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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Making change to $1.00.

In this lesson students will work in small groups making change to $1.00 using coins and pictures of items priced from Sunday fliers. In advance the teacher will cut out pictures of items costing less than $1.00.

A lesson plan for grade 2 Mathematics

By Julie Hohns

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Learning outcomes

The student will make change with coins up to $1.00.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 hours

Materials/resources

  • Coins for each group
  • One $1 bill for each child.
  • Pictures of items cut out from store fliers with prices less than $1.00

Pre-activities

Student must be able to identify coins, attach a value to coins and count coins in combinations up to $1.00.

Practice making change with each student. Start out making change to $.10 working up to $1.00.

Activities

  1. Divide students into groups of 2 to 4. Give each student a $1.00 bill and put a pile of change on the table. Real coins and currency work best but simulated money is fine.
  2. Give each group a pile of pictures with items and prices less than $1.00. Let students take turns being the shopper. The shopper picks an item and pays his/her dollar to the group.
  3. The cashiers make the change counting out the change to the shopper. This is done one at a time. Having all three cashiers make their own change allows the other students in the group to see and hear different combinations that equal $1.00.

Assessment

Individual hands on testing with student and teacher. Provide the student with 5 trials to make change to $1.00.

Supplemental information

Comments

In my middle school self-contained EMD class counting change was a difficult undertaking. This is a great hands-on activity with a cooperative learning experience attached! I choose items of interest to my students for purchase and gave everyone many opportunities to be both the cashier and the purchaser.

If available, overhead and coins for overhead. Demonstrate making change on the overhead. A good software to use in the classroom for reinforcement and enrichment is: Money Challenge by GAMCO Educational Materials. (800-351-1404)

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 2

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, model, and compute with whole numbers through 999.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for whole numbers through 999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Read and write numbers.
      • Compare and order.
      • Rename.
      • Estimate.
      • Use a variety of models to build understanding of place value (ones, tens, hundreds).
    • Objective 1.04: Develop fluency with multi-digit addition and subtraction through 999 using multiple strategies.
      • Strategies for adding and subtracting numbers.
      • Estimation of sums and differences in appropriate situations.
      • Relationships between operations.
    • Objective 1.05: Create and solve problems using strategies such as modeling, composing and decomposing quantities, using doubles, and making tens and hundreds.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • Mathematics (2010)

      • Grade 2

        • Measurement & Data
          • 2.MD.8 Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ยข symbols appropriately. Example: If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how many cents do you have?
        • Operations & Algebraic Thinking
          • 2.OAT.1 Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with...