Handling Change Confidently

Context and Curriculum Links

This lesson is designed for Year 3 learners (ages 7-8) and aligns with the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Level 2 Mathematical Experiences and Outcomes:

MNU 2-03a: I can use practical addition and subtraction skills to solve money problems involving pounds and pence.
MNU 2-09a: I understand and can use decimal notation and fractional notation in context, such as money.
MNU 2-10a: Having explored and shared money handling, I can recognise notes and coins and use them to make up amounts in different ways.

Learning Intentions (WALT)

WALT recognise amounts of change using £5 and £10 notes
WALT calculate and give the correct change from £5 and £10 notes in practical contexts
WALT develop confidence in mental addition and subtraction involving money

Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to:

Identify amounts of change required using practical money examples.
Accurately calculate change from amounts up to £10 using mental strategies and written methods.
Choose the correct combination of notes and coins to give change.
Explain their reasoning when calculating change.

Resources Needed

Real or play (£1, £2, £5, £10) notes and coins sets for each student
Small price tags or cards with prices (e.g., £1.50, £3.75, £4.20, £7.60)
Whiteboards and pens
Mini tills (optional) or worksheets for recording transactions
Printable “shop” items (pictures or objects) with price tags
Number lines (0–20) displayed or as handheld strips to aid calculation
Visual aids: change calculation flow charts

Lesson Outline (60 minutes)

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge on money and addition/subtraction.
Activity: Quick-fire naming game — show £5 and £10 notes, ask children to say their value aloud. Then show coin combinations to make £1, £2, etc.
Teacher Input: Briefly recap how to add and subtract simple amounts mentally and using number lines.

2. Introduction to Change (10 minutes)

Purpose: Understand what ‘change’ means and that it is the money returned after a purchase.
Activity: Role-play a simple buying scenario: Teacher sells an item for £3; child pays with a £5 note, child works out change. Use real or play money, involve counting back method using a number line.
Visual Aid: Display a change calculation chart (Amount paid - Price = Change).
Check for Understanding: Ask questions - “If something costs £3 and you give a £5 note, how much change should you get back?”

3. Main Task: Practical Activities on Giving Change (25 minutes)

Set up a mini “shop” with price tags. Each pupil takes turns to be the shopkeeper or customer.

Activity 1 (Whole group - 5 mins):
Teacher demonstrates several transactions, emphasising subtraction and counting back on a number line.
Activity 2 (Pairs or individually - 20 mins):
Children buy items with a £5 or £10 note, work out exact change to give back, using notes and coins.

Key Differentiation:

Support: Provide price tags with only pounds, no pence; use a number line or a change chart to scaffold subtraction.
Core: Use prices with pounds and simple pence (e.g. £4.50, £7.20). Encourage mental subtraction and counting back strategies.
Challenge: Use multi-item purchases (e.g., 2 items priced £3.40 and £2.30), find total cost and calculate change from £10.

Teacher Role: Circulate, ask guiding questions, probe thinking — "How did you calculate your change?”, “Did you count back or subtract mentally?”

4. Extension Activity for Advanced Learners (10 minutes)

Introduce a scenario with overpayment and underpayment, e.g., "If you pay £10 for an item costing £6.80, how else could you give change if you had no £1 coins?"
Challenge children to find different combinations of coins and notes to give correct change.
Encourage written recording of their methods to deepen conceptual understanding.

5. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

Group Reflection: Each child shares one way they worked out change today.
Quick Assessment: Using mini whiteboards, teacher asks a simple change question orally (e.g., "You pay £5 for something that costs £3.10, show your change.")
Success criteria checklist: Confirm learners can…
- Calculate change using £5 and £10 notes
- Use appropriate coins and notes to give change
- Explain their thinking clearly
Teacher Records: Note who needs extra support or extension.

Differentiation Strategies

Visual aids and number lines for learners who need concrete support.
Provide manipulatives (real/play money) to develop kinaesthetic learning.
Verbal encouragement and repeated explanations for learners who struggle with mental calculations.
Provide word banks and sentence starters for explaining methods.
Offer enrichment tasks such as creating their own price lists or complicated buying scenarios.

Evidence Collection for Assessment

Teacher observations during role-play and practical activities recorded on a checklist.
Photographs or videos of children explaining their change calculation process.
Samples of written work or drawings from whiteboards showing their calculations.
Use of mini plenary quizzes via whiteboards to confirm mental calculation ability.
An end-of-lesson reflective note from each learner on what they found easy or challenging.

Additional Notes for Teachers

Connect this money handling lesson with real-life opportunities such as school shops or charity sales to embed learning.
Use consistent language aligned with CfE: “How much change?”, “What’s left?”, “Count back from your note.”
Praise mental maths effort and promote multiple methods (counting on, counting back, subtraction).
Adapt price points to reflect your local context or learners’ interests.

This lesson prioritises hands-on, practical experience with money, supporting varied learning needs, and aligns tightly with Curriculum for Excellence outcomes for financial numeracy. It encourages independence, reasoning, and confidence, setting a firm foundation for more complex money management.

Teaching Instructions