Illustrative Mathematics
Money in the Piggy Bank
It's time to crack open that piggy bank and see what's inside. First, count up the pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters, identifying what fraction of them are dimes. Then calculate the total value of the coins, writing another fraction...
Curated OER
Jelly Beans for Sale
Students connect literature (story Jelly Beans for Sale by Bruce McMillan) to math concepts. In these estimating and money lessons, students work with jelly beans, unifix cubes, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters, to estimate and make...
Curated OER
The Periodic Table Game
First, beginning chemists assemble a large periodic table of elements. Then, they play a game in which they roll dice, move a marker along the elements, and collect pennies according to the number of valence electrons of the element that...
Illustrative Mathematics
Seven Circles III
A basic set-up leads to a surprisingly complex analysis in this variation on the question of surrounding a central circle with a ring of touching circles. Useful for putting trigonometric functions in a physical context, as well as...
Curated OER
Susan's Choice
Young economists explore opportunity cost by counting how much money Susan has in her piggy bank. From here, they are challenged to help Susan make a choice about what she can buy with her money.
Illustrative Mathematics
Coins in a Circular Pattern
What starts as a basic question of division and remainders quickly turns abstract in this question of related ratios and radii. The class works to surround a central coin with coins of the same and different values, then develops a...
Expansion Learning
Expansion Learning: Math Activity: Counting Quarters, Dimes, Nickels and Pennies
Activity provides students the practice they need to master the skill of counting quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Immediate feedback is given.
Expansion Learning
Expansion Learning: Math Activity: What Coin Is This?
Activity provides students the practice they need to master the skill of identifying coins. Immediate feedback is given.
The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute: Coin Identification
Two very basic coin identification activities and a teacher lesson plan are available at this website. These activities may require an explanation before primary age students can use them.
Other
Teaching Heart: Money Poems
Memorize these poems to help you remember which US coin is which, and how much each coin is worth. There are several fun poems for each coin.