Working with Money

Lesson Overview

Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 15 students
Age Group: Fifth Class (10–11 years)
Curriculum: Irish Primary Curriculum (IE Curriculum Framework) – Mathematics
Strand: Number – Money
Strand Unit: Money, Multiplication, and Division

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Calculate the total cost of items bought in multiples using multiplication of money amounts (IE Curriculum: Number – Money, Learning Outcome 5th class: “Multiply money amounts accurately to find totals for multiple items”).
Solve division problems involving sharing money equally between people or groups (IE Curriculum: Number – Money, Learning Outcome 5th class: “Divide money amounts accurately and interpret the results in real-life contexts”).
Use reasoning skills to solve real-life money problems and explain their methods clearly (Mathematical Processes: Communicating & Reasoning competencies).

Curriculum Links and Competencies

Strand: Number - Money
Strand Unit: Money (5th class)
Learning Outcome: Accurately multiply and divide money amounts within relevant real-life contexts.
Cross Curricular Skills: Problem solving, Communication, Reasoning, and Numeracy.
Key Competency: Engage in reflective mathematical thinking about money transactions.

Resources Needed

Play money or printed money note cut-outs (Euro currency)
Whiteboard and markers
Prepared real-life shopping price lists for items (e.g., stationery, fruit, toys)
Loop card game set with money-related multiplication and division problems (prepared beforehand)
Worksheet for support (optional)

Lesson Plan Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

Activity: “Euro Price Tag Race” (Active & Fun)

Give each student a play money note (€5, €10) and a price tag (e.g., €2 for a pen, €3 for a notebook).
Call out multiplication or division money scenarios, e.g., “If you want to buy 3 pens, how much will it cost?” or “If €20 is shared by 4 friends equally, how much does each get?”
Students write their answers on mini-whiteboards and race to hold them up.
Use this game to engage all students actively and stimulate thinking on money multiplication/division.

Lower order question:

“If one pencil costs €2, how much do 4 pencils cost?”

Higher order question:

“If you have €30 and want to buy 7 notebooks, can you buy all of them? Explain your thinking.”

2. Main Development (25 minutes)

Task 1 – Multiply money:

Present a shopping list to the class:
- Notebook €3
- Pen €1.50
- Eraser €0.80
Ask students to calculate the total for multiple quantities: “What is the total cost of 5 notebooks and 3 pens?”
Emphasise the process of multiplying decimal money amounts and add totals correctly.

Task 2 – Divide money:

Present a scenario: “You have €24 to share equally among 6 friends. How much does each friend get?”
Move to more challenging cases where division results in remainders or need rounding: “You divide €25 between 4 friends, what happens to the remaining amount?”

Lower order question (Multiply):

“Calculate the cost of 4 pens if each pen costs €2.”

Higher order question (Multiply):

“If you have €50 and want to buy 7 notebooks at €6 each, how many can you buy? How much money will you have left?”

Lower order question (Divide):

“Share €20 equally between 4 friends. How much does each get?”

Higher order question (Divide):

“Explain why dividing €23 equally between 5 friends is trickier. How would you divide the money fairly?”

3. Conclusion and Assessment (10 minutes)

Loop Card Game: “Money Maths Challenge”

Prepare loop cards where each card on one side is a money multiplication or division question, and on the other side is the answer to a different card’s question.
Students sit in a circle, and each student tries to find the partner card that matches the answer to their question, creating a continuous “loop.”
This promotes peer collaboration, reasoning skills, and reinforces learning dynamically.

Loop game example:

Card 1: “What is the cost of 4 pens at €2.50 each?” (Answer €10)
Card 2: “Divide €15 equally among 3 friends.” (Answer €5)
Continue this pattern until all cards form a loop.

Assessment and Feedback

Throughout the lesson, observe student participation during the race and group tasks for understanding.
Use targeted questioning (lower and higher order) to check conceptual and applied understanding.
Monitor accuracy during the loop card game and provide corrective feedback immediately.
Conclude with a short reflective discussion: “How has multiplying or dividing money helped you in real life?”

Differentiation Strategies

For learners needing support: Provide pre-written number lines or multiplication tables with euro signs, visual aids of coins/notes, and simplified scenarios.
For advanced learners: Challenge them with multi-step problems involving mixed operations or larger quantities, e.g., calculating change after purchase.

Reflection for Teacher

Note which students needed more support and consider follow-up activities.
Reflect on engagement during active activities and the effectiveness of peer discussion in understanding money operations.
Consider adapting the loop cards with more complex word problems for future lessons.

This lesson plan combines active learning, real-world contexts, and collaborative games, meeting the Irish curriculum demands and keeping students engaged while deepening their understanding of money multiplication and division.

Teaching Instructions