Fair Exchange

 

 

In your bank, you have three types of coins. The number of spots shows how much they are worth.

1	2	5

Can you choose coins to exchange with the groups below to make the same total?

 

 

Can you find another way to do each one?

 

 

Why do this problem?

This problem gives opportunities for children to practise numbers bonds in the context of a game. Children can try out different options to find sets with equal numbers of spots in them.
You could focus on encouraging learners to work systematically to find all possibilities.

Possible Approach

Introduce the activity to the class on an interactive whiteboard and ask them to choose a number to match from the three choices 5, 8 and 11. The 'coins' in the game have the same number of spots as the number they represent which makes them easier for children to work with than either toy coins or real money. It would be possible to use real coins or toy money as an alternative.
Ask the children what each of the target numbers is in turn: 5, 8 and 11. Then see if they can suggest different sets of coins that have the same value and try them out using the interactivity.
The children could then go on to creating their own equivalent sets of coins either using coins cut out from this Word document and pdf card showing coins worth 1, 2 and 5.

Key questions

Possible extension

Children can choose their own target numbers and see how many different equivalent sets they can make using coins worth 1, 2 and 5. They could use real coins instead of the printed version and even move on to higher deniminations such as 10p or 20p.

Possible support

Plenty of practice with exchanging small collections of coins may be needed by some children. Understanding that five penny pieces are worth the same as one 5p piece is tricky and may take time to establish with young children.