2002 Lesson Plans
Grades K and 1

4: Coin Crossroads
Based on the Indiana quarter reverse

Objectives:
Students will play a racetrack game using money vocabulary and by adding coins with the same value.  

Materials:
•	1 overhead projector (optional)
•	1 overhead transparency or display copy of cents (pennies) (and nickels and dimes if needed)
•	1 “Around the Racetrack” worksheet for each student
•	1 “Around the Racetrack” overhead transparency
•	1 plastic cup for each group
•	Spinner or die (numbered one through six)
•	6 cents for each group
•	1 pencil for each student
•	2 colored pencils (different colors) for each group
•	1 copy of an age appropriate text that relates to car racing, such as:
–	My Race Car by Michael Rex
–	Race Cars (Things That Go!) by Craig Robert Carey
–	Race Cars (Transportation) by Darlene R. Stille
–	Race Cars (Monster Machines) by David Jefferis

Preparations:
•	Make an overhead transparency (or enlarged photocopy) of “Around the Racetrack” so that it can be easily seen.
•	Make overhead transparency (or enlarged photocopy) of cent (penny), and nickels and dimes if appropriate.
•	Enlarge and make copies of the Racetrack worksheet for each student.
•	Locate a copy of an appropriate text (see suggestions under “Materials”).

Grouping: 
•	Whole group
•	Small groups

Class Time: 
2 30-minute sessions

Connections:
•	Mathematics
•	Language Arts

Terms and Concepts:
•	Cent	
•	Nickel
•	Dime
•	Coins
•	Value
•	Addition 
Background Knowledge:
Students should have basic knowledge of:
•	Coins and the value of a cent, nickel, and dime
•	Adding same-set coin combinations

Steps: 
Session 1
1.	Describe the 50 State Quarters® Program for background information, if necessary, using the example of your own state if available.
2.	Introduce your students to the Indiana quarter.  Locate Indiana on a classroom map.  Note its relation to their home state.
3.	Ask the students what they see on the coin.  Discuss these images.    
4.	Read the selected text.

Session 2
1.	Introduce the students to a game that involves race cars called Penny Racers.  
2.	Place students in pairs and distribute materials:  1 die/spinner, 1 “Around the Racetrack” game board, 1 plastic cup containing 6 cents, and 2 different-colored pencils.  
3.	Demonstrate the game to the class using overhead materials.    
4.	The first student will use a spinner or die to determine the number of cents (s)he will place on the racetrack.  The student will spin or roll, then place that number of cents in one lane of the first section of the racetrack, using money vocabulary:  “I rolled three cents.”
5.	The first student will then trace the cents they have laid on the first space in the racetrack using his or her own colored pencil.  It is then the other player’s turn to complete steps 4 and 5.  
6.	Play will continue until all sections of the race track are filled. 
7.	When both players have reached the finish line, they will count the number of cents in their lane on the racetrack.  The player with the greatest number of cents is the winner! 

Enrichment/Extensions:
Reinforce these skills with lesson plan 6 from this set, “Pennies and Nickels and Dimes--Oh, My!” 

Differentiated Learning Options:
Use nickels or dimes rather than cents with this lesson to reinforce skip-counting.

HPC Connections
If your students enjoyed this high-speed activity, invite them to race against the clock and put together the Indiana quarter when they play PuzzleMint in the “Games” area.

Student worksheet
Around the Racetrack 
Oval race track is divided into eight sections with dashed line down the middle.

Reproducible Overhead Graphic
Enlarged outline of the Indiana quarter reverse.