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South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

How Rich Is Rich? (Grade 2)

Master Teacher

Julie Huber

Time Allotment

Two 45-minute class periods

Overview

Using video and the Internet, this lesson focuses on money counting skills. In addition, children work in groups and independently to use real-life experience to practice money counting.

Subject Matter

Math (Money Skills)

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Add a group of coins and bills;
• Compare groups of coins and bills and decide which groups are greater or less than others;
• Interact with classmates to develop a spending plan for a given amount of money.

South Carolina Standards

(These Standards can be located at: http://www.myscschools.com/offices/cso/.)

Grade 2

1. Determine the total value of a collection of coins.

2. Make change up to one dollar by counting up.

3. Create and solve money-story problems.

Media Components

Video

Judith Viorst Stories, Lesson 2: “Alexander, Who Used to be Rich, Last Sunday.”

Web Sites

Money Flash Cards
This Web site provides children with groups of coins and bills and then asks them to count and write the correct value. If they get the right or wrong answer it tells them the correct answer.

Counting Change
This Web site has a matching game grid. In some squares there are lists of coins and in other squares the values are listed. The child must find the two squares that match. If the two squares that are clicked do match, a star in each square rewards the student. If they do not match, the student gets another chance.

Online Money Worksheets
This is an excellent Web site to use as a Culminating Activity or as practice. The teacher or student can create a worksheet with 10 to 50 money problems. The student then types in answers for each problem. When he/she is finished, he/she then clicks on the “get answers” button. The program then displays a sheet to show the correct answers, the answers that the student put, and the number that he/she got correct.

Materials

Per student:

• Ziploc bags with money or play money
• Activity Sheets 1 and 2

For the class:

• Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich, Last Sunday by Judith Viorst (Simon & Schuster, 1980)

Equipment

• TV
• VCR
• computer

Prep for Teachers

Prepare Ziploc bags with money for each child.

• Cue video to first segment and check Focus for Media Interaction points in the Introductory Activity and Learning Activities.
• When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Ask children “What does it mean to be rich?” Allow children to express opinions.

Step 2: Tell children “Having money and knowing how to count and use it is something that is important to people in America. It is important for boys and girls like you to start learning how to count money.”

Step 3: Hand out bags of money, one for each child.

Step 4: In order to review first grade money skills, have children pull out the corresponding coins when the following questions (or similar ones) are asked.

1. Which coin is worth 25 cents?

2. Which coin is a dime?

3. Which coin is worth only one cent?

4. Which coin is worth five cents?

Step 5: Show children the book Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich, Last Sunday.

Step 6: Tell them that we will read the book at the end of the lesson.

Step 7: Tell children that they will be learning more about counting money by watching part of the story of Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich, Last Sunday.

Step 8: Tell the students to watch the video clip to find out the coins and bills that each child has. Explain that you will stop and start the video so that they can get the information but that they should listen carefully.

Step 9: Hand out Activity Sheet 1 and tell children that they will use this to record the information. Point out that the first row in the chart is for Anthony. Tell them that Anthony is Alexander’s brother and they will see him first on the video. Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to listen for the number of each bill and coin that Anthony has and then write it on their sheets.

Step 10: START the video at the point where you see a sign hanging on a bedpost that states “I’m Asleep.” It will then show a boy sitting on the bed putting coins into a bank and you will hear, “It isn’t fair that my brother Anthony has six dollars and three quarters and one dime and seven nickels and eighteen pennies.”

Step 11: PAUSE the video after the statement of how much Anthony has. (Note to Teacher: You may need to replay this segment several times in order for children to get the correct numbers of each coin and bill.)

Step 12: Check for comprehension by helping the children fill in the section of the chart on Activity Worksheet 1 that corresponds to Anthony.

Step 13: Give children a Focus for Media Interaction by saying, “Now we will watch again to find out how much money Alexander’s other brother has. His name is Nicholas. Let’s watch.”

Step 14: START the video at the point where it was paused the last time. You will see a little blonde boy in a red shirt sitting on the side of his bed counting money on his bedside table. You will hear, “It isn’t fair that my brother Nicholas has…”

Step 15: PLAY the video until you hear all of the following: “It isn’t fair that my brother Nicholas has two quarters, and five dimes, and five nickels, and thirteen pennies and four dollars.”

Step 16: REWIND the tape to the beginning of this segment. Then ask children to record the number of each type of money that Nicholas has on Activity Worksheet 1.

Step 17: REPLAY this segment as many times as it takes for children to record the number of each type of money in the chart.

Step 18: FAST FORWARD the tape until you see the boy walk out the door and pick up two plants and hand them to the mother (woman with curly hair). PAUSE.

Step 19: Give children a Focus for Media Interaction telling them to watch to see how much money Alexander’s grandfather gives him.

Step 20: START tape here. You will hear “They brought plants because my mother likes to grow plants.”

Step 21: PLAY video until the grandfather gives Alexander (boy in blue shirt) a five dollar bill and you see Alexander holding up the money.

Step 22: STOP the video.

Step 23: Ask children, “How can we show how much money Alexander has on our chart?”

Step 24: Guide children to understand that a five dollar bill is the same as having five ones and have them record this on the chart.

Step 25: Have children take out the play money and use it to figure out the total amount of money that each child on the chart has.

Step 26: Discuss who has the most, the least, etc.

Learning Activities

Step 1: Review Activity Sheet 1 and the amount of money that each child had. Next show the book by Judith Viorst and discuss the title. Ask why they think it says “used to be rich….”

Step 2: Lead children to the understanding that Alexander must have spent his money.

Step 3: Give out Activity Sheet 2. Read the first sentence and have children fill in the amount of money that Alexander’s grandfather gave him. ($5.00)

Step 4: Give children a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to watch for what Alexander spent his money on and how much he spent for each item. Tell children, “I want you to raise your hand each time you hear something that Alexander used his money for. I will pause the video each time you hear something and record it on the board. Then together we will complete the story on Activity Sheet 2.”

Step 5: START the video where you see Alexander running into a store. You will hear, “I know because last Sunday when I used to be rich I went to Pierson’s drug store…”

Step 6: Let video play until a child raises his/her hand to tell something that Alexander used his money for. The first thing will be 50 cents for a pack of gum.

Step 7: PAUSE after the store clerk gives Alexander change. Record what Alexander spent ($.50) and what the clerk returned as his change ($4.50).

Step 8: To check for comprehension, read sentences 2, 3, and 4 on Activity Sheet 2 and have children fill in the blanks.

Step 9: FAST FORWARD until you see Alexander and a little black boy standing on a wooden bridge overlooking the railing. Provide the students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to listen for how Alexander “spent” his money next? PLAY the video. You will hear, “Last Sunday when I used to be rich I bet Anthony…” PAUSE after you hear Alexander say, “Goodbye twenty-five cents.”

Step 10: PAUSE the tape and record 25 cents on the board. Have the children figure out how much money Alexander has left now.

Step 11: To check for comprehension, guide children through completing 5 and 6 on Activity Sheet 2.

Step 12: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to watch what happens to Alexander next. PLAY tape again. You will see Alexander come into the kitchen. You will hear, “Mom, betcha can’t guess what hand the marble’s in.”

Step 13: PAUSE tape after you hear Alexander say, “Goodbye another twenty-five cents.”

Step 14: To check for comprehension, help children to complete 7 and 8 on the activity sheet.

Step 15: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to listen to what happens to Alexander and his money next? PLAY tape again. You will see Alexander’s grandmother shaking her head and then the scene changes to Alexander standing at the top of some wooden steps. You will hear, “Last Sunday when I used to be rich, I bet Mickey…”

Step 16: PAUSE after you hear, “Goodbye another twenty-five cents.”

Step 17: To check for comprehension, help children do numbers 9 and 10 on the activity sheet.

Step 18: FAST FORWARD tape until you see Alexander come to the door and a boy is standing there with a snake wrapped around his neck. You will hear Alexander say, “Oh boy.”

Step 19: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling students to look for how Alexander loses 75 cents. PLAY tape until Alexander says, “Goodbye seventy-five cents.”

Step 20: PAUSE tape. To check for comprehension, help children do numbers 11 and 12 on the activity sheet.

Step 21: FAST FORWARD until you see Alexander and his two brothers in the room and his dad comes in. Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by having them watch how Alexander loses his next 50 cents. PLAY the tape when you will hear his father say, “Alexander, what kind of language is that?

Step 22: PAUSE after Alexander says, “Goodbye fifty cents.”

Step 23: To check for comprehension, help children complete numbers 13 and 14 on the Activity Sheet.

Step 24: FAST FORWARD until you see Alexander in the restroom blowing his nose.

Step 25: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to watch for Alexander’s next loss. PLAY tape until you hear Alexander say, “Goodbye five cents.” Then PAUSE.

Step 26: To check for comprehension, help children complete number 15.

Step 27: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to see how Alexander loses his money this time. START tape and PLAY until you see a nickel fall through the crack of the porch and hear Alexander say, “Goodbye another five cents.” STOP tape.

Step 28: To check for comprehension, help children complete number 16.

Step 29: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling to listen for how much Alexander loses in this segment. START tape where you see Alexander standing in front of a mirror at a dresser. You will hear him say, “Last Sunday when I used to be rich I found this candy bar…” PAUSE after he says, “Goodbye fifty cents.”

Step 30: To check for comprehension, help children do number 17 and 18.

Step 31: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to see how much Alexander loses this time. PLAY tape. You will see Nicholas dressed as a magician. PAUSE tape after Alexander says, “Goodbye forty cents for the magic, twenty-five cents for the kick.”

Step 32: To check for comprehension, help children do number 19.

Step 33: In this final segment, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to watch for how much money Alexander loses. START tape again. PAUSE after Alexander says, “Goodbye a dollar and twenty-five cents.”

Step 34: To check for comprehension, help children do number 20.

Step 35: Divide children into pairs and have them work through Activity Sheet 2 using the play money. You may want to talk the children through the first 3 or 4 on the sheet. For example, say, “I will be the grandfather and Johnny you pretend to be Alexander. Here is your $5.00 Alexander [hand child a five dollar bill].” Ask the child to tell you what he buys and how much it costs. (The child should recall that Alexander buys gum for 50 cents.) Have the child hand you the five-dollar bill. Now you become the store clerk and give the Alexander child $4.50 in change.

Culminating Activity

Step 1: Open half of the computers in the classroom up to Counting Change at http://www.quia.com/mc/4918.html.

Step 2: Before telling the students to start the game, provide them with a Focus for Media Interaction by instructing them to find two squares that match. Have children work in pairs or individually to play the matching game here. This Web site has a matching game grid. In some squares there are lists of coins and in other squares the values are listed. The child must find the two squares that match. If the two squares that are clicked do match, a star in each square rewards the student. If they do not match, the student gets another chance.

Step 3: Open the other half of the computers up to Money Flash Cards at http://www.aplusmath.com/cgi-bin/flashcards/money.

Step 4: Before students start, provide them with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to count and write the correct value for each activity. Have children work in pairs or individually to work the money counting activities on this site. This Web site provides children with groups of coins and bills and then asks them to count and write the correct value. If they get the right or wrong answer, it tells them the correct answer.

Step 5: Have children switch computers so that they can work on the other Web site and have the opportunity to both activities.

Assessment

You or the students will go to Online Money Worksheets at http://www.aplusmath.com/
Worksheets/OnlineMoney.html. Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to create a worksheet. These worksheets can be checked online and give immediate feedback.

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Language Arts: Students can write stories about what they would do with five dollars.

Social Studies: Students can work in groups to create a graph to show how they would make a spending plan for five dollars.

Community Connections

• Students could visit a local bank or have a banker come in to talk to the class.
• Children could collect money for a party or other special treat, make a plan for what to buy, and then visit a local grocery store to buy the supplies.

Student Materials

• Activity Sheet 1
• Activity Sheet 2
• Play money in bags