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Coin Attributes | Coin Riddles | How Many Different Ways? | A Handful of Coins | Coupon Math After money has been introduced into the classroom, ask each child to bring a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter to school for a week of money activities. Concentrate on one coin at a time. Direct students to observe and feel the designated coin. The classroom teacher or another adult records various attributes as younger students share what they have discovered. Older students can compile lists within cooperative groups to share with the whole class. This can be an interdisciplinary study as students discuss the metals and alloys as well as the different hair styles and buildings depicted on the coins. Return to the top of the page. Using the attributes described in the first activity, give students riddles to solve progressing from one coin solutions to multiple coins. Direct students to show possible solutions as you read each line of the riddle. Provide time for changes after each clue has been read. ________________________________________________
(penny) ________________________________________________
(1 penny, 1 nickel, 2 dimes, and 1 quarter) ________________________________________________ Students will enjoy writing their own riddles for others to solve. They may want to choose the coin or coins their riddle is to be about first. Once the "solution" is in front of them, it is easier to determine what clues to write. Encourage them to write possible clues on a sheet of paper. Once they have several clues, they need to organize them in an order that provides only one possible solution for their last clue. Clues may be written on an index card and attached to a paper sack or envelope containing coins provided by the teacher. Before placing the sack in a center encourage students to experiment with at least one person to be sure their clues really do have only one solution! Return to the top of the page. We encourage children to show us the least amount of coins when counting money and making change, but they need to know there are many different ways to represent specific amounts of money. This problem solving activity will create lots of interest as students find all the different ways. It will also help students to learn the importance of organizing data. Start with twelve cents (4 ways) and follow with twenty-five cents (13 ways). Older students will like the challenge of choosing a larger number and searching for the number of solutions possible. Return to the top of the page. Give students either a randomly or previously selected handful of coins. Ask them to sort and classify each group of coins by telling you the name and value of the coin. Next have students count the number of coins in each pile and tell the total value of the coins in the pile (i.e. five dimes = fifty cents). Finally ask the student to tell you the total value of the handful of coins. Return to the top of the page. Ask your students to cut out ten different coupons from newspapers or magazines for math class. Encourage them to discuss with their parents how their family uses coupons. Direct students to sort their coupons according to the money values on them. In the process, they will do a lot of reading and ask a lot of questions. Some students will be surprised you have to buy something to save some money! Ask students what they think happens to the coupons when they are turned in at the store. If no one is sure, someone (or a team) could be assigned to contact a store manager to discover the answer for the class. Ask students to complete the following or similar directions:
Divide students into small groups with each student in the group having a coupon of the same value. Direct each student to glue his/her coupon at the top of an individual (printable) worksheet. Students should independently solve each portion of the worksheet. As a group they should then compare and discuss their solutions for each task. Once consensus has been reached, students should prepare a group presentation. During the presentation students will share the following three things with their classmates:
Return to the top of the page.
Copyright © 1999
Judy M. Christiansen |
