1-2-3 Come Do Some Coin Activities With Me

Since our money features US Presidents, and Presidents Day is in February, I started our study of coins during this time.  Our week of President-themed activities, particularly Washington and Lincoln, made them aware of these famous individuals, so they could then recognize them on our currency.

Being able to identify coins and their value, was one of my Y5's report card standards.  This was not all that easy for some of my kiddos.  I think one of the reasons things were confusing, is that they felt the nickel should be worth more than a dime, simply because it was larger.

I found that the best way to help my students identify coins, was to plan a variety of activities that immersed them in hands-on activities.

Through discovering and explaining the differences when they "played" with the coins, (sorting by size and color; making patterns, flipping them and making tally marks, playing games, singing songs, as well as making crafts) the light bulb eventually came on.

To help my students with recognition, I designed a set of coin posters that show the front and back of the coin as well as how much they are worth.  Print them off and mount them on construction paper and then laminate.  Gluing a real coin to the posters is also helpful.

I've included several pages of coin conversion worksheets, as well as a template of each coin, so that you can run off manipulatives for your students.

Another set of anchor charts are the Coin Poster Poems .  My students quickly learned the chants with just a few repetitions. 

These really helped them remember the value of the coins. Click on the link to view/download the Coin Poster Poems

Making a Venn diagram is also a quick, easy and fun way for students to compare coins. I've made one for each type of combination for a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar.  Click on the link to view/download the coin Venn diagram packet.

To be able to use size as a comparison, I had my students make the small-medium and large "sorting coins" craftivity.

Another way for them to see size differences was by making a Coin Flip Booklet. 

Each month my Y5's enjoyed making a flip booklet of some sort.  I think it was the secretive and surprise element of discovering something hidden under a flap that they found intriguing. 

The Coin Flip Booklet, helped them see the size differences of the coins as they colored, cut and glued them to the front, arranging them from smallest to largest.

We'd discuss the other attributes of the coins , jot the answers on the board, and then students would write these facts underneath the appropriate flap, referring to the board for spelling help.  

I also wanted to review tally marks as an easy way for children to practice the value of the coins.  To help my kiddos remember how to make tally marks, I made a visual for them and hung it on our white board. 

Using glue dots, I glued 4 Popsicle sticks of one color on a sheet of construction paper, numbered them and then crossed the 5^th one over using a different color stick.  I demonstrated this in front of them and then left the poster up.

The coin "flip" book activity, was an excellent segue to flipping a coin and keeping track via tally marks, so once again, I'd refer to the Popsicle stick tally mark poster. 

Students chose a partner and flipped a penny as many times as they could for 30-seconds, making tally marks each time they flipped heads, and each time they flipped tails, then we'd review our results.

Click on the link to view/download the "It makes 'cents' to _________ " Coin Flip Booklet.

I also used Popsicle sticks to make coin "puppet paddles."  I find that students learn so much better with manipulatives, all the more if they make their own, because they are reinforcing concepts as they put their projects together. 

Not only will your kiddos enjoy making their coin paddles, they'll have fun playing the "What am I?" coin game.  It's interesting for them, and a quick and easy way for you to whole-group assess as well. 

Run off the coin templates on white construction paper.  Students color, cut and glue their paper coins to the top of a Popsicle stick.  Have them glue the penny and nickel back-to-back and the dime and quarter back-to-back. 

The photo shows the front as well as the back of the coin sticks.  This way you can review all 4 coins, but your students only have to manipulate 2 paddles. 

I made a set with real coins for me to use, so that students were able to see the real coins as we played the game.  I used 4 different Popsicle sticks.

After I gave the clues, I would hold up the appropriate coin paddle and ask: "Do you have the penny paddle showing?" so that students could self-correct before moving on to the next coin.

I've included a page of clues that you read one at a time.  When students think they have identified the coin, they raise their coin paddle, so that the correct coin faces the teacher.

As the teacher continues to read the clues, students can change their mind one time, but not after the teacher reads: "What am I?"  With just a glance, you can see who has the correct answer.  Play continues 'til you have given all of the coin clues.   

Have students keep their coin sticks in their desks/cubbies, so that you can play the game daily/weekly. When the novelty has worn off, or when students can identify the coins they can take them home.

You can also use the coin paddles to help students with spatial directions.  i.e. "Hold the penny paddle in your left hand. Show me the quarter stick in your right hand. Put the dime beside the nickel etc."

Likewise, you can review body parts and have children put the penny on their thigh, the nickel on their wrist, the dime on their hip etc.  Click on the link to view/download the Coin Popsicle Stick Puppets. 

Finally, once your students can identify all of the coins, reward them with a certificate of praise.  Click on the link to grab it.

Thanks for visiting today.  Be sure and stop back tomorrow for lots  more coin FREEBIES.  Feel free to PIN away.

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln

Anchors Away!

I think anchor charts serve a number of valuable purposes.

They are a quick reminder of facts; they assist students in visualizing a concept; they help children understand parts of a whole; a good one is concise; generic charts can help jump start students’ thoughts + they make great and practical decorations for your classroom.

I’ve designed several that involve a variety of subjects:  reading strategies,   vowel, coin, magic e,  flat shape POSTERS, candy and 3-D shape posters, an ABC Dolch sight word list, blends, ending the confusion of b and d, alphabetical word-letter sounds, long & short vowels and how to ask a question, to name just a few.

Click on the links to view/download them.

I have a “to do” list of about a dozen more that are in the works, so stop by often.  There’s at least 2 new things posted every day!

I wanted to design one where students could make their own mini version to help reinforce the lesson.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is an all-time favorite of my students and perfect for a spring anchor chart that helps students recall the various parts of a book.

This one includes a teacher’s poster and a mini template for students to label.

To add the artwork, simply have students make a pencil line of the caterpillar’s body and fill it in my dipping their index finger in the various colors of paint and then making prints on the line.

If you don't want to use paint, stamp pads work well too.  Baballa uses sponges soaked in paint to make the perfect fingerprints and avoid big blobs.

The picture on the right is from her site. Click on the link to check out her other "muy lindo" ideas.

Add details with markers when the paint dries.

Click on the link to view/download Parts Of A Book Anchor Chart

Need some more anchor charts?

Ms. M's Blog is throwing a Linky Party featuring anchor charts for K-2^nd grade.  Click on the link if you’d like to check it out.

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more fun tips for springtime (although, here in Michigan, Mother Nature is having some sort of identity crisis. 

(She can’t seem to make up her mind whether it’s spring, summer or winter again…sometime all in the same day!)