Equivalent Coins
Background Information & Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Before beginning this topic, we highly recommend screening the Dollars and Cents movie and the Counting Coins movie for review. This movie will build on the concepts and provide opportunities for students to apply what they learned. Children will learn how to "trade in" coins and explore different ways to make a dollar.

Have children brainstorm different ways to make 25¢. You may want to give small groups a collection of coins so they can count, add, and explore. Explain that twenty-five pennies are equal to 25¢, and then demonstrate how you can trade in five pennies for one nickel. This means that one nickel and twenty pennies are equal to 25¢. You can continue trading five pennies for one nickel to show that two nickels and fifteen pennies are equal to 25¢, and so on until you show that five nickels are equal to 25¢. Then trade in two nickels for one dime to show that one dime and three nickels are equal to 25¢. Continue to trade in two nickels for another dime to show that two dimes and one nickel are equal to 25¢. Then trade in the dimes and the nickel for a quarter to show how one quarter is equal to 25¢. Challenge children to show different ways to show 30¢ or 50¢ by trading in coins.

Review with children that a dollar is worth one hundred pennies, or twenty nickels, or ten dimes, or four quarters. You may want to practice skip-counting coins up to a dollar. We highly recommend practicing skip-counting quarters together and writing down the numbers: 25¢, 50¢, 75¢, $1.00. Then have children present a group of coins that add up to a dollar and then trade in the coins for equivalent amounts to form a dollar in different ways. They may want to draw pictures or take notes to show what coins they used.

We recommend providing children with plenty of practice to work with coins and develop counting strategies and shortcuts on their own. They may wish to count coins out loud or combine them in different ways to trade in coins. Challenge them to find as many ways as they can to make 75¢!

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Equivalent Coins Teacher Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Dollar Store

Have pairs or small groups set up a "dollar store." They may wish to create artwork to sell in their store or bring in healthy snacks to sell. Then give students a collection of fake coins (or real ones) to buy goods. Make sure the "seller" and the "customer" both check the coins to make sure the correct amount has been offered. The seller should also write down what coins the customer used to buy the good as a record of sales.

Coin Challenge

Give small groups a collection of fake or real coins. Then have students come up with different ways to make 20¢, 50¢, 85¢, or other amount up to a dollar. Have them write down or draw their collections. Then challenge them with questions such as, "What three coins can you use to make 75¢?" or "What's the fewest number of coins you can use to make 40¢?" Allow groups to use their coins to come up with their answers. Be sure to go around the room to check their work.

Equivalent Coins Family Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Pennies for Your Thoughts

Challenge your child to collect one hundred pennies in one week. Encourage your child to look around for spare change (in your couch cushions, in a junk drawer, etc.) He or she can also earn pennies for good behavior, completing quick tasks, or even giving a compliment. Then at the end of the week, count the pennies with your child. Have him or her trade in pennies for nickels, dimes, or quarters. Then count the coins again. Was it easier to count all the pennies one by one or was it easier to sort and count the coins with higher values? Discuss with your child.

Home Store

Set up a store in your home. You can use sticky notes as price tags. Be sure to price items for $1.00 or less, and to make the game more challenging, use prices that do not end in 5 or 0. Then give your child a collection of coins. Have your child "buy" different items, but challenge him or her to use the fewest number of coins to pay for each item. For example, an eraser that costs 30¢ can be purchased with three dimes, but it can also be purchased by using just two coins—one quarter and one nickel. Then swap roles and you can play the customer. You may want to come up short or overpay for items and have your child correct you.