Grade: Elementary
Subject: 4 Blocks

#1491. Math lessons about money

4 Blocks, level: Elementary
Posted Wed Jan 5 17:43:07 PST 2000 by deb ().
Concepts Taught: math, reading, poems

This is a wonderful way to incorporate some math poems into guided reading

The Baby Kangaroo
Poems to Count On by Sandra Liatsos
ISBN: 0-590-60340-X
Scholastic Professional Books

The Baby Kangaroo
"My baby is a bright one,"
said the mother kangaroo.
"With money in my pocket,
he knows just what to do.

He counts the nickels all by fives.
The dimes he counts by ten.
And if they drop, he quickly
picks them up and counts again.

Each time I give my son a coin
he always hollers `thanks!'
And when he's got a lot of them,
He puts them in his bank!"


Reading Activity: Write the lines on sentence strips. Place the sentence strips in a pocket chart. Read the poem together. Then have the girls read a line, the boys read the next; have 2 children read the poem to the class; try several different combinations. During SSR reading or centers allow students to read the poem with a pointer. Rereadings help build fluency.


Math Activity: Give each child ten nickels and a 100s chart. Have the children count the nickels by placing the first one on zero and counting up to the number five. Then continuing to count up to reach the other multiples of five. Extend the lesson: How much money does the baby kangaroo have if she has 20 nickels?


I Wish I had a Nickel
Poems to Count On by Sandra Liatsos
ISBN: 0-590-60340-X
Scholastic Professional Books


I Wish I Had a Nickel
I wish I had a nickel.
I wish I had a dime.
I wish I had a quarter.
I would count them all the time.

I wish I had a dollar.
But it wouldn't make a sound;
I'd never know I lost it
If it fell out on the ground.

So I'd trade it for some pennies
And I'd keep them in a sack.
I'd never ever spend them
Because then I'd want them back!

Reading Activity: Write the lines on sentence strips. Place the sentence strips in a pocket chart. Read the poem together. Have these props ready when you introduce this poem: nickel, dime, quarter, dollar bill, and a sack with 100 pennies. As you read the poem you could have the kids find the right coin or bill needed. Then have the girls read a line, the boys read the next; have 2 children read the poem to the class; try several different combinations. During SSR reading or centers allow students to read the poem with a pointer. Rereadings help build fluency.

Math Activities:
How much money do we have in all here? I give them a paper with each of the coins showing.

Money equivalencies: In the poem, the poet exchanges a dollar bill for a sack of pennies. How many pennies would have to be in the sack to make the trade equal (fair)? What other equivalencies can the children think up (2 nickels=1 dime)?

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein pages 35
HarperCollins, 1974
ISBN: 0060256680

Baloney Belly Billy

Baloney Belly Billy
swallows anything for cash.
If you offer him a penny,
he'll chew paper from the trash.
He'll eat guppies for a nickel,
for a dime, he'll eat a bug,
and a quarter will convince him
that he ought to eat a slug.

I have seen him eat a button.
I have seen him eat a bee.
I have seen him eat three beatles
for a half dollar fee.
For a dollar he will gladly
eat a lizard off a fence,
just imagine what he'd swallow
for another fifty cents.

What items has Baloney Belly Billy swallowed?
How much money has he earned?


Money Everyday
Take today's date (Oct. 23). Find all the ways to make 23 cents. Make _____ cents with your change. Organize the coin combinations so I can tell that you have shown all the possible answers. First grade typically finds the amounts based on the date. Second grade typically finds the amounts based on the number of days in school.

"Smart" Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein pages 35
HarperCollins, 1974
ISBN: 0060256680
Math and Literature (K-3) Book One Marilyn Burns Mailbox Magazine

Smart
My dad gave me a dollar
`Cause I'm his smartest son
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
`Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes --- I guess he don't know
That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the feed-seed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head ---
Too proud of me to speak!
Reading Activity for the poem "Smart": Write the lines on sentence strips. Place the sentence strips in a pocket chart. Read the poem together.

Math Activity from Mailbox Magazine for the poem "Smart": This poem provides the perfect opportunity to teach youngsters that more can be less when it comes to coins. Have overhead props ready when you introduce this poem: dollar, 2 quarters, three dimes, four nickels, five pennies. As you reread the poem have a student go to the overhead to show the boy's first trade. Then enlist the class's help in determining the amount of money lost during the transaction and record this amount in the third column. Repeat this activity after each stanzas. Have the students calculate the total amount of money the young boy lost.

Overhead transparency
Money Had Traded For Money Lost


Another Math Activity for the poem "Smart": Through a series of trades, a boy takes pride in the fact that after starting off with only a single dollar bill, he ends up with five pennies. And five is more than one, isn't it? Did the boy get a good deal? Explain your answer using pictures, numbers, and words. Write the lines on sentence strips. Place the sentence strips in a pocket chart. Read the poem together.

Data & Graphing Activities for Every Month, Grade 1-2 By Kathy Reed
In this activity, students make bar graphs. Fill at least two jars with coins before the activity begins. Students are likely to sort by type of coin first. Encourage them to sort by type of coin first. Encourage them to sort the coins in other ways by discussing characteristics such as the date and place the coins were minted and the condition of the coin (shiny, dull, damaged, not damaged). As a group activity, you may wish to chart some of the data rather than graphing it to emphasize that not all data must be displayed by a graph.

Directions: Choose 15 coins from the jar. Sort the coins. Use the coins to make a graph. Put them on the graph paper to show how you sorted them. Label your graph paper. Take the coins off, one at a time. Color the square as you take off each coin. Think of another way to sort the coins. Make a new bar graph to show how. Which way of sorting tells the most?
"The Googies Are Coming" Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
HarperCollins, 1974 ISBN: 0060256680

The Googies Are Coming
The googies are coming, the old people say,
To buy little children and take them away.
Fifty cents for fat ones,
Twenty cents for lean ones,
Fifteen cents for dirty ones,
Thirty cents for clean ones,
A nickel each for mean ones.

The googies are coming, and maybe tonight,
To buy little children and lock them up tight.
Eight cents for husky ones,
Quarter for the weak ones,
Penny each for noisy ones,
A dollar for the meek ones.

Forty cents for happy ones.
Eleven cents for sad ones.
And, kiddies, when they come to buy,
It won't do any good to cry.
But---just between yourself and I---
They never buy the bad ones!

Mailbox Magazine Primary April/May 1998 (page 16) Math idea:
The googies buy children of all different shapes and sizes, and at all different prices. They'll pay 15 cents for dirty ones, 30 cents for clean ones, and only a penny for noisy ones! What a bargain!

After several readings of this money-filled poem, post individual sentence strips showing the price of each type of child the googies want to buy. With your students' help, arrange the strips in descending order based on the prices. Then use the resulting list to enhance your students' problem-solving skills. To do this, give each child a construction paper booklet or blank paper. Instruct each child to write her name and the poem title on the front cover, then illustrate what she thinks googie might look like on the back cover. Each morning display a word problem based on the posted list and challenge students to solve the problem in their booklets before the end of the school day. Then set aside time for the students to compare their solutions with their classmates and make any necessary adjustments. This poem is from the internet. Teachers.net lessons pages

Penny, penny,
Easily spent
Copper brown
and worth one cent.

Nickel, nickel,
Thick and fat,
You're worth five cents.
I know that.

Dime, dime,
Little and thin,
I remember,
You're worth ten.

Quarter, quarter,
Big and bold,
You're worth twenty-five
I am told!

Math Doodle Loops By Sandy Baker Good Apple GA 1549
Story Problem: Beth saved 3 dimes and 4 nickels. How much money did she save altogether? Draw a picture about this math story. Write about the math. Write the number sentence about your picture.

Story Problem: Len took 50 cents to the bakery. He spent 35 cents on a Halloween cookie. How much change did he get? Draw a picture about the math story. Write about the math. Write the number sentence about your picture.

Story Problem: Draw a picture about this math problem. 75 cents - 50 cents = 25 cents

Story Problem: Draw a picture about this math problem. 8 cents + 6 cents = 14 cents

This money rap is from Teachers.net lesson # 399 introducing money by Karen

The Money Rap
Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Well a penny is worth one and a nickel is five,
A dime is worth ten and a quarter twenty-five.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.

Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Five pennies make a nickel.
Two nickels make a dime.
Two dimes and a nickel
make a quarter and it's mine.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.

A Quarter from the Tooth Fairy By Caren Holtzman
A Hello Math Reader, Scholastic, Inc. 1995
ISBN: 0-59026-5989

Math By All Means Money Grades 1-2 By Jane Crawford A Marilyn Burns Replacement Unit Math Solutions Publications 1996
ISBN: 0-941355-17-9 The following ideas are from this book.

Reading Activities: To activate prior knowledge, talk with the students about their own experiences with losing teeth and the tooth fairy. Has anyone ever lost a tooth? How many teeth have you lost? What happened when you lost a tooth? Did you receive anything when you lost a tooth? I would read aloud the whole book with no interruptions of the story.

Math Activities:
Whole group with teacher modeling -- Then I would ask the class to describe one set of coins the boy had that was worth 25 cents. Show the class the page in the book with those coins, and have the students count with you as you point to them (this is a good time to reinforce going back to prove an idea is a good reading technique). Record on the chart paper by drawing circles and recording the coin values inside. Ask for another set of coins the boy had. Repeat until all the sets are generated. If they can't remember all of the sets, go through the story and find pages with sets. Then on the chart paper record the number sentences: 5+5+5+5+5=25 cents (this is written under the nickel set). Then have the students to help you write a word sentence: We used five nickels to make 25 cents. Repeat for all the coin combinations.

Then ask the students to generate more ways to get to 25 cents. Tell them they need to record each combination in three ways---drawing pictures of the coins, writing a number sentence, and writing a word sentence. Put a container of coins at each table to assist the children's learning. While students are working the teacher is making observations and interacting with students who may need encouragement to continue. Most children will find more ideas than in the book. However it is unrealistic to expect children to find all the solutions.

This lesson should conclude with a class discussion sharing different ideas found. A Chair for My Mother By Vera B. Williams
Greenwillow Books 1982
ISBN: 0-688-04074-8

Math By All Means Money Grades 1-2 By Jane Crawford A Marilyn Burns Replacement Unit Math Solutions Publications 1996 ISBN: 0-941355-17-9 The following ideas are from this book.

Reading and Math Activity: Activate prior knowledge by discussing what kind of chores the children have. Also ask children if they know anyone who has ever had a house fire.

Read aloud the book.

Ask the children to list chores they could do to earn money. The children should decide on amounts of money they'd earn for a chore. The amounts should be less than a dollar. Model how to pick a chore and write how much you would earn for doing the chore:

I will change the baby's diapers.
I will earn 89 cents.

What coins could they use to make that amount? Record the answer by recording circles, labeling them 1, 5, 10, 25 as appropriate. Draw a line under what you have done.

What did the little girl do with the money she earned? (Saved half, spent half) What did she save the money in? Draw a jar in the right hand corner. What did she put the money she spent in? Draw a pocket/purse in the left hand corner.

Students will:
1. Choose a chore from the list the class gathered.
2. Write a complete sentence saying what they will do and how much they will earn.
3. Draw coins to represent the amount of money they will earn.
4. Draw a jar and either a pocket or purse, divide in half then money they drew, and put half in the jar and half in the pocket/purse. They will also write about how they divided the money.

Teacher should wander around the room observing the students, assessing what they know, and offer help as needed.

To conclude the children gathered together and shared what they did.
Mrs. Fitz's Flamingos By Kevin McCloskey
Lothrup, Lee & Shepard 1992
ISBN: 0-688-10474-6

Math and Literature (K-3) Book Two pages 47-51 By Stephanie Sheffield
Math Solutions Publications 1995
ISBN: 0-941355-11-X

Show the kids the cover of the book. Where do you think this story took place? Read story. When you get to the page where Mrs. Fitz has 12 flamingos ask, "How many pairs did she buy?" Finish the book then ask 3 questions:

1. Mrs. Fitz bought a pair of flamingos each week. If she did this for a whole year, how many flamingos would she have?

2. When Mrs. Fitz had to bring the flamingos in from the fire escape, she had twelve of them. If she bought the flamingos for $3.00 a pair, how much did she spend for all 12?

3. How much would Mrs. Fitz spend in a year?

I have the students work alone or in pairs. The kids then work together to solve the 3 questions. After everyone had time to solve their problems, the children were encouraged to share their strategies.

Six Dinner Sid By Inga Moore
Aladdin Paperbacks 1991
0-671-79613-5

Math and Literature (K-3) Book Two By Stephanie Sheffield
Math Solutions Publications 1995
ISBN: 0-941355-11-X

Sid the cat has convinced six different people to feed him every night. How many meals did Sid eat in a week? In a year? If one meal is 0.54 cents, how much would it cost to feed him 6 meals a day? If he eats only one meal a day, how much would it cost to feed him for a year?
Benny's Pennies Pat Brosson
Bantom Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1993
ISBN: 0-440-41016-9

Math and Literature (K-3) Book Two By Stephanie Sheffield
Math Solutions Publications 1995
ISBN: 0-941355-11-X

Read story to children. Then go through the story and ask students how much money Benny has. As each penny is spent, ask how much money Benny has left.

Have the students write our own versions.
List five favorite things and how much each item costs.
Add up the five items.
Refer to the book for the pattern of this story.
Second graders needed several days to complete this activity.

Benny has 31 cents.
Complete 1 or 2 depending on your class grade level.
1. Figure out with real money, all the different coin combinations that Benny could have.

2. Divide your paper into fourths. Your problem is to think of 4 different ways Benny might have a total of 31 cents to pay for his purchases. Figure out with real money then use the stamps to show which coins you used.

When the class is done, record their solutions on the board as a way to keep track of them. There are 18 different coin combinations.

How Much is that Guinea Pig in the Window? By Joanne Rocklin
Hello Math Reader, Scholastic, Inc. 1995 Math ideas from Marilyn Burns
ISBN: 0-590-22716-5

The kids in Mr. Day's class have earned $50.00 to buy class pets. Go through the pictures with your students and figure out all the solutions you can. Remember to have the children explain what they do and why they do it. I have this book at a center. The children can work alone or with a small group.

Chapter I
Sam noticed the iguana was on sale, half-off of $70.00. Why couldn't the class buy it?

How much does one bunny cost?

Frogs cost three for $10.00. Mice cost two for $5.00 Which costs more: one frog or one mouse? Explain how you reasoned.

The snake cost $20.00 a foot. How long a snake could the class buy for $50.00?

How would you spend the $50.00 in the pet shop?

Chapter II
The kids figured out that 100 nickels makes $5.00. How do you know this is true?

Sally and Eric found five cans and four bottles. How much money would they get for them? Sam and Lily found eleven bottles and nine cans. How much money would they get?


Chapter III
For her birthday party, Amy's sister had these sodas: six grape, six lemonade, six strawberry, six root beer, and six pineapple-peach. How many cans altogether? How many cans did Amy drink? How many cans did Nora drink? What do you think about the punch Amy and Nora made? Write a recipe for your favorite punch.


Chapter IV
In the pet store, a girl bought six mice, two rabbits, one puppy, one iguana, and one tarantula. How much did these pets cost altogether?

On Saturday, Brad and Jon found eleven cans and one bottle. How much money did Jon and Brad earn for the class?

How much would it cost to buy the guinea pig food for a whole year? How many bottles and cans would it take to get that money?


The $1.00 Word Riddle Book By Marilyn Burns 1995
Math Solutions Publications
ISBN: 0-941355-02-0

a=1 cent
z=26 cents

D+e+b+b+i+e
4+5+2+2+9+5 = 27 cents


Using stamps of coins or cut out pictures of coins to show different combinations of coins. How many combinations can you figure out? Which person's name in the class is the most expensive? Which person's name is the least expensive? Are there any names the same amount? Which names have the most combinations?


Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday Judith Viorst 1978
Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN: 0-689-71199-9

Alexander spends his money unwisely. Read the book to the students. The second time through have the class help you figure out how much Alexander has left each time he spends money.

Give a page of paper coins to each child. Have the children write a story about spending all their money. As they spend money, the children should glue the amounts down on the paper.

Each child needs to find something at home that costs a dollar and then either draw the item or bring the item to school. Then make a list on chart paper of all the items the kids found.


Pigs Go to Market: Halloween Fun with Math and Shopping Amy Axelrod
Nally, Simon & Schuster 1998
ISBN: 0-590-37623-3

How many pieces of candy did the pigs win at the grocery store? How many different kinds of candy did the pigs win at the grocery store? If you could pick out candy, what kinds would you choose and how much would it cost? How much did the candy weigh?
The Dollar Song
(Sung to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
10 little, 20 little, 30 little pennies.
40 little, 50 little, 60 little pennies.
70 little, 80 little, 90 little pennies.
100 pennies make a dollar!

2 small, 4 small, 6 small nickels.
8 small, 10 small, 12 small nickels.
14 small, 16 small, 18 small nickels.
20 nickels make a dollar!

1 tiny, 2 tiny, 3 tiny dimes.
4 tiny, 5 tiny, 6 tiny dimes.
7 tiny, 8 tiny, 9 tiny dimes.
10 dimes make a dollar!

1 big, 2 big, 3 big quarters.
4 big, 4 big, 4 big quarters.
1 big, 2 big, 3 big quarters.
4 quarters make a dollar!

Pigs in the Pantry Amy Axelrod
Nally, Simon & Schuster 1994
ISBN:

Mr. Pig went to the market, and he bought 2 carrots, 21 green peppers, 5 mushrooms, and 1 stalk of celery. Mrs. Pig went to the market and bought 20 carrots, 14 green peppers and 1 mushroom. One piglet went to the market and bought 10 carrots, 2 tomatoes, 1 zucchini, and 1 head of garlic. Another piglet went to the market, and he bought 3 stalks of celery, 6 cans of beans, and 1 tomato. Mr. Pig went back to the market, and he bought 4 onions, 2 cans of beans, and 10 stalks of celery.

1. How many stalks of celery did the pigs buy altogether?
2. If the pigs need 12 tomatoes to make chili, how many more will they have to buy?
3. How many mushrooms did the pigs buy altogether?
4. The pigs need 3 green peppers for their chili. How many extra did they buy?
5. What did the third piglet do while everyone was shopping?


Pigs Will Be Pigs By Amy Axelrod 1994
Nally, Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0-689-81219-1

Math and Literature (K-3) Book Two By Stephanie Sheffield
Math Solutions Publications 1995
ISBN: 0-941355-11-X

How much money did the pigs collect? ($34.67)
How much money did the pigs have left after they paid $31.96 for their dinner?

Read the book. For upper elementary, as you read the book a second time have students take notes to figure out how much money the pigs had. After class has figured it individually. For lower elementary figure out how much was collected as a group. Record location and how much was found.

List on chart paper food and price from the menu. Look at the menu and decide what the pig family could have ordered instead of specials. Remember that the pig family only has $34.67 to spend. Write up an order as if you were the waiter/waitress at the Enchanted Enchilada. You also need to figure out how much change the pigs will get.

Playing Restaurant (or as my daughter says, "What you want?")
Instead of ordering from the menu in the book, collect menus from local restaurants.
Have the students take turns being waitresses/waiters and customers.

Eating Out - Using advertisements students compute how much it would cost to eat out for a family of four, or family of five. What's the tax? The tip?

Grocery Shopping --
a. plan a meal using the 4 food groups. How much was spent?
b. coupons - double coupons.
c. buy one get one free - how much was saved?