Making Change

Overview of Lesson

Using real-life examples, students discover how to make change for coins and paper bills totaling up to $10.

Goal

Students will learn how to make change.

Objectives

• Students will review the values of coins and dollar bills.

• Students will determine what items they would like to buy.

• Students will practice counting change.

Ohio Academic Content Standards

Mathematics
Number, Number Sense and Operations (Grade 3)

Benchmark F:
Count money and make change using both coins and paper bills.

Indicators:
4. Count money and make change using coins and paper bills to 10 dollars.

Materials

• Play money

• Grocery store flyers and newspaper circulars

Procedure

1. Review with the students the values of coins and bills in the American monetary system.

2. Divide students into groups of four.

3. Present the following problem: If you spend $3.75 and pay with a $10 bill, how much money will you get in change?

4. Give the students time to work with their play money and discuss this problem with each other.

5. As students work, move through the room and ask them to explain their thinking to you.

6. Pass out grocery store flyers and newspaper circulars to the students and tell them that they have $10 to spend.

7. The students may choose one or several items that total under $10.

8. Have the students figure out how much change they will receive, using whatever method works best for them.

9. The students then count out the change.

Evaluation

Evaluate how the students count out the change, and also how they explain the process that they used to determine the correct change.