Skills Covered

How to Use This Pack

Five pages about making change from $5.00 or less. On page 1 the coins of the change are already shown, smallest first: students start at the price, write the total after each coin (63¢, then 64¢, 65¢, 75¢, $1.00), and write the change. The first problem is done as an example. Page 2 uses an open number line: jump to the next ten, then to the next dollar, then to the bill, and add the jumps to find the change. On page 3 students write the change, then circle the one set of coins (of three) that makes it; the last one has a $1 bill too. Page 4 is a snack stand: buy one thing, pay with a bill, write the change and circle Yes or No for whether it is more than $1, then work out who gets more change. Page 5 has six story problems: find the change, check it by counting back from the bill, list the fewest coins, and decide whether a child got the right change.

In the Classroom

Set up a pretend store with price tags of $5.00 or less and a cash box of play coins and $1 and $5 bills. Let one student be the shopper and one the clerk: the clerk counts the change into the shopper's hand out loud, starting at the price, the way page 1 does. Before page 2, draw an open number line on the board and model 47¢ to 50¢ to $1.00 with two jumps.

At Home

Let your child be the clerk at home: pick a price under $5, hand over a $5 bill, and ask for the change counted out loud. At a store, guess the change before the clerk hands it back, then count it together to check.

Tips for Success

• Start at the price and count up to the money paid
• Use pennies first to reach a 5 or a 10, then nickels, dimes and quarters
• On a number line, jump to the next ten, then to the next dollar, then by dollars
• Check your change: the money paid minus the change should be the price
• Fewest coins: use as many quarters as you can, then dimes, nickels and pennies