Mary Ann Polowy

Jordan Sicht

Heather Cleek

Topic: Place value, number sense

Grade Level:

1 or 2

Name of Activity:

Race for $1.00

Materials Needed:

60 pennies per group, 40 dimes per group,
1 play dollar per group, 1 zip – top haggle per group, 2 dice
per group.

Description of Activity:

Divide the students into groups
of 4 or 5. Give each group a haggle filled with 60 pennies, 40
dimes, 2 play dollars and 2 dice. Show the class a baggie and
describe its contents. Post the number of pennies, dimes, and
dollars and encourage the children to check its contents when
they’re finished.

Introduce the game by telling the children that they’re going
to get to play a game called Race for $1.00. The goal of the game
is to get $1.00. Explain that they take turns rolling the dice.
The sum of the numbers rolled on the dice determines the number
of pennies they may take. When they have enough, they may exchange
pennies for dimes and dimes for $1.00. Players may only exchange
when they have the dice. Emphasize that watch each other to make
sure they agree with their teammates’ moves.

During the activity, walk around and ask, "How much money
would you have now if everyone in your group put their money together?
How much more money would your group need to get to $1.00?"
Listen to their problem solving strategies.

Extension 1:

To make this activity more difficult, children
could start with $1.00 and subtract the numbers on the dice exchanging
dimes for pennies until they reached 0.

Extension 2:

To make this activity more challenging, fifty
cent pieces and nickels could also be introduced.

Sources:

Math By All Means, by Marilyn Burns, Math Solutions
Publications, 1994.

About Teaching Mathematics, by Marilyn Burns, Math Solutions Publications,
1992.