Classroom Activities: Making Change Under a Dollar

These classroom activities are designed to complement the Making Change Under a Dollar topic on BrainPOP Jr.

General Store

Have students create different items for a general store. They may want to draw pictures, take photographs, or make small arts and crafts items. Then have them price their items for under $1.00. You may want students to write the prices on sticky notes or even on price tags. Then give individuals play money to buy items from each other. The “clerk” can calculate the change and the “customer” can check over the clerk’s work carefully. You may want them to write down their transactions with number sentences. You may also want to take turns going around the room to buy items or set up your own store and “accidentally” give a customer the incorrect change. Remind students about the importance of counting their change to make sure they get the correct amount returned!

Change is Good

Create story problems and have students solve them. For example, you might write, “Annie buys an apple that costs 63¢. She pays 70¢. How much change should she get back?” Then solve the problem together. Repeat the activity a few times and then have small groups create their own story problems, using amounts that are less than $1.00. Have partners solve each other’s problems and check over each other’s work. You may wish students to submit their story problems at the end of the activity so you can check for accuracy. The following day, have students re-copy and illustrate their story problem on a blank sheet of paper and then bind the class’ pages together to make a book for your classroom library. Or, have students complete the activity digitally using computer software or an online graphics program and create a slideshow.