A 5-day Grade 3 math unit focused on money operations, making change, and budgeting, themed around planning a classmate's birthday party. Students apply math to real-world celebration planning.
Learn to "Count Up" or subtract from whole dollars to get perfect change!
Making Change
Champion Strategy: Counting Up
If an item costs $4.35 and you pay with a $5.00 bill:
Count up from $4.35 to the next dime: $4.35 + 5¢ = $4.40 • Count up to the dollar: $4.40 + 60¢ = $5.00. Your change is 65¢!
1 Counting Up Practice
Calculate the change using the counting up strategy or standard subtraction.
Purchase A
Cake Candles: $3.80
Paid with: $5.00 Bill
Your Change:
$ ______
Purchase B
Party Hat Pack: $7.15
Paid with: $10.00 Bill
Your Change:
$ ______
Purchase C
Gift Box: $14.45
Paid with: $20.00 Bill
Your Change:
$ ______
Purchase D
Confetti Popper: $1.25
Paid with: $5.00 Bill
Your Change:
$ ______
2 Clerk for a Day!
Julia pays for a $6.35 box of custom party invitations using a $10.00 bill. Show how you calculate her change using vertical subtraction or drawing counting up leaps.
Show your regrouping or number line jumps here:
Change Due:
$ _________
Party Payday Student Workbook Page 3
Day 4 Activity
Budget Bashers
Plan the ultimate party combinations without exceeding your financial limit!
Budgeting
Critical Budget Rules
1. Your team has a strict limit of $20.00. You cannot go over by even one penny!
2. You must select at least 3 different items from the Party Catalog.
1 Your Party Budget Draft
Select 3-4 items from the store menu. List their prices, calculate your subtotal, and show how much money is leftover.
Qty
Item Description
Price
1
Example: Celebration Cupcakes
$ 6.80
$ ______
$ ______
$ ______
$ ______
Calculations Work:
Add up your selections inside workbook.
Your Subtotal:
$ ______
Leftover ($20 - Sub):
$ ______
2 Making Hard Choices
Did you have to put back an item you wanted to buy because of your budget limit? Why or why not? Explain your team's financial strategy below.
Party Payday Student Workbook Page 4
Day 5 Reflection
My Money Mindset
Reflect on your learning and self-assess your new math skills!
Unit Wrap-Up
1 Skills Check-In
Think about your progress over this unit. Color or shade in the stars to show how confident you feel with each skill!
Counting coins and bills up to $20.00:
Adding and subtracting money vertically:
Calculating change (counting or subtracting):
Staying inside a budget constraint:
2 A Real-World Lesson
Why is it important to know how to manage money and plan a budget in real life? Write 2-3 sentences sharing your thoughts.
3 My Favorite Part of Party Payday
What was your absolute favorite activity during this birthday planning money unit?
Party Payday Student Workbook Page 5
Make sure to write your dollar signs ($) and keep the decimal point (.) exactly between the dollars and the cents!
Keep your counting accurate so we can afford Leo's birthday gifts and cake on Day 2!
Unit: Party Payday Slide 5 of 5
Be extremely careful with your calculations. Tomorrow we learn how to calculate and count change!
Unit: Party Payday Slide 5 of 5
Confirm your partner's change by physically counting the coins out loud: "Your change is 85 cents!"
Unit: Party Payday Slide 5 of 5
Open your Student Workbook to Page 4. Open the store simulation and complete:
Select at least 3 items from the Party Catalog.
Fill out your official budget ledger.
Show your work subtracting your total from $20.00!
The Golden Budget Rule
Remember: Your subtotal cannot be even one penny ($0.01) over $20.00. If it is, you must remove an item and recalculate!
Think about trade-offs: Will you focus on delicious cupcakes or high-quality games? Plan with care!
Unit: Party Payday Slide 5 of 5
You buy a Party Crown ($2.35) for Leo to wear. You pay with a $5.00 bill.
Use the "Counting Up" strategy to find your change. Draw your jumps or list the coins.
Center: Change Focus: Counting Up
Party Payday math centers Page 2
Collaborative Game
Budget Bash Game
Roll a die, move your marker, and update your ledger. Stay under budget to win!
Board Game
How to Play Every player starts with a budget of $15.00. Take turns rolling a die. Move that many spaces on the board. Calculate your additions and subtractions as you land on transactions. If you go over your budget ceiling ($15.00), you must sit out a turn to "return items." The player who reaches the Finish Line with the most leftover money wins!
Start Grab Ledger +$15.00
Space 1 Buy Balloon Pay $1.20
Event Present Helper Earn $2.50
Space 3 Buy Cupcake Pay $2.10
Leo's Budget Bash
Track your cash on Page 5 of the ledger!
Event Found Coin Earn $1.15
Event Lost Coin Pay $1.00
Space 8 Crown Purchase Pay $2.35
Event Clean Room Earn $3.00
Space 6 Buy Candle Pay $1.85
Finish Party Time! Count Cash
Party Payday math centers Page 3
Game Assets
Budget Bash Cards
Cut out these event cards. Shuffle and place them on the Event squares of the board game!
Event Cards
EVENT B-01
Leo's Piggy Bank Gift
You helped Leo carry the party balloons. He gives you some of his spare piggy bank money!
Collect +$2.50
EVENT B-02
The Windy Day
Oh no! A strong gust of wind blows away two of your party helium balloons. You must purchase replacements.
Pay -$1.50
EVENT B-03
Recycling Champ
You gathered and recycled plastic juice bottles left over from decorating the gym. The coordinator rewards you!
Collect +$1.80
EVENT B-04
Extra Frosting Fee
You decide to add delicious sprinkles and extra frosting to the cupcakes. The bakery charges an extra fee.
Pay -$0.75
EVENT B-05
Found Coupon
Hooray! You found a discount coupon for party supplies lying on the classroom rug. Enjoy your savings!
Collect +$1.50
EVENT B-06
Tape Shortage
Your team runs out of double-sided tape for the hanging banner. You must quickly buy another roll at the corner desk.
Pay -$1.10
Party Payday math centers Page 4
Center Work Area
Center Math Ledger
Record your transactions from the Task Cards or Board Game here. Show your math!
Recording Sheet
Student Name:
Center Team:
1 Task Card Ledger
Write which card number you solved and show your full calculations.
Task Card # ____
Show vertical math calculation:
Answer:
$ _______
Task Card # ____
Show vertical math calculation:
Answer:
$ _______
2 Budget Bash Board Game Tracker
Track your running cash total during the board game. Do not drop below $0.00!
Roll
Space / Event Description
Add / Subtract
Balance
-
Game Start Cash
+$15.00
$ 15.00
$ ______
$ ______
$ ______
Party Payday math centers Page 5
Money Left
Party Budget Deduction Ledger
Selected Item Name
Category
Item Cost (-)
Money Left (=)
STARTING BUDGET
---
---
$100.00
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Show Your Subtraction Work Below Solve each step carefully!
My Celebration Summary
Remaining Budget:
$
How did you verify your calculations to make sure you had enough money for everything?
Certified Party Planner
Congratulations! You have completed the Party Payday Money Unit. You can now manage budgets, track purchases, and calculate perfect change!
Let's wish Leo the happiest surprise birthday! You did a fantastic job!
Unit: Party Payday Slide 5 of 5
Instantly identifies values; displays mental math and zero errors in collection totals.
Vertical Math
Fails to align decimal points; adds digits in incorrect place value.
Aligns decimals but fails regrouping across zeros or standard carrying.
Accurately aligns and calculates vertically with only minor calculation slip.
Perfect alignment, flawless regrouping across zero values up to $20.00.
Making Change
Does not understand change concept; returns arbitrary values.
Struggles with borrowing; attempts counting up but loses track.
Calculates change from $5.00, $10.00, and $20.00 using valid model or jumps.
Fluidly calculates change; clearly demonstrates "Counting Up" and decimal accuracy.
Budgeting
Exceeds limits repeatedly; does not understand financial constraints.
Stops on the limit line but struggles to balance a ledger or subtract totals.
Selects items under $20.00 limit; records list with only minor errors.
Optimizes budgeting; balances ledger and explains trade-offs with financial depth.
Notation & Work
Writes numbers without dollar signs ($) or decimal points (.).
Omit symbols occasionally; fails to show vertical scratch work.
Consistently uses correct ($) and (.) notation; shows clear calculations.
Flawless representation; scratch work is organized, pristine, and easy to follow.
Rubric Grading Tip: Score each category out of 4. Sum up the category points for a score out of 20 total. A score of 15 or higher indicates solid grade-level mastery. Write personalized feedback below the workbook to celebrate their growth!
