Coin Combo Quest Slides
2nd Grade Math Adventure
Unit: Money & Equivalent Values
LEVEL UP Equal Value • Different Coins
Coin Combo Quest!
Learn how different groups of coins can make the exact same amount of money!
1¢
Penny
Value: 1 cent
5¢
Nickel
Value: 5 cents
10¢
Dime
Value: 10 cents
25¢
Quarter
Value: 25 cents
Step 1: Quick Review
Meet the Coin Crew
Know Their Values!
1¢
Penny
1 Cent
• Copper color
• Abraham Lincoln
Count by 1s
5¢
Nickel
5 Cents
• Thick, smooth edge
• Thomas Jefferson
Count by 5s
10¢
Dime
10 Cents
• Smallest & thinnest
• Franklin D. Roosevelt
Count by 10s
25¢
Quarter
25 Cents
• Largest coin here
• George Washington
Count by 25s
Remember: Coin size does not always mean coin value! A tiny dime (10¢) is worth more than a larger nickel (5¢)!
Core Concept
What Does "Equivalent" Mean?
EQUAL = SAME VALUE
=
Equal Worth, Different Look!
Equivalent amounts mean you have the same total value, even if you are holding different coins or a different number of coins.
The Balance Rule
If both sides add up to the same number of cents, they balance perfectly!
Example: Balancing 5 Cents
1 Nickel
5¢
Total = 5¢
=
5 Pennies
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
Total = 5¢
Both ways equal exactly 5¢!
Ask yourself: "Do both sides have the exact same total value when I count them up?"
Target Amount: 10 Cents
4 Ways to Make 10¢
Single Coin:
10¢
Combo 1
2 Nickels
5¢ + 5¢ = 10¢
5¢
5¢
Combo 2
1 Nickel + 5 Pennies
5¢ + 5¢ (as 1s) = 10¢
5¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
Combo 3
1 Dime
10¢ = 10¢
10¢
Combo 4
10 Pennies
10 × 1¢ = 10¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
💡 Discussion Prompt: Which combo uses the fewest coins? Which uses the most coins?
Quarter Combinations
Ways to Make 25¢ (One Quarter)
Goal:
25¢
Super Popular!
2 Dimes + 1 Nickel
Count: 10, 20, 25!
10¢
10¢
5¢
10¢ + 10¢ + 5¢ = 25¢
Skip Count by 5s
5 Nickels
Count: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25!
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢ × 5 = 25¢
Mixed Trader
1 Dime + 3 Nickels
Count: 10, 15, 20, 25!
10¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
10¢ + 15¢ = 25¢
✨ Challenge Question: How many pennies would make 1 quarter? Answer: 25 Pennies!
Master Strategy
How to Count & Trade Coins
Pro Tip
1
Count from Largest Value
Always sort your coins from largest to smallest value before counting!
Order of counting:
Quarters (25¢)
Dimes (10¢)
Nickels (5¢)
Pennies (1¢)
2
Quick Coin Trades
You can swap coins without changing your total:
5 Pennies (1¢) ⇄ 1 Nickel (5¢)
2 Nickels (5¢) ⇄ 1 Dime (10¢)
2 Dimes + 1 Nickel ⇄ 1 Quarter (25¢)
Knowing these quick trades makes counting change fast and fun!
Target Amount: 50 Cents
4 Different Paths to 50¢
TOTAL VALUE 50¢
Path A: Big Coins
2 Quarters
25¢ + 25¢ = 50¢
25¢
25¢
Path B: Count by 10s
5 Dimes
10, 20, 30, 40, 50¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
Path C: The Mixed Bag
1 Quarter + 2 Dimes + 1 Nickel
25 + 10 + 10 + 5 = 50¢
25¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
Path D: Count by 5s
10 Nickels
10 × 5¢ = 50¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
All 4 paths buy the same exact 50¢ sticker at the school store!
Classroom Showdown
Which Group is NOT Equivalent to 35¢?
Target: 35 Cents
Group A
1 Quarter + 1 Dime
25¢ + 10¢
25¢
10¢
Group B
3 Dimes + 1 Nickel
10¢ + 10¢ + 10¢ + 5¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
Group C
2 Dimes + 2 Nickels
10¢ + 10¢ + 5¢ + 5¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
5¢
Group D
7 Nickels
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
Turn to your partner: Which group doesn't equal 35¢? Hint: Count Group C! (Total is 30¢)
Grand Finale Goal
The 100¢ ($1.00) Super Combos
$1.00 = 100¢
Quarters
4 Quarters
25¢
25¢
25¢
25¢
25, 50, 75, $1.00
Dimes
10 Dimes
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
10 × 10¢ = 100¢
Nickels
20 Nickels
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
20 × 5¢ = 100¢
Pennies
100 Pennies
1¢
× 100 Coins
100 × 1¢ = 100¢
🌟 Every single one of these 4 groups has the exact same value: ONE DOLLAR!
Mission Complete
Coin Champions Recap!
Ready for Practice!
1
Check the Values
Size doesn't equal value. Dimes (10¢) are smaller than nickels (5¢) and pennies (1¢)!
2
Many Ways, One Total
There is almost always more than one way to make any amount of money with coins.
3
Count Big to Small
Sort by Quarters, Dimes, Nickels, then Pennies to count faster and avoid mistakes!
Final Turn & Talk Challenge:
Can you show 3 different ways to make 40¢ using only dimes and nickels?
Go For It! 🚀