Learning about money
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Age group
Students ages 6 and 7
When
May or October
Time required
3 hours and 30 minutesn
Broad areas of learning
Environmental Awareness and Consumer Rights and Responsibilities (QEP 2011)
Activity summary
Students will look at, touch and learn to identify Canadian coins and bills.
Financial and cooperative skills
- Learn the value of Canadian coins and bills
- Identify different types of Canadian money
- Make a purchase
Competencies
Subject-specific competencies taught
Subject | Competency | Progressions of learning |
|---|---|---|
Mathematics | Reasoning using math concepts and processes |
|
Subject-specific competencies affected
Subject | Competency |
|---|---|
English | To use language to communicate and learn (QEP 2011) |
Cross-curricular competencies
- Cooperates with others (QEP 2011)
- Adopts effective work methods (QEP 2011)
Preparation
Students learn how to identify and recognize canadian coins and bills.
Time required
45 minutes
Teaching material
Task 1
Learning about canadian coins and bills
Task 1 objective
By the end of this task, students will be able to recognize and identify Canadian coins as well as $5, $10, and $20 bills.
Instructions
- Ask students to bring Canadian coins
- Ask them what they know about Canadian coins and bills.
- Have the students look at and describe the coins and bills.
- Ask students to handle the coins and bills and describe what the money feels like.
- Use the Canada’s Coins and Bills sheet to tell students about each coin and bill.
- Compare Canadian coins with coins from other countries.
Time required
15 to 30 minutes (optional task)
Task 2
Playing with coins and bank notes
Task 2 objective
By the end of this task, students will be able to recognize Canadian coins as well as $5, $10 and $20 bills
Instructions
- Form teams of 2 students.
- Ask students to sit back to back.
- At the teacher’s signal, 1 of the 2 students chooses a coin or bill and gives hints to their partner to help them guess the denomination. When the student guesses correctly, the student chooses another coin or bill and their partner guesses again, until the time is up.
- Once the time is up, the teacher gives the signal and the students change places.
- Review what students learned during this task.
Developement
Students will learn to identify the different values of coins and bills and be able to calculate the value of an assortment of coins and bills.
Time required
45 minutes (including time for cutting)
Teaching material
Task 1
Distinguishing quantity and value
Task 1 objective
By the end of the task, students will be able to calculate the value of a money pile and distinguish the difference between value and quantity.
Instructions
- Form 2 piles of coins for the class. Ask students to identify the pile with the most money.
- Count the pile for the students and demonstrate that the larger pile (with more coins) isn’t necessarily the pile with the largest monetary value.
- Discuss the definitions of the words value and quantity.
- Hand out the Canada’s Coins and Bills sheet and have the students cut out the coins and bills.
- Ask students to use the cut-outs to individually answer the following two questions:
- How many coins and bills do you have? The team should have 38 coins and 6 bills.
- What is the value of all the coins and bills? The team should have $79.
Evaluation
Students learn to calculate the value of coins and bills and make purchases under that amount.
Time required
60 minutes
Teaching material
Task 1
Bying items at the school store
Task 1 objective
By the end of this task, students will be able to identify, recognize, and calculate the value of coins and bills, and use that knowledge make a purchase in the school store.
Instructions
- Hand out the At the Store! sheet to students
- Ask students to perform the task
- Go over it as a group and discuss the students’ ideas.