Currency

What is Currency?

• Currency is the system of money used in a country.
• In the United States, we use dollars and cents.
• Money comes in two forms: coins (metal) and bills (paper).

The Coins You Need to Know Each coin has a different name, look, and value.

1. Penny

• Value: 1 cent (1¢)
• Color: Copper (brownish-orange)
• Fact: It is the only coin that isn't silver-colored.

2. Nickel

• Value: 5 cents (5¢)
• Color: Silver
• Fact: One nickel is worth the same as 5 pennies.

3. Dime

• Value: 10 cents (10¢)
• Color: Silver
• Fact: One dime is worth the same as 10 pennies or 2 nickels.

4. Quarter

• Value: 25 cents (25¢)
• Color: Silver
• Fact: Four quarters make one dollar.

The Dollar Bill ($1)

• Paper money is used for larger amounts.
• The most common bill is the one-dollar bill.
• 1 Dollar = 100 Cents

How to Count Money To find the total value of a pile of coins, follow these steps:

1. Sort Them: Put all coins of the same type together.
2. Start Big: Count coins with the highest value first.
3. Skip Count: Use skip counting!
   • Nickels by 5s: 5, 10, 15…
   • Dimes by 10s: 10, 20, 30…
   • Pennies by 1s: 1, 2, 3…

Practice Story 1: Counting Coins

You have 2 dimes and 1 penny. How many cents do you have in total?

• The Clues: 2 dimes = 10 + 10 = 20, 1 penny = 1
• The Equation: 20 + 1 = 21
• The Answer: You have 21 cents.

Practice Story 2: Making Change

A toy costs 15¢. You give the shopkeeper 25¢. How much change should you get back?

• The Clues: Paid = 25, Cost = 15
• The Equation: 25 − 15 = 10
• The Answer: Your change is 10¢.

Practice Story 3: Comparing Coins

Ahmad has 1 quarter. Lina has 2 dimes. Who has more money? How much more?

• The Clues: Quarter = 25¢, 2 dimes = 20¢
• The Equation: 25 − 20 = 5
• The Answer: Ahmad has 5¢ more.

Why Do We Learn This?

• Buying Things: To check if you have enough money.
• Making Change: To know how much you should get back.
• Saving: To track the money in your piggy bank.

Lesson Summary

• Penny = 1¢
• Nickel = 5¢
• Dime = 10¢
• Quarter = 25¢
• Dollar = 100¢