Real problems and money: a week of ready-to-teach maths
Five days of lessons for Year 2 Number. Print this pack and the week is prepared: each day has a one-page plan and a student worksheet, plus cut-out play money, a mini-check and every answer.
Start here: five minutes to Monday
- Skim the week at a glance on the next page.
- Print the five days. Each day is two A4 sheets: a plan and a worksheet.
- Cut out the two card sheets once; the play money and price tags are reused all week.
- Open the free interactive unit on your board. Every plan tells you which picture to show and when.
- Teach straight from the plan. Timings, talk prompts, misconceptions and answers are all on the one page.
No maths background needed
This pack is written for the busy generalist teacher. Each plan explains the idea in plain words, lists the misconceptions children bring, and gives model answers, so you can walk in and teach it.
One day, one lesson
The five lessons fill a week of maths, one lesson of about 50 minutes a day. Run them in order: each day stands on the one before. Every lesson can also split into a short warm-up and a main session if your timetable runs small blocks.
The week at a glance
One lesson a day for a week. Each day stands on the day before, so run them in order.
| Day | Lesson | Children learn and do | On screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the face, not the footprint | Order coins and notes by worth, not by size | Coins of the realm |
| 2 | Make the amount many ways | Build a price several ways, then in the fewest coins | Make the amount |
| 3 | Counting on the change | Count up from the price to the note to find change | The change counter |
| 4 | The story picks the operation | Turn a real story into a matching number sentence | Which operation? |
| 5 | Walk the number home | Solve a money problem and answer what was asked | Answer the question asked |
How the week builds
Day 1 learns the coins and notes by worth; Day 2 makes amounts from them; Day 3 works out change by counting up; Day 4 turns a story into a number sentence; and Day 5 solves a real problem and answers what was asked. It builds on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing from earlier in the year, and puts the whole toolbox to work at the shop.
Materials for the week (one trip)
- From the classroom: scissors, pencils, this pack printed.
- Handy from home or the coin jar: a few real or play coins to sort by size and by worth (optional; the pack has play money to cut out).
- Cut out once, use all week: the play-money coins and notes, the price tags and the receipt frame in this pack. No maths equipment to buy.
Dear families
This week in maths, Year 2 uses maths to solve real money problems. We learn the coins and notes, make amounts, work out change by counting up, and turn shopping stories into number sentences.
Try this at home
- Sort the coin jar twice: once by size, once by worth. The two orders disagree, and that is the lesson.
- At the shop, ask your child to guess the change before the register shows it, by counting up from the price.
- Give a small amount, say $2.50, and ask for it in the fewest coins.
- Read a receipt together: which item cost the most, and what did it all come to?
My money this week
Fill one row a day. Tick when you have named the coins and made the amount.
| Day | My money task | I named it | I made it | Change was $____ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | □ | □ | ||
| Tuesday | □ | □ | ||
| Wednesday | □ | □ | ||
| Thursday | □ | □ | ||
| Friday | □ | □ |
Printed from the free seegongsik Real Problems and Money teaching pack · seegongsik.com/au/y2/number/AC9M2N06/pack
Read the face, not the footprint
Money is the arena for the whole week, so it pays to meet the coins properly. The big idea is quietly deep: what a coin is worth is printed on its face, not measured around its rim. The tiny gold $2 outranks the enormous silver 50c.
We are learning to
- name the Australian coins and notes and say what each is worth,
- order coins and notes by worth, not by size,
- swap a note or coin for smaller coins of the same worth.
Success criteria
- I can put coins in order of worth.
- I can say why a small coin can be worth more than a big one.
You need
The play-money coins and notes (cut-out sheet 1), one set per pair. A handful of real coins from a jar if you have them. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Sort it twice Tip out the coins. Sort them once by size, then again by worth, and notice the two lines disagree. Ask: “The 50c is the biggest coin. Is it worth the most? How can you tell?” |
| 30 min | Which buys more Pairs hold up two coins and agree which buys more, reading the face not the size. Then order a whole handful, smallest worth first. Ask: “A $2 coin is small and gold. A 50c coin is big and silver. Which would you rather have, and why?” |
| 10 min | Same worth, swap it Show that a $5 note is worth the same as five $1 coins, and a $2 coin the same as two $1 coins. Ask: “How many $1 coins would you swap for this $5 note?” |
Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after sorting twice. Start Session B by ordering a fresh handful, then go on to swapping notes for coins.
Watch for these ideas
- Thinking the biggest coin is worth the most: the silver 50c is larger than the gold $2 but worth less.
- Confusing a $2 coin with a $2 note (there is no $2 note) or expecting a 1c or 2c coin (none since 1992).
- Reading a $5 note as less than five coins because it is only one piece of paper.
Answers
- Worth more: $2, then $1, then 10c, then the $5 note.
- In order of worth: 5c, 20c, 50c, $2. Then 10c, 50c, $1, $5.
- A $5 note is worth the same as 5 one-dollar coins. A $10 note is worth the same as 2 five-dollar notes.
Which is worth more?
Read the face, not the size. For each pair, write the one that is worth more.
| One | The other | Worth more (write it) |
|---|---|---|
| $2 | 50c | |
| $1 | 20c | |
| 10c | 5c | |
| $5 note | $2 coin |
Put each set in order of worth, smallest first
| The coins and notes | In order of worth, smallest first |
|---|---|
| 50c, 5c, $2, 20c | |
| $1, 10c, $5, 50c |
Same worth
A $5 note is worth the same as ____ one-dollar coins.
A $10 note is worth the same as ____ five-dollar notes.
Your pocket money
Draw the coins you might have as pocket money. Write how much altogether: $____
Make the amount many ways
One amount has many recipes. Today children build a price several ways, then hunt for the fewest coins. Making amounts is renaming again, wearing a coin costume, and the fewest-coins hunt teaches the shopkeeper instinct: reach for the biggest coins first.
We are learning to
- make an amount several different ways with coins and notes,
- make an amount using the fewest coins,
- swap small coins for one bigger coin of the same worth.
Success criteria
- I can make an amount two different ways.
- I can make an amount with the fewest coins.
You need
The play-money coins and notes (cut-out sheet 1), one set per pair. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Same worth, swap it Warm up by swapping equal worths: two 50c for a $1, two $1 for a $2, five $1 for a $5 note. Ask: “Two 50c coins are worth the same as which one coin?” |
| 30 min | Build the price Call an amount, say $3.50. Pairs build it any way, then rebuild it in fewer coins (a $2, a $1 and a 50c — three coins). Ask: “You paid $3.50 with seven coins. Can you pay the same amount with fewer?” |
| 10 min | Fewest coins race Call $2.70. Pairs race to make it in the fewest coins: a $2, a 50c and a 20c. Ask: “Which coin should you always reach for first, and why?” |
Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after building the price; start Session B with the fewest-coins race.
Watch for these ideas
- Grabbing many small coins when one big coin would do: correct total, but not the fewest.
- Forgetting there is no 1c or 2c coin, so cash amounts are made to the nearest 5c.
- Thinking there is only one right way to make an amount.
Answers
- 70c: for example 50c and 20c, or 20c, 20c, 20c and 10c. $1.50: a $1 and a 50c, or three 50c. $3: a $2 and a $1, or three $1. Any combination that totals the amount is correct.
- Fewest coins for $3.70: a $2, a $1, a 50c and a 20c (four coins).
- Make $7 with the fewest pieces: a $5 note and a $2 coin (two pieces).
- To use the fewest coins, reach for the biggest coins first.
Many ways, one amount
Make each amount two different ways. Draw or write the coins you would use.
| Amount | One way | Another way |
|---|---|---|
| 70c | ||
| $1.50 | ||
| $3 |
The fewest coins
Make $3.70 with the fewest coins. Which coins? ____________________ (____ coins)
Notes and coins
Make $7 with the fewest notes and coins: ____________________
To use the fewest coins, reach for the ____________ coins first.
Counting on the change
Watch any shopkeeper make change: seven, eight, ten. Nobody subtracts; they count up from the price to the note. The coins handed over are the working, said out loud, and a subtraction sentence gets solved without a single takeaway.
We are learning to
- work out change by counting up from the price to the money paid,
- find the change when paying with a note,
- give the change back in coins.
Success criteria
- I can count up from the price to find the change.
- I can say the change in dollars and cents.
You need
The play-money coins and notes (cut-out sheet 1), one set per pair. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Count on, not back Model one together: a pie costs $8, paid with a $10 note. Count up, eight then nine then ten, and the change is the two dollars you climbed. Ask: “The pie is $8. Count up with me to the $10 note. How many dollars did we climb?” |
| 30 min | Be the shopkeeper In pairs, one names a price and pays with a note; the other counts up, handing coins until the total reaches the note. Ask: “You counted up to the note exactly. The coins in your hand are the change. How much is it?” |
| 10 min | The cents jump Try a price with cents: a ball is $6.50, paid with $10. Jump 50c to $7 first, then in dollars to $10. Ask: “First a little jump of 50c to $7, then dollar jumps to $10. What is the change?” |
Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after being the shopkeeper; start Session B with the cents jump.
Watch for these ideas
- Trying to take away instead of counting up, and losing track along the way.
- Stopping before reaching the note, so the change comes out short.
- Forgetting the small cents jump first when the price has cents.
Answers
- $4 paid with $5: change $1. $8 paid with $10: change $2. $2 paid with $5: change $3. $5 paid with $10: change $5.
- Ball $6.50 paid with $10: change $3.50 (50c up to $7, then $3 up to $10).
- Change of $3.50 in coins: a $2, a $1 and a 50c (other correct ways are fine).
Count up to find the change
Do not take away. Count up from the price to the money paid. The change is how far you climbed.
| It costs | I pay | Count up (write the jumps) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| $4 | $5 | ||
| $8 | $10 | ||
| $2 | $5 | ||
| $5 | $10 |
A harder one
The ball is $6.50. You pay with a $10 note. Jump 50c to $7 first, then in dollars. Draw your jumps on the line.
Change: $______
Give the change in coins
The change above is $3.50. Draw the coins the shopkeeper hands over.
The story picks the operation
Each, altogether, left over, shared between: the words choose the operation, and hearing them is half of modelling. But word-spotting alone is a trap. The protection is a picture, so draw first and choose second, and the operation almost picks itself.
We are learning to
- read a real story and choose add, take away, groups of, or sharing,
- write a number sentence that matches the story,
- draw the story to check the sentence.
Success criteria
- I can choose the right operation for a story.
- I can write and solve a matching number sentence.
You need
Pencils and the worksheet, one per child. Optional: counters or the play money to act out the groups.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Which move? Tell tiny stories; the class shows the sign or says the word: add, take away, groups of, or share. Ask: “Shared between: which move does that word tell us to use?” |
| 30 min | Draw, then choose Pairs take a story, draw it (an array, a bar, plates), then write the number sentence the picture shows. Ask: “Your picture shows 4 rows of 5. Does 4 + 5 match it, or 4 groups of 5?” |
| 10 min | Trap the word-spotter Try a story that says each but wants adding, to show that the picture beats word-spotting. Ask: “The word each is here, but look at your picture. What is really happening?” |
Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after draw, then choose; start Session B with the word-spotter trap.
Watch for these ideas
- Word-spotting alone: a story can say each and still want adding.
- Choosing add whenever two numbers appear in the story.
- Sharing the wrong way round, so the sentence divides the small number by the big one.
Answers
- 4 tables, 5 chairs each: 4 × 5 = 20, so 20 chairs.
- 8 children, 5 more: 8 + 5 = 13, so 13 children.
- 14 textas, 6 taken: 14 - 6 = 8, so 8 textas.
- 18 stickers shared among 3: 18 ÷ 3 = 6, so 6 stickers each.
The story picks the sentence
Read each story. Draw it if it helps. Write a number sentence, then the answer with its words.
| Story | Number sentence | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 4 tables, 5 chairs at each table. How many chairs? | ||
| 8 children play, 5 more join them. How many now? | ||
| 14 textas in a tub, 6 are taken out. How many are left? | ||
| 18 stickers shared between 3 children. How many each? |
Signs you can use: + (add), - (take away), × (groups of), ÷ (share equally).
Draw one story
Pick one story above and draw it: an array, a bar, or plates. The picture should show your sentence.
Walk the number home
The last step of modelling is the one tests punish and life demands: the answer must walk back into the story. A bare number is only half an answer until it wears its units and faces its question. Today the week comes together in real problems.
We are learning to
- solve a problem that needs more than one step,
- choose the operations and work them in order,
- answer in the words the question asked: dollars, groups, or yes and no.
Success criteria
- I can solve a two-step money problem.
- I can give the answer in the right words.
You need
Pencils and the worksheet. The play money and price tags (cut-out sheet 2) for the last task. This is a good day for the on-screen quiz as a class game.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Two steps, out loud Think aloud through a two-step problem: cupcakes at $3, buy 2, pay with $10, find the change. Ask: “First, what do 2 cupcakes cost? Then, what is the change from $10?” |
| 30 min | Solve and say it right Pairs solve the worksheet problems, then say each answer in its units. Spring the trap: a perfect number that is the wrong answer. Ask: “You found 6. Six what? And did the question ask for that?” |
| 10 min | Shop with $10 Using the price tags, each child picks two things within $10, writes the sentence and the change. Ask: “Do your two things fit inside $10? How much change would you get?” |
Two half-sessions instead? End Session A after solve and say it right; start Session B by shopping with $10.
Watch for these ideas
- Stopping at the first number, the 6 or the 8, and calling it the answer.
- Giving a bare number with no units, so 4 could be dollars, cakes or children.
- Doing only one step of a two-step problem.
Answers
- 1. 2 × 3 = 6, then 10 - 6 = 4: $4 change.
- 2. 24 ÷ 4 = 6: 6 groups (the answer is in groups, not children).
- 3. 5 × 2 = 10, and $10 is more than $9: No, Sam is $1 short.
- 4. Varies. For example a pie and a drink: 4 + 2 = 6, change 10 - 6 = 4, so $4 change. Check the two prices total $10 or less and the change is $10 minus the total.
Solve it, then answer what was asked
Show your working. Write the answer in the words the question asked.
1. Change from a note
Cupcakes cost $3 each. Priya buys 2 and pays with a $10 note. What is her change?
Answer: $______
2. How many groups
A class of 24 children lines up in groups of 4. How many groups?
Answer: ______ groups
3. Enough money?
Pencils cost $2 each. Sam has $9. Can he buy 5 pencils?
Yes or No? ______ Why? ________________________________
4. Shop with $10
Choose two things from the price list. You have $10.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Pie | $4 |
| Drink | $2 |
| Cake | $5 |
| Badge | $3 |
| Ball | $6 |
| Apple | 50c |
I choose ____________ and ____________.
Number sentence: ____________________
My change from $10: $______
Play money: coins and notes
Cut out the coins and notes. Use them to make amounts, count change and shop all week. One set per pair is plenty; print another copy if a pair needs more.
Silver coins
Gold coins
Notes
Teacher note: the gold coins ($1 and $2) are worth more than the bigger silver coins, and a note is worth more than any coin. There is no 1c or 2c coin, so cash amounts are made to the nearest 5c.
Price tags and a receipt
Cut out the price tags for the shop. Use the receipt frame to list what you buy, add the total, and count the change from the money you pay.
Price tags
Shopping list and receipt
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
Teacher note: the price tags are the same prices as the shop on Day 5, so the floor game and the worksheet match.
What we know: real problems and money
Work on your own. Show your thinking if you can.
- Put these in order of worth, smallest first: 20c, $2, 50c. ____, ____, ____
- How many $2 coins make $10? ____
- Show one way to make 80c with coins: ____________________
- What is the fewest coins to make $2.50? ____________________
- A book costs $6. You pay with a $10 note. Your change is ____
- A drink costs $2.50. You pay with a $5 note. Your change is ____
- There are 6 tables with 3 chairs at each table. Write a number sentence and the answer: ____
- Muffins cost $4 each. Leo buys 2 and pays with a $10 note. What is his change? ____
Answers and marking guide
Answers
- 20c, 50c, $2.
- 5 (because 5 twos make 10).
- Any coins that total 80c, for example 50c, 20c and 10c.
- Two coins: a $2 and a 50c.
- $4 (count up: $6 to $10).
- $2.50 (count up: 50c to $3, then $2 to $5).
- 6 × 3 = 18, so 18 chairs.
- 2 × 4 = 8, then 10 - 8 = 2: $2 change.
A quick three-level guide
| Idea | Working towards | At standard | Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money value (Q1, Q2) | names the coins | orders coins by worth and finds how many make $10 | explains that worth is set on the face, not by size |
| Make an amount (Q3, Q4) | makes an amount with help | makes an amount and finds a fewest-coins way | explains why reaching for the biggest coins first gives the fewest |
| Change (Q5, Q6) | finds change with materials | counts up to find change, including cents | gives the change back in coins |
| Model and solve (Q7, Q8) | writes a sentence for one step | chooses the operation and answers in the right units | checks the answer against the situation, such as whether there is enough money |
Eight questions, four ideas. A child at standard answers most questions and can say the answer in its units, such as dollars of change or number of chairs.
Weekly class record
Jot a tick as you move around the room; the mini-check fills any gaps. A tick a day is plenty.
| Name | Knows coin values | Makes amounts | Counts change | Chooses the operation | Solves and explains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The five columns are the five days: coin value, making amounts, change, choosing the operation, and solving a problem.