This is a level 2 number strand activity from the Figure It Out series.
A PDF of the student activity is included.
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give change using money
item cards
FIO, Level 2-3, Measurement, The Change Game, page 12
toy money with amounts up to $2
classmate
Game
This game is designed to encourage students to practise calculating change. Students will need to practise making change before playing this game. A “counting on” strategy rather than a subtraction strategy is most useful in these situations.
For example, given an item costing 35 cents that is paid for with a $1 coin, the change can be found by:
Totalling 5c + 10c + 50c = 65c gives the change and the coins that could be used.
You could also ask students to add their item card prices to find out who has the highest total value at the end of each game.
Note that the prices on the item cards do not relate to the actual value of the objects pictured. Additionally, the dice and cards include 5 cent amounts which are no longer valid for cash purchases in New Zealand. Both of these points should be discussed with students prior to introducing the game.
Answers to Activity
Game
A game using money dice