How Much Is That Name?

Designed by: Lori Douroux    School: Caughman Road Elementary

Grade Level: 2nd       Subject(s): Math

Core Curriculum Objective(s): Recognize, count, and write money amounts using the cent symbol

Overview: Each letter of the alphabet will be assigned a coin (penny, nickel, dime, quarter) The student will calculate how much their names cost.

Focus/Essential Question(s): 
How much money do I have? 
How do I write this amount of money?

Time Frame: Two one hour class periods

Resources/Materials: 
* Plastic money
 * Overhead money 
* Magnetic money 
* Paper 
* Pencils 
* Transparencies 
* Overhead projector 
* Sentence strips 
* Money stamps 
* Calculators 
www.mathstories.com 
www.aplusmath.com
www.sys.virginia.edu/~
wwwle/jun/module.html

Culminating Assessment: Students will submit their name projects. Looking at the written plan for the money name, the written explanation and the finished project checks mastery for this lesson. The teacher will assess the student's understanding by using the following rubric.

Money Name

Instructional Activities: 
Activity One: 
The teacher will review the values of each coin. She will show magnetic money as well as say the poem: Penny, penny, Easily spent Copper brown and worth one cent. Nickel, nickel, Thick and fat, You're worth five cents. I know that. Dime, dime, Little and thin, I remember, You're worth ten. Quarter, quarter Big and bold, You're worth twenty-five I am told! The teacher will put up review money addition problems such as 1 dime + 2 nickels = ______. This will be reviewed written as well as visually with the overhead and/or magnetic coins. The teacher will model writing the answer the correct way using the cents symbol. The teacher will also review money values by asking volunteers to come up and make 45c with the overhead money. These strategies will help the teacher observe which students are going to need added assistance with money concepts. A great interactive web sites for those having difficulties is 

www.sys.virginia.edu/~wwwle/jun/module.html    

The teacher will explain that they are going to give a value to every letter of the alphabet. Together the teacher and the students will create an Alphabet chart assigning 1, 5, 10 or 25c to each letter. For example a=5c b=1c c=25c etc. The teacher will write the word CAT on the board. She will present the question, 'If I had to buy each one of the letters in the word cat separately, how much would it cost?' She will then model how to locate the value for each letter from the alphabet chart and add them up to get the total. The students will be instructed to take out their bags of plastic money and their calculators. The students will check the teacher's answer by using their calculators. A few more examples may be modeled. Next, the teacher will explain that they are going to find out how much their name costs. The teacher will model the process step by step using her name. First you find out how much each letter in your first and last name costs. (Students may choose to use their middle name too). Print your name/s on a sentence strip and write the value under each letter. After that you can represent each letter with the corresponding plastic coin. Then you add up. Double-check your answers with the calculator. Students will also find a friend to triple check their answers using a calculator. This allows for interaction and peer tutoring. Students may use rubber money stamps to represent their coins on the sentence strip. The teacher will be monitoring and assisting the entire time. When you arrive at an answer have 2 friends check your calculations. The teacher will be circulating around the room checking answers and helping where needed. Underneath your name on the sentence strip write the sentence 'My name costs _________. On a piece of paper the students will explain how they got their answer. The teacher will prompt the students to write why they think it's important to know how to add money and how they can use this skill in real life. The names as well as the written explanation will be assessed using the scoring rubric. As an extension the students will put their names in order from the one that costs the most to the one that costs he least. These name projects will be displayed on a bulletin board.

Activity Two: The students can get in small groups and add all of their names together and see which group is the most expensive. Then change the groups and repeat the same activity.

If a students finishes early or seem to be struggling they may go to

www.mathstories.com 

www.aplusmath.com 

for added enrichment on money concepts. www.aplusmath.com is a great site for students needing extra practice adding coins. Simply go to the site and click on money flashcards. The flashcards are interactive For added enrichment; practice or homework go to www.mathstories.com. This site gives word problems using money.