Making change: Working with Money

Summary
The lesson consists of a series of number sentences, in the form of a story, which the children have to work out in sequence in order to answer the last question correctly.

Objectives
• The children will be able to solve problems related to money, using number sentences.

• The children will be able to use various strategies to calculate change.

Suggested Grades
3rd Grade
4th Grade

Excerpt
Johnny had been saving his money for four weeks. His mom and dad gave him $5 dollars a week for pocket money and on his birthday, two days ago, his grandma gave him $30 dollars as a gift. He put all his money into his new birthday wallet and off he went to the shopping mall to spend it. At the mall he met his friend, Alan. Johnny bought ice-creams for himself and Alan so they could eat while they shopped. The ice-creams cost him $1.50 each.

Next Johnny and Alan stopped at his favorite store, Toys to Go. Johnny couldn?t wait to see whether the toy car he had been saving for was still there. It was! Quickly he picked it up and took it to the counter where he carefully counted out the $20.50 he needed to buy it. After the shop assistant gave him his change, he and Alan discussed where to go next.

Continued...