Rub a Dub Dub! Coin Rubbings! A Fun Way to Learn About Coins

Hi All,

This is a very simple hands-on activity that kids love. Provide the class with a pile of coins and/or ask them to gather some from home. Each student should also have some dark crayons like brown, blue, black, and purple.

Give each students some thin paper. Tracing paper is the best, but notebook paper and even white tissue paper also works. Have a student select a coin and place under the paper. Then using the crayon, rub it gently across the surface leaving an impression of the coin underneath. Gentle pressure provides a better image than pressing hard.

Kids enjoy the process and it focuses their attention on the attributes of the coins such as size, images, and words.

As students do their rubbings and are really focused on their coins have them also complete the attached coin chart pdf to help them solidify their coin identification skills. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P3dBMXXsYqAJVlvai_3bi6WeKuni2M5g/view?usp=sharing

Try to provide as many different coins as possible. As an extension, you might even provide some foreign coins so kids can compare them with American coins. And as far as rubbings, think about what else might be easy to find and fun to use; buttons, paper clips, leaves, shells, it really is simple fun that focuses attention to detail! :)

All the best,

Bob

This is an activity I wrote for Best-Ever Activities for Grades 2-3: Time and Measurement by Deborah Rovin-Murphy and Frank Murphy (Scholastic Professional Books, 2002), two Bucks County, PA teachers.

Comments

What Does Not Belong?

Hi All, "What Does Not Belong" is such a great little concept and can be applied to so many different areas of math as well as other content areas. Great little game when you are waiting, like for buses to be called or for the day to begin. Also a great game for long car or bus rides where if there are no written numbers or pictures you really have to do the mental math. Present a group of numbers. Start with maybe six. Say, 10 56 17 122 4 98 Ask the players to identify which number does not belong and have them explain why. We want players to look at the characteristics of the numbers and compare them to try to find the selection criteria or "rule" so they can determine which does not belong. For example, we have a mix of 1, 2, and 3 digit numbers, so it's not the "rule" is not the number of digits. We have five even numbers and only one odd number. That's it! 17 does not belong,...

Piaget Would be Proud! Assessment, Mental Math, Manipulatives, Thinking, Missing Addends, and Kumquats!

Hi All, This is a super simple, but very revealing activity and so works as a good assessment. Fantastic for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1. Try it out and see what you learn about your students. Display a small number of objects in your open hands. Here we have 4 kumquats. (Because I have a kumquat tree in my yard. Any small manipulative will do.) Put your hands behind your back. Close one hand and bring both hands back out in front of you to display 2 kumquats visible in one hand and a closed hand with the rest of them. Remind students that you started with 4 and there are still 4 all together. Ask students, what is in the closed hand. Ask how they know this. Then reveal and discuss. Try another one. Show the 4 objects again, 2 in each hand. Put your hands behind your back and redistribute with 1 object in one hand and 3 objects in the other. Bring your hands to the front and ask how many are in your closed hand. Ask how they know this. Then reveal and discuss. Yo...

Calculator Caller!

Hi All, I had a colleague I taught with for years. She was a passionate second grade teacher with a lot of solid experience. A parent once asked her, "What is the most important thing you can teach a child?" I was thinking that's a tough question. Maybe, to treat others like you would treat yourself? Her immediate reply was, "Place value." Ha, ha! She was a real math maven! Place value is important though! Here's one fun partner activity that gives kids practice with calculators (which they need in standardized tests as well as real life), place value, number recognition, and number words. It's motivating because most kids love to get their hands on calculators and as teachers and parents we're usually telling them, "No calculators!" 1. Each player gets a calculator and a recording sheet. The lead player decides on a number, inputs it into his calculator, writes it down on the record sheet, says it aloud, but does not let his partner se...

MathStuff

Search This Blog