Today's Classroom Activities :
Pennies and Other Coins
Penny Pitch
Math Make a penny pitch game using plastic containers with a number card in each. As students toss pennies into the containers, they add up their own score. Add a challenge by giving the students a target number that they may not exceed.
Penny Power
Logic/Reasoning Use several pennies to make a tower. Spread the same number of pennies on a flat surface. Ask the students to guess in which set there are more pennies. Can the children tell without counting? Repeat this activity using different numbers of pennies in the tower and the layout, and then using different objects.
Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock
by Sheila Bair, illustrated by Barry Gott
This book shows the value of saving and teaches the concepts of doubling and interest.
Writing Assignment
A Penny Saved
Rock and Brock can teach us a lot about how to save money. Let's find out how much money you can earn by just leaving your money in the bank, just like Rock and Brock.
- If someone gave you $50, and you put it into a savings account, how much money would you have in five years if your bank account pays you five percent interest? (Hint: Look in the back of the book to find out about interest and compound interest.)
- Apply one of Sheila's saving tricks to your allowance. How much will you save in one month if you take out $10 or speed save? How much will you save in six months? How much will you save in one year?
Lesson Plan-Teaching Coins
Students will identify the characteristics of a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. Then they will match the value of each coin and finally, learn how to use money for a purchase.
Coin Poems
Students will learn to recognize coins by reciting a fun poem.
Money
The learner will identify the value of a penny and nickel; count groups of pennies and nickels.
