1 - Getting Started ~3 mins
Pretend your purse just spilled on the desk. If the coins are all different, which coin would you pick up first, and why that one?
2 - Watch and Notice ~10 mins
Count on means we start at the biggest coin's number and keep adding the others one by one. The biggest coin is the one worth the most, with the biggest number stamped on it. It is not always the one that looks biggest: a 10c is worth more than a 5c, even though the 5c looks bigger.
First purse: line up 5c, then 2c, then 1c. Start at 5. Count on 2 to make 7. Count on 1 to make 8c. Starting on the 1c would mean lots of little jumps.
Next: start on the 5c again. Count on each 2c. What total do we land on?
When both coins are the same value, start on either one.
Now a 10c purse: start on 10 and count on the 5c.
3 - Try It Together ~8 mins
We will try a few purses together. One classmate taps on the board while we watch. We put the biggest coin first, then count on.
Fill the purse and count on
4 - Write the Purse Total in Your Copy ~3 mins
In your maths copy, write each line and fill in the blank:
- 5c and 2c and 1c makes ___ c
- 5c and 2c and 2c makes ___ c
5 - Class Challenge ~8 mins
We will count each purse together — biggest coin first, then count on, then say the total.
Count the purse
Unlock the full learning experience
You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.
This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.