Grade 3 Math: Financial Literacy unit
Students get to know Canadian coins and bills, count money, and learn that change is the money given back after a sale. They count up and subtract to find change for amounts under one dollar and for whole dollars, guess about how much change to expect, and run a class shop.
What's included
- Unit overviewBig ideas, expectations by code, learning goals and success criteria
- Day-by-day calendar10 days planned, including catch-up and review days
- 7 three-part lessonsMinds On, Action and Consolidation, with timings, questions to ask and common mistakes
- Lesson slidesA ready-to-project deck for every lesson: goals, worked examples, discussion questions and exit tickets, with your lesson steps in the speaker notes
- Student worksheets with answer keys52 questions in all, every numeric answer checked by software
- Diagnostic and quick checksA Day 1 diagnostic and 3 quick checks to adjust your teaching
- Performance task and rubric“Our class shop”, with a rubric across all four achievement chart categories
- Unit test and answer key16 marks, sorted by achievement chart category
- AccommodationsSupports for students with IEPs, English language learners, and extensions
Look inside
These are real pages from the unit.
Day-by-day calendar
| Day | Lesson or assessment | Expectations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnostic and unit launch | |
| 2 | Lesson 1: Meet Canadian coins and bills | F1.1 |
| 3 | Lesson 2: Count coins and dollars | F1.1 |
| 4 | Lesson 3: Count up to find change | F1.1 |
| 5 | Lesson 4: Change from one dollar | F1.1 |
| 6 | Lesson 5: Change from whole dollars | F1.1 |
| 7 | Lesson 6: About how much change? | F1.1 |
| 8 | Lesson 7: Shop day | F1.1 |
| 9 | Performance task | F1.1 |
| 10 | Unit test (read aloud) | F1.1 |
Lesson 1: Meet Canadian coins and bills
Learning goal: We are learning to name our coins and bills and say what each is worth.
Success criteria:
- I can name each coin.
- I can say what each coin is worth.
- I can tell which is worth more.
Minds On (8 min)
- Pass around a toonie and a dime. Ask: "Which one is worth more?"
- Talk about size. Big does not always mean more.
Action (24 min)
- Name each coin and bill and say its value together.
- Students sort a bag of play money and put it in order from least to most.
- Explain that Canada no longer uses the penny.
- Complete the worksheet.
Consolidation (8 min)
- Hold up one coin at a time. Students call out its name and value.
- Exit: "Which is worth more, a quarter or a dime?"
Coins and bills
Look at the money. Do what each question says.
- Circle the quarter.
- Circle the toonie.
- Circle the one worth more.
- How many cents?
- How many cents?
Answer keys with worked steps are in the Teacher Guide.
Performance task: Our class shop
You have a loonie. Pick something to buy. Find your change.
| Category | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge and Understanding | Level 1: needs a lot of help with the money. | Level 2: finds change with some help. | Level 3: finds change correctly and shows how. | Level 4: finds change, guesses first and explains clearly. |
| Thinking | Level 1: needs a lot of help with the money. | Level 2: finds change with some help. | Level 3: finds change correctly and shows how. | Level 4: finds change, guesses first and explains clearly. |
| Communication | Level 1: needs a lot of help with the money. | Level 2: finds change with some help. | Level 3: finds change correctly and shows how. | Level 4: finds change, guesses first and explains clearly. |
| Application | Level 1: needs a lot of help with the money. | Level 2: finds change with some help. | Level 3: finds change correctly and shows how. | Level 4: finds change, guesses first and explains clearly. |
Lessons in this unit
- Meet Canadian coins and billsLearning to name our coins and bills and say what each is worth.F1.1
- Count coins and dollarsLearning to add up coins, and then bills and dollar coins.F1.1
- Count up to find changeWe are learning that change is what we count up from the price to the money we paid.F1.1
- Change from one dollarLearning to find change when we pay with a loonie for something under a dollar.F1.1
- Change from whole dollarsLearning to find change when prices and bills are whole dollars.F1.1
- About how much change?Learning to guess about how much change we will get before we work it out.F1.1
- Shop dayLearning to find change when we buy two things and to pick coins for change.F1.1
Ontario curriculum expectations covered
- F1.1
- Guess and work out the change for simple cash sales, using amounts under one dollar and whole-dollar amounts.
Questions about this unit
How long is this unit?
10 school days: 7 lessons plus a diagnostic, a catch-up day, a two-day performance task, a review day and the unit test.
Which expectations does it cover?
F1.1 from Mathematics (2020), Strand F: Financial Literacy.
What format are the files?
Each unit comes as a Teacher Guide and Student Pages, both as editable Word files and print-ready PDFs, plus a PowerPoint deck of lesson slides. The Word files open in Google Docs and the slides open in Google Slides, so you can change anything.
Can I share it with my colleagues?
A single licence is for one teacher's classes. For a grade team, the team licence covers up to 5 teachers at one school for $49.99.
What if it isn't right for my class?
Email help@unitplans.ca within 7 days of buying for a full refund.