Counting Nickels (Special Education)
Worksheet One
Worksheet Two
Word Problems
Author: Marcia W. TenEyck
School District: Brasher Falls Central School District
Subject: Mathematics
Grade Range: K-2 Resource Room
Duration/Time Required:
- Number of days: 1 day initial presentation
- Length of period: 30 minutes
Standard:
- Content - Number Sense and Operations
- Process - Representation
Objective: Students will accurately provide nickels for specific items.
Instructional Plan:
- Teacher selects partners for students to monitor for special needs.
- Present think-pair-share structure.
Each student will receive 20 nickels. Teacher will read a word problem. Think time of 10 seconds will be given for students to count out their nickels. Pair time of 5 seconds will be given to compare answers with your partners. Members of each pair will take turns sharing their answer with the group. The teacher will select someone to place nickel “cling” manipulatives on the board to check their answers.
Example: Teacher reads, “Codi buys a pen for 25 cents. How many nickels does he need to give the cashier?” Students count (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) during think time. Students compare answers during pair time. One member of the pair shares the answer with the class. Teacher has one student place 5 nickel “clings” on the board & the class counts chorally. 7 trials recommended.
Assessment: Give a worksheet with 5-10 examples. Students can draw “nickels” or use a stamp to make the correct number of nickels on the page next to the amount. Three different versions are provided to give exposure to different representations.
Resources:
- Teacher resources: “Clings”: Teacher created models
- Student resources: Nickels (20 each), (stamps of nickels & stamp pads-optional)
- Materials: problems with amounts up to $1.00. (See attachment)
- Review/enrichment sites & activities:
Comments:
After attending a Summer Institute last August with Gerald Peters, I applied several active learning strategies to the process of teaching resource room students to count money. Due to the information on brain-based learning research and practice, I wanted to develop a chance to practice accurately with manipulatives that engaged young learners.
“Cling” coins are clear plastic models that are part of the math kits from a publisher our district uses, however, you could use any large coin model or make your own. If your students have an IEP and struggle with counting accurately, you could use the coin-u-lator. This is a calculator that counts coins and is available from Bright Apple (www.brightapple.com).
