Money In Our World

Overview

Students explore how money can have different values and use amount labels or generic money symbols to represent prices. Through simple shop role-play, they match amounts to prices, decide which amount is more or less, combine amounts and make purchases up to 2 units, building on their understanding of numbers and addition.

Learning intentions

WALT understand that money can have different values.
WALT match amounts to prices and compare which amount is more or less.
WALT combine amounts to make a given total.
WALT use amounts to make simple purchases and explain our thinking.

Success criteria

I can match an amount to a price.
I can tell which of two amounts is more, less or the same.
I can combine amounts to make a total up to 2 units.
I can choose an item and pay its price using an exact amount.

Curriculum links

Mathematics and Statistics: Number, using mathematical ideas in meaningful everyday contexts.
Mathematics and Statistics: recognising, representing and comparing quantities.
Mathsteasers: developing higher-order thinking through accessible mathematical challenges and discussion.
Mathematical and statistical processes: explaining strategies, using representations and communicating mathematical thinking.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

0–4 min · Hook and notice. Display the opening slides from the money introduction deck showing simple prices and generic money symbols or amount labels. Ask, “Which amount could buy this item? How do you know?” Students think independently, then share what they notice about the values. Accept initial ideas without correcting them immediately.
4–10 min · Explore money values. Use the money introduction deck to show different amounts represented with generic symbols, labels or classroom money. Give each student a small set of representations. Students match each representation to its value and order selected amounts from less to more. Ask: “Which amount is more? Which is less? How do you know?” Keep attention on the printed value, not the appearance of the representation.
10–16 min · Model combining amounts. Model a pretend purchase, such as an item costing 30 units. Think aloud: “I can combine 20 and 10 because 20 and 10 makes 30.” Students build 30, 50 and 100 units with amount cards, generic symbols or classroom money, checking each total by counting on. Invite more than one solution where possible, such as 50 made with 20 + 20 + 10 or 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10.
16–24 min · Mini-shop investigation. Set up a simple shop with five to six picture items priced from 10 units to 2 units. Display the task instructions on the money introduction deck. Students take turns being the customer while the teacher is the shopkeeper. Each customer chooses one item, matches or combines amounts to pay the exact price, and explains their strategy. The other students check the payment by counting the total together and deciding whether it is the same as the price.
24–28 min · Independent check. Distribute the money values and buying worksheet. Students match amounts to prices, circle the amount that is more, and draw or record amounts needed to pay for two pictured items. Read the instructions aloud and allow students to use classroom representations while working.
28–30 min · Share and exit question. Return to the final discussion slide in the money introduction deck and ask, “Can you make 60 units in two different ways?” Students show one solution using amount cards, generic symbols or classroom money and explain it to a partner. Select one or two students to share before collecting the worksheet.

Resources

the money introduction deck
the money values and buying worksheet
Generic money symbols, amount cards or safe classroom money representations
Small basket or container for each student’s representations
Six shop item picture cards or classroom objects
Price labels from 10 units to 2 units
Small shopping bag or box
Whiteboard and marker

Assessment

During matching and ordering, listen for students using the printed value to identify which amount is more, less or the same.
During the mini-shop, check whether students can match a price, combine amounts to make an exact total and explain their counting strategy. Prompt with, “How could you check?”
Use the worksheet and the final 60-unit challenge to identify students who need further practice matching prices, comparing amounts, counting on or finding more than one combination.

Differentiation

Support students by limiting the amount set to three familiar values, using enlarged labels or symbols, and allowing them to touch, move and count each representation as they speak.
Provide sentence starters: “The price is , so I need…”, “ is more than ___ because…”, and “I checked by…”.
For students ready for challenge, ask them to find two or more ways to make an amount, compare two payments such as 20 units + 20 units and 50 units, or decide whether a payment is too much, too little or exact.
For EAL learners and students needing additional support, pair spoken instructions with gestures, amount cards, generic symbols and picture prices. Keep the prices visible and rehearse the vocabulary “amount”, “value”, “price”, “more”, “less”, “same” and “altogether”.

Teaching Instructions