Currency

by Jessica Wesaquate and Andrea Rogers

Grade Level:

Four

Curricular Objectives:

• Solve a variety of problems relating to money.
• Add and subtract amounts of money using correct symbols.
• Working with percentiles and currency.

Situation:

You write an editorial in the food section in your town’s newspaper.  One of your weekly reader’s has sent you an e-mail asking you to find out which place in town has the most delicious Saskatoon berry pie and at the cheapest price.

You haven’t been to “Barry’s Place” before, so this is the first restaurant you choose.  For a slice of pie it costs $3.25. You get a $2.00 herbal tea with your order.  What is the total of your order?

Your second choice is “Jazzy Janes” down the block.  For a slice of Saskatoon berry pie it costs you $4.00 even.  Uh-oh!  There is a hair in your pie!  The manager is going to give you a 50% refund on your piece of pie.  How much did your piece of pie end up costing you?

The last stop of your day is at “Pie World.”  For a nice slab of pie if costs you $1.75 and it is the most delicious piece of pie you have ever tasted.  You decide to get 4 slices to go for your Nokum, Mushom and little brother and sister.  How much is it going to cost you in total?

You started your journey with $20.00, determine how much you spent at all three places and determine how much money you have left.

Money spent $ ________ Money leftover $ ________

___________________ has the most delicious
Saskatoon berry pie at the cheapest price.

Assessment idea:

Have students record their answers in their math logs as well as write about what they liked and disliked about this activity.

Extension Idea:

Have students create their own menus with their own prices.  The students could create a restaurant as a class with students as cashiers, servers, and customers.  You can have them work with actual pennies, nickels, and dimes to allow them to practice using real money.

Aboriginal Perspectives is supported by the University of Regina, the Imperial Oil Foundation, the Canadian Mathematical Society and the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences.