- 1). Calculate simple coin math problems for children who are learning coin values. These may show photo representations of coins or simply use words to denote them. How much money is two quarters + one dime + three pennies? Add the coin values to get the answer: 63 cents. Different situations are used to create calculations that repetitiously use coin values such as the following example: If you have three quarters, how many more quarters do you need to make one dollar?
- 2). Use known coin values to teach elementary multiplication. The value of six nickels is found using coin multiplication with the known factors: 6 times 5 which equals 30, or 30 cents. Employing money in elementary math lessons gives concrete representations of numbers for use in teaching mathematical concepts.
- 3). Create algebra coin problems by considering known values in unknown amounts, or a known amount made up of various values. The problems are set up in words like the following example: Tommy has $2 in nickels and dimes. There are 28 coins all together. How many are nickels and how many are dimes?
- 4). Make an algebraic coin equation out of each piece of known information offered in word problems using the example in the previous step. Use the letter n for nickels and d for dimes. We know the following: n + d = 28, and 5n + 10d = 200 cents.
- 5). Isolate one of the unknown factors on one side of the algebraic coin equation. If the dimes are sent to the opposite side of the equals sign in negative terms, then the first equation reads: n = 28 -- d. Substitute the value for n from this new equation into the second equation to get: 5(28 -- d) + 10d = 200, or 140 -- 5 d + 10d = 200.
- 6). Subtract 140 from both sides of the last equation to get: -- 5d + 10d = 60, or 5d = 60, which is 12. Then n + 12 = 28, so n = 16, meaning there are 12 dimes and 16 nickels
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