The Power of a Dollar!

Kindergartners ventured out to the Dollar Tree  Store for a real life "Money Math" experience.  Each child was equipped with a dollar bill, 6 cents, and an ever-changing idea of possibilities.  We walked the isles exploring office supplies  and pondered- Should we get more spools of tape for our creations?    Index cards for all of our dictated ideas?   Gardening tools?  We eventually settled for buying sombreros for our Mexican fiesta snack, erasers, and more baskets for toting our treasures.

Previously in the classroom, we investigated coins- the value of each  and which President appeared on each coin.  We also  practiced sorting and adding same and  mixed groups of coins.  We experimented with the best penny cleaning solution (dish soap worked best) and had rousing games of "penny derby" (flicking coins across the table to try to get as many coins as possible to land inside a bucket versus outside.)  We practiced counting by 5 and 10 using nickels and dimes.  We also discussed the significance of the leaf, Capital Building and Monticello   (Thomas Jefferson's home) being present on the back of coins.

Kindergartners browsed a bit then made individual purchases at the store.  We each presented our money to the cashier and practiced our "please" and "thank yous" when paying for our selections.  We also chatted with the store manager and showed her our purchases.   This trip was a great culminating activity for our "Money Math" unit!

Back at school, we practiced our newly acquired skills during choice time.  We took turns ringing up our dollar purchases (including tax), distributed receipts, and played with our purchases.    Some even negotiated "buyer's remorse."