to check their charts to see whether or not their questions have been answered. If not, then this is a great time to introduce another book that answers those questions or to search on Kiddle.
Show the video, Learning About the US Coins from the Coins for Kids website as a review of what they have learned.
To check understanding and mastery of the skill, have students write a sentence describing the different coins and their values. Ask them to write a second sentence explaining how they count money. You can use the following examples of sentence stems to help them start their writing:
The different coins I learned about are . . . . I can count money by . . . .
Have them add the sentences to their Coin Books, or you can have them use the attached What I Know About Coins Assessment handout.
If you have Alpha Plus or a similar program, you can also use it as an assessment.
Extension for Gifted Students
Challenge students with higher-order thinking questions. Students can do these individually or in pairs. They can also use them in place of or in addition to the regular classroom lesson to help differentiate instruction. Task cards are attached.
Adjust the money to be counted. You might want to include dollar bills and half-dollar coins.
How many different ways can you make 20 cents?
In my pocket, I have 75 cents. What coins might I have?
I have two coins in one hand and one in the other. The coins in each hand are worth the same amount. What could these coins be?
Resources
Homeschool Pop. (2017, Apr 5). Coins for kids. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUYJHL2muN8
K20 Center. (n.d.) Elbow Partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). I Notice, I Wonder. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/180
K20 Center. (n.d.). 30 Second Expert. Strategies https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1048
Kiddle. (2022, April 22). Money facts for kids. https://kids.kiddle.co/Money
Mini Me Geology. (2014, Sep 10). How to focus your hand lens/hand magnifier to see rock and mineral details. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Q_pUDDVj8
Williams, Rozanne Lanczak. (2020, Apr 18). The coin counting book. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrEO-4clQe4