Mathematics · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Counting Small Collections of Coins

Active learning works for counting coins because young students need concrete, sensory experiences to connect abstract numbers to real objects. Handling real coins and moving them into groups helps bridge the gap between counting by ones and using more efficient strategies like skip counting. Movement and discussion also keep engagement high while building both procedural skills and conceptual understanding.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9M1N04

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 35 min · Small Groups

Sorting Stations: Mixed Coin Collections

Prepare trays with 10-15 mixed Australian coins at four stations. Students sort by denomination, skip count each group, record subtotals, and add for the total. Groups rotate stations and share one strategy learned.

Design a strategy for efficiently counting a mixed collection of coins.

Facilitation Tip

During Sorting Stations, model placing coins in labeled trays while naming each value aloud to build auditory and visual connections.

What to look for

Present students with a mixed collection of 5, 10, and 20 cent coins (e.g., three 5-cent coins, two 10-cent coins, one 20-cent coin). Ask them to write down the total value of the collection and show their working.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Shop Role-Play: Exact Change Challenges

Pairs take turns as shopkeeper and customer. Customers select items totaling 20 cents; shopkeepers use coins to give exact change. Switch roles and discuss efficient coin choices afterward.

Explain how skip counting can help when counting coins.

Facilitation Tip

In Shop Role-Play, circulate with a small basket of coins to drop exact change into, so students see the value in action.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you have a 20-cent coin. What are two different ways you could make 20 cents using only 5-cent and 10-cent coins? Explain your thinking.'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Small Groups

Skip Count Relay: Coin Lines

Lay out lines of identical coins (e.g., 10-cent pieces) for teams. One student at a time skip counts aloud while placing a finger on each coin, then tags the next teammate. First team to finish records the total.

Evaluate different ways to make 20 cents using various coins.

Facilitation Tip

For Skip Count Relay, stand at the finish line to receive each group’s counted coins and total, listening for clear skip counting language.

What to look for

Give each student a small bag with 3-4 coins (e.g., 10c, 5c, 10c). Ask them to count the total value and write one sentence explaining the strategy they used to count the coins.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Combination Match-Up: Make the Amount

Provide cards showing amounts like 15 cents and trays of coins. Individually or in pairs, students select and arrange coins to match, then count aloud to verify. Record and compare with a partner.

Design a strategy for efficiently counting a mixed collection of coins.

Facilitation Tip

In Combination Match-Up, sit with struggling pairs to model recording combinations as equations before they attempt independently.

What to look for

Present students with a mixed collection of 5, 10, and 20 cent coins (e.g., three 5-cent coins, two 10-cent coins, one 20-cent coin). Ask them to write down the total value of the collection and show their working.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should avoid rushing students to skip counting before they’re fluent with one-to-one counting. Start with visual and tactile sorting so students notice differences in size, color, and value. Use peer discussion to normalize mistakes and encourage students to explain their thinking. Research shows that students learn money concepts best when they physically manipulate coins and connect actions to verbal counting sequences.

Students will confidently sort coins by value, use skip counting to find totals, and explain their counting methods with clear reasoning. They will compare different ways to make the same amount and justify their choices. Success looks like accurate totals, fluent counting, and students volunteering their strategies during group sharing.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sorting Stations, watch for students treating all coins as equal. They may group coins by size rather than value.

  Prompt students to read the value printed on each coin while sorting, and ask them to explain why a 20c coin is worth more than a 5c coin despite being smaller.

• During Skip Count Relay, watch for students counting each coin by ones even when they belong to the same group.

  Stop the group and model counting the coins aloud using skip counting by fives or tens, then ask the students to repeat the count together before resuming the relay.

• During Combination Match-Up, watch for students swapping a 10c coin for two 5c coins without verifying the total.

  Ask them to place the coins on the table and count each set aloud, then compare the totals to see why swapping changes the value.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share