Coin Detectives Lesson Plan
Educator Lesson Plan
Coin Detectives: Feature, Value & Bingo Mastery
Grade: 1st – 2nd
Duration: 60 Mins
Domain: 2.MD.C.8
Core Objectives
- Identify 4 coins by color, size, edge & portrait.
- Pair names with exact cent values (1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢).
- Skip-count and tally onscreen change for Bingo.
Key Vocabulary
• Penny: 1¢ Copper • Nickel: 5¢ Smooth • Dime: 10¢ Ridged • Quarter: 25¢ Ridged • Obverse: Front • Reverse: Back
Materials Needed
- • Real or play coin sets (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters)
- • Projector & Coin Features Slide Deck
- • Printable Coin Bingo Cards & counters
Assigned Video Links & Interactive Online Games
Digital Media
Coin Value Song & Rhyme YouTube
Catchy song introducing penny, nickel, dime, and quarter characteristics.
youtube.com/watch?v=fzS9dP8Ld1Y
Coin Identification Lesson YouTube
Detailed video walk-through comparing coin sizes, portraits, and edge textures.
youtube.com/watch?v=updcVFfg6SI
Counting Money & Coins YouTube
Skip-counting strategies for groups of mixed and like coins.
youtube.com/watch?v=zHZyateRubo
IXL Money Bingo Game Interactive Web
Digital mixed-coin interactive bingo game for stations and independent tech practice.
ixl.com/games/money-bingo-mixed-coins-b
1 Hook & Tactile Exploration (10 Mins)
Engage
Play the opening video hook and distribute coin pouches. Students touch and feel edges (smooth vs. ridged) and compare copper vs. silver before naming each coin.
2 Direct Instruction: Slide Deck Breakdown (15 Mins)
Teach
Project the Coin Features Slide Deck. Review coin anatomy, front/back symbols, and skip-counting rhymes (Penny +1, Nickel +5, Dime +10, Quarter +25).
Coin Detectives Lesson • Primary Math Curriculum Page 1 of 2
Coin Bingo Protocol, Centers & Assessment
Phase 3, 4 & 5
Rapid Coin Matrix
| Coin | Value | Color | Edge Texture | Portrait | Skip-Counting Track |
|---|
| Penny | 1¢ ($0.01) | Copper | Smooth | Lincoln | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... |
| Nickel | 5¢ ($0.05) | Silver (Thick) | Smooth | Jefferson | 5, 10, 15, 20... |
| Dime | 10¢ ($0.10) | Silver (Smallest) | Ridged | F.D. Roosevelt | 10, 20, 30, 40... |
| Quarter | 25¢ ($0.25) | Silver (Largest) | Ridged | Washington | 25, 50, 75, 100 ($1) |
Whole-Class Coin Bingo Gameplay (20 Mins)
Interactive Game
- Distribute Bingo Cards: Hand out unique 3×3 or 4×4 Coin Bingo Cards and 12 counters/chips to each student.
- Project Change on Screen: Advance to the Bingo Calling slides. Each slide displays a live combination of coins on screen (e.g., 3 dimes & 1 nickel, or 2 quarters).
- Count the Total: Students whisper-count or write the total on scrap paper (e.g., 10+10+10+5 = 35¢).
- Cover the Match: If that value or coin image is on their Bingo card, students cover it with a chip.
- Bingo Win Check: When a student gets 3 in a row (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) or a Full Card Blackout, they call out "BINGO!" and read back their values for class verification.
Enrichment & Digital Station
Transition early finishers to the IXL Money Bingo Mixed Coins game on tablets or computers for adaptive automated levels.
Scaffolding Support
Provide tactile coins for struggling learners to build the onscreen coin set physically on their desk before totaling and finding it on their card.
Assessment & Wrap-Up
Conduct a 3-question rapid exit tally: identify the coin with ridged edges and Lincoln portrait, plus count 4 nickels (20¢).
CCSS.MATH.2.MD.C.8
1.MD.B.3
Coin Detectives Lesson • Primary Math Curriculum Page 2 of 2
Coin Features Slide Deck
Math Detectives Academy
Primary Mathematics
Coin Detectives:
Features, Values & Real-World Uses
Learn how to identify coins by color, size, and edge textures, skip-count like coins, and use money in daily life.
🔍 Visual Identification 🪙 Edge Texture Clues 🛒 Real-World Shopping
Begin Investigation →
Warm-Up Video Song
Meet the Coins & Their Values
Video Lesson
Embedded media
Listen closely to the coin rhymes and notice each coin's name and value!
Coin Lineup
The 4 Primary Coins at a Glance
1¢
Penny
1 Cent
Copper Color
5¢
Nickel
5 Cents
Thick & Smooth
10¢
Dime
10 Cents
Smallest Size
25¢
Quarter
25 Cents
Largest Silver
💡 Detective Rule: Bigger size does not always mean bigger value! (Dime = 10¢ > Nickel = 5¢)
Physical Features #1
Penny (1¢) vs. Nickel (5¢)
The Penny
Value: 1 Cent (1¢)
$0.01
- Color: Copper bronze (only non-silver coin)
- Edge: Smooth edge without ridges
- Front: Abraham Lincoln (16th President)
The Nickel
Value: 5 Cents (5¢)
$0.05
- Color: Silver-gray metal finish
- Edge: Thick, completely smooth edge
- Front: Thomas Jefferson (3rd President)
Both pennies and nickels share a key clue: their outer edges are completely smooth!
Physical Features #2
Dime (10¢) vs. Quarter (25¢)
The Dime
Value: 10 Cents (10¢)
$0.10
- Size: Smallest and thinnest U.S. coin
- Edge: Ridged / Grooved with tiny tactile bumps
- Front: Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)
The Quarter
Coin Bingo Activity Sheets
Printable Classroom Game
Coin Detectives: On-Screen Bingo Cards
Rules: Match On-Screen Change!
3 in a Row or Full Card = BINGO!
A Player Card A
Name: Date:
Penny 1¢
3 Dimes 30¢
Nickel 5¢
4 Nickels 20¢
FREE SPACE
2 Quarters 50¢
Dime 10¢
Mixed Change 36¢
Quarter 25¢
CUT HERE FOR INDIVIDUAL CARDS
B Player Card B
Name: Date:
2 Quarters 50¢
Nickel 5¢
Mixed Change 36¢
Quarter 25¢
FREE SPACE
3 Dimes 30¢
4 Nickels 20¢
Penny 1¢
Dime 10¢
Coin Detectives • Primary Math Bingo Page 1 of 2
Player Cards C & D + Caller Verification
Set 2
C Player Card C
Name: Date:
Dime 10¢
4 Nickels 20¢
2 Quarters 50¢
3 Dimes 30¢
FREE SPACE
Penny 1¢
Quarter 25¢
Mixed Change 36¢
Nickel 5¢
CUT HERE FOR CARD D
D Player Card D
Name: Date:
Mixed Change 36¢
Quarter 25¢
3 Dimes 30¢
Nickel 5¢
FREE SPACE
2 Quarters 50¢
Penny 1¢
Dime 10¢
4 Nickels 20¢
Teacher Caller Quick Check Ledger
Mark rounds as called on screen
Call 1: 3 Dimes 30¢
Call 2: 4 Nickels 20¢
Call 3: 2 Quarters 50¢
Call 4: 1Q+1D+1P 36¢
Coin Detectives • Primary Math Bingo Page 2 of 2