Real-World Walkabouts: Moving Money

Your students will love learning about money in this Real-World Walkabout in which they must move together to assemble the correct amount for each word problem.

SUBJECT AREA

• math

SKILLS

• money

GRADE LEVELS

• Second Grade

MATERIALS NEEDED

• enlarged coin and bill images for dollar, quarter, dime, nickel, penny, and half dollar, if desired, one for each student
• list of money amounts for students to create (so that most students can be a part of a group)

DIRECTIONS

1. Depending on your class size, determine amounts that several groups of students can make by adding their amounts together.
2. Distribute coin and dollar images to students. Tell students to hold the money in front of them.
3. Tell students to arrange themselves at the front of the room in groups from largest ($1) on the left to smallest (1¢) on the right.
4. Write an amount on the board.
5. Ask students to look at their classmates’ money amounts and skip, hop, or jump to get in groups that show the amount on the board. Students should arrange themselves in order from largest amount (on left) or smallest amount (on right). Tell the class that some students may not find a group.
6. Check each group’s work and correct if needed.
7. Have any students who are not in groups say their money amount and turn around in a circle.
8. If desired, have each group add their money together starting with the largest amount. For example, for $1.47 with $1, 25¢, 10¢, 5¢, 1¢, and 1¢, the student with $1 starts by saying one dollar, the next student with 25¢ says $1.25 then $1.35 and so on.
9. To start a new problem, collect and redistribute money (removing $1 bills, for example, for problems less than $1) and refer to step 3.

Variations

• Write money word problems on the board. Have students get in groups to show the answers.
• Include larger amounts with $5, $10, and $20.