Activity Overview
Students complete multi-step task/problem solve; use decimals, FIX key, place value keys; see that fractions/decimals represent a part of a whole in money; organize table/record; put monetary value on letters and find sum of those letters.
Before the Activity
Read the poem: Mud Pies a Penny. First talk about buying and selling their own things from home. Consider how they decide what the value should be. I tell the children that I will be buying words from them and they will earn money for the words they sell me.
During the Activity
Decide what the value for consonants and vowels should be. After the values have been established, model how to set up at least one possible table to organize the words and values of letters.
After the Activity
Students record the possible money combinations for the word the teacher is going to buy. Make copies of the variety of charts children designed to find the values for each word. This can be an ongoing activity for the children as they learn and work with words.