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Lesson Plan

Penny Race

Main Subject Area: Mathematics

Duration of Lesson:  30 minutes

Keywords:

  • Addition
  • Coins
  • Money

Brief Description:

    Students will play a game where they determine the value of different coin combinations.

National Standard(s):

  • Number and Operations

Additional Subject Area Standard(s):

Objectives:

    Students will recognize and express the value of a penny, nickel and dime.

    Students will solve simple addition problems using coins.

    Students will recognize coin equivalents (5 pennies = one nickel).

Materials (online):

Materials (offline):

    Game board – A winding path divided into many spaces with a picture of a penny in each space (example: http://lspace.learningspace.org/usmint/pennyrace.doc)

    Game cards – can be index cards or small pieces of paper with pictures of different combinations of coin denominations on them (pennies, nickels and dimes)

    Objects for game pieces (can be coins)

Coins Used in Lesson:

    Currently circulating U.S. cents (pennies), nickels, and dimes

Grade Level(s):   K-2  

Procedures (online):

Procedures (offline):

    This game is best played with student in groups of 3 – 5. Each group will need a game board and game pieces. Teachers can develop them, or can have students make their own boards and pieces.

    Explain to students the rules of the game.

    1. Flip a coin to see who goes first.

    2. The student taking the turn chooses a game card.

    3. That student moves their game piece along the penny path the number of cents equal to the value of their game card. For example, if their card has one nickel and one penny on it, the student moves their game piece six spaces.

    4. The first person to make it to the finish line wins.

Assessment / Evaluation:

    Students can be evaluated on their knowledge of the value of pennies, nickels and dimes, and how these coins relate to each other in value.

    Students can write out number sentences for the game cards (example: dime + penny = 10 cents + 1 cent = 11 cents)

Differentiated Learning Options:

    Students can make different game boards and game cards. Their board can be nickels or dimes and their cards can be larger denomination coins.


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