Coin activities
Money Matters!
The more different opportunities you give students to experience coins, the better chance they have of latching on to some sort of comparison, fact or piece of trivia that helps the light bulb go on, so that they are able to identify the coins and give you some information about them.
Making this Autograph Coin booklet is a fun way to do that. Run off copies for all of your students, or simply make one for yourself and share your teacher’s copy with them. 
I was fascinated with the President’s signatures.
Washington and Jefferson wrote with feather quills. Set up a center activity where students write their name with a feather-dipped in paint.
I did this for a Constitution Day activity and have a template for that. Click on the link to view/download the quill page from Activities For Constitution Day.
To get some name writing practice in, include an extra page with the booklet and have students collect some autographs of their friends, or to expedite things, have each student sign one paper, and run off copies for everyone, entitled Your Classmate’s Autographs.
Click on the link to view/download the Coin Autograph Booklet Do you have a teaching tip you’d like to share? I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here, especially if you used an idea! Thanks in advance.
My Y5’s really enjoyed making flip booklets.
The cutting and gluing were great fine motor skills, and writing facts offered practice in handwriting that prepared them for doing research in upper grades.
They especially liked the secretive and surprise element of something being hidden under a flap.
Here’s how to make a coin flip booklet:
Run off my templates on two different colors of bright copy paper for the booklet and white paper for the coins.
Students color the coins the appropriate color, then cut and glue them to the matching circles on the cover of their booklet.
Children cut on the lines to make flip-up pages.
Write the “Master” template on your board and brainstorm/discuss with students the answers. Write them on the board so that children can copy them onto their paper.
Make sure to tell them NOT to cut their insert page into individual pages, but to simply glue the whole long paper into the bottom of the inside of their booklet.
Some little ones get scissor-happy and make more work for themselves.
Another “head’s up”: Remind students to write the information in appropriate order, dime first, penny second, etc.
Some students want to start with the penny, but the dime is glued first on the cover, because I want to reinforce smallest coin to largest.
This helps give students another way to compare, recognize and remember the coins.
So that children remember how to make tally marks, Using glue dots, I glue 4 Popsicle sticks of one color on a sheet of construction paper, and then cross the 5th one over using a different color stick.
I number the sticks and put a magnet strip on the back of this mini-poster that I hang on my white board as a reminder. It also helps students remember which way to cross the 4 sticks.
You can give your students another opportunity to “play” with these 4 coins and enhance their flip book by having them do crayon rubs of the coins.
Set out a real penny, nickel, dime and quarter at a TV tray center, along with copper and silver-colored crayons and scrap paper.
Students put the paper over the coin and rub the crayon over it.
They choose their best picture, cut it out and glue it on the flipped-up page, to match the appropriate coin.
On the front of their booklets students write: It makes “cents” to Diane. Inserting their name on the end of the sentence and putting one word on the first 2 flaps and “cents to” on the 3rd flap.
Click on the link to view/download the Coin Flip Booklet
Once your students have learned all of the coins reward them with a certificate of praise. Click on the link for Coin Certificates.
I hope you and your students have a cent-sational time learning about coins this way!
If you have a tip you’d like to share, I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here. Thanks in advance.
See you tomorrow with another coin idea; an autograph book of the presidents!
Show Me The Money! Manipulatives That Motivate.
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 project together.
Not only will children enjoy making these coin Popsicle stick puppets, they will have fun playing the "What Am I?" game that follows perfect for a President's Day activity.
Here's how to make the Coin Sticks:
Run off the masters. Students cut out their coins and color them the appropriate colors.
Children cut and glue the penny and nickel back-to-back and the dime and quarter back-to-back. This way they will only have 2 “puppet” sticks to manipulate for the game.
I've pictured the fronts and backs of the coin sticks in the photo as I made 2 pair.
Students trace the coin words with a crayon, cut them out and glue them to the matching coin stick.
Older children can simply write the name of the coin on the stick with a marker.
To make the papers a little more durable, I glued mine to a scrap of construction paper.
Using a hot glue gun, or glue dots, teachers glues REAL coins to their Popsicle sticks.
Students sit on the floor in front of the teacher. 
Teacher reads one clue at a time for a coin.
Children can raise their Popsicle stick coin puppet anytime they know the answer, but may change it only once after the teacher reads: What am I?
The teacher holds up a real coin stick and asks: "Is this the correct coin?" This can be the correct one, to which the children reply “Yes!” or an incorrect one. The teacher then chooses another stick, ‘til (s)he gets it right.
This is a great way to whole-group assess, and a fun way to have students learn the different facts about the coins.
Have students keep their coin sticks in their desks/cubbies so 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 these coin sticks to help students with spatial directions. i.e. Hold the penny stick 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.
Your students will enjoy these “Simon Says” type games. They are quick reviews, and you can whole group assess in a matter of a few minutes.
Click on the link to view/download the Coin Popsicle Stick Puppets 
To hang up some coin posters with poems click on the link. Coin Poster Poems
To reward students with a certificate of praise click on the link. Coin Certificates
Because President's Day is tomorrow I wrote 2 more articles for you. Scroll down for a "You're Cent-sational!" Star Student neckace. Perfect for President's Day.
Do you have something you'd like to share? I'd enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwithme.com OR...feel free to leave a comment, especially if you use an idea. Thanks in advance!
Learning About President Lincoln, President Washington and Money All Rolled Into A Few Fun Art Activities
February 20th is just around the corner when government agencies will be closed for President’s Day.
After Valentine’s Day I take a few days to study Washington and Lincoln, and add the color blue to our red and white décor for a patriotic look.
It’s also the time I launch our coin studies, as these two famous gents are on our money.
Making mobiles is an easy and fun center activity, that quickly creates a great hallway decoration, as they dangle from the middle of the ceiling or twirl as a border against the wall.
They help reinforce shapes, listening and following spatial directions and are a wonderful way for students to learn facts, as they compare and contrast the lives of these legendary presidents.
All of these mobiles can be found in my February Art and Activities Book.
Click on the link to view/download it.
The Money Mobile is one of my personal favorites and a terrific way for your students to review all of the coins at once.
I find if children do hands-on projects where they can compare and contrast coins, they are able to identify them more easily when they are assessed.
Arranging them from smallest to largest also helps them get this fact in their mind.
Little ones seem to think that because a dime is worth 10 cents, it should be larger than a nickel and penny.
Cutting, gluing and then coloring the “Coin ID Sort” helps them with this. Click on the link to view/down load Coin Identification Sort
The Lincoln and Washington Information Mobile, helps students learn a few facts about the presidents; Lincoln is on one side, Washington is on the other side.
The same is true of the paper chain mobile, which helps reinforce patterning.
I’ve made money poster-poems that you can put up in your room/read to your students.
I found the poems all over the Web so I don’t know who to give credit to. If you know the originator, please drop me a line so I can credit the source.
I revamped the 50 cent one as fries are no longer that price, and also changed the dollar because of ITunes.
Click on the link to view/download the Coin Poster Poems
I've also made coin certificates when your students have mastered identifying them as well as being able to name them.
Since these are two different standards, I've made certificates for both.
Our Y5's do not have to identfy the quarter, but I've included certificates with the quarter on them as well. Click on the link to view/download them. Coin Certificates
For your convenience I’ve posted last year’s President’s Day article after this one, so you don’t have to hunt through the archives for more tips.
If you're looking for coloring pages of the presidents, Lil Fingers has all of them! Click on the link to check out their selection.
They also have coloring pages for all of the coins too.
I use coloring pages to make a variety of skill sheets like Pinch and Pokes, bingo dot a pattern, dot-to-dots, I Spy a Number etc.
Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more fun teaching tips.
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