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Elementary School

Presentation Title: The Penny

• Interchangeable activities and elements can be added to address desired age group  

• Coin exchanges and values
• Simple addition using coin values
• Recognition of coin combinations equaling other coins
• Historical investigation of items valued at one cent  

• Can be expanded based on age group or time available 

 Presentation Detail:

• If you plan on reading Deena’s Lucky Penny, before presentation day, divide plastic coins into plastic bags or zipper pouches corresponding to the coins in the story. Create one set for each pair of students.
• As you read the story to the students, incorporate some or all of the recommended activities below to correspond with the information presented in the story.
• Have students work in pairs to re-enact the story using plastic coins (Deena’s Lucky Penny). For 1st grade, read the story first, and then read it again while acting out the characters.
• Ask students to identify how many pennies it takes to make up different units of coin (i.e. 5 pennies = 1 nickel).
• Use sample pennies to identify the various components of our minted coins.
• Introduce the activity sheets while presenting “The U.S. Penny” PowerPoint slides.
• Use the “Design your own Penny” sheet to allow students to create their very own penny design.
• Ask students to continue the activity at home by completing the “Penny Interview” sheet. This activity corresponds to the Social Studies Benchmarks as listed.

Grade Level Michigan Educational Standards & Benchmarks Supported

• Mathematics    (Michigan GLCE  v.6-04)

Grade 1- Work with money
M.UN.01.04 Identify the different denominations of coins and bills
M.UN.01.05 Match one coin or bill of one denomination to an equivalent set of coins/bills of other denominations
M.UN.01.06 Tell the amount of money
M.PS.01.07 Add and subtract money in dollars only or in cents only
M.PS.01.08 Solve one-step word problems using addition and subtraction of money

• Social Studies (Michigan Contents Standards & Draft Benchmarks, 1995)

Strand IV   Economic Perspective
Standard V.1 Recognize economic exchanges
Standard V.2 Identify U.S. coin and currency
Strand V   Inquiry
Standard II.2 Gather/analyze information to answer questions
Standard II.4 Report the results of the inquiry