Minds On

Identifying Canadian coins

Every coin has a different value and a different appearance. Your job is to explore each coin and identify the different features. Let's explore the coins virtually, using the coin manipulatives.

Canadian coins. 2 dollars, 1 dollar, 50 cents, 25 cents,10 cents and 5 cents

Canadian two dollar coin called a toonie as well. Made of two colours it has a polar bear on it.

Name: Toonie

Worth: 2 dollars

Image: Polar bear on one side

Colour: Silver and Gold

Canadian one dollar coin called a loonie too has a picture of a loon, the national bird of Canada.

Name: Loonie

Worth: 1 dollar

Image: Loon on one side

Colour: Gold

Canadian fifty cents piece coin. The coin’s reverse depicts the coat of arms of Canada</p> Name: 50 cents piece

50 cent coin

Worth: 50 cents

Image: Coat of arms of Canada on one side

Colour: Silver

Canadian twenty-five cents coin also called a quarter has a caribou on it.

Name: Quarter

Worth: 25 cents

Image: Caribou on one side

Colour: Silver

Canadian ten cents coin also called a dime has a famous Canadian sailboat on it “the Bluenose”

Name: Dime

Worth: 10 cents

Image: Bluenose schooner on one side

Colour: Silver

Canadian five cents coin also called a nickel were earlier made of nickel (hence the name).

Name: Nickel

Worth: 5 cents

Image: Beaver on one side

Colour: Silver

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

  • What are some similarities and differences you notice between the coins?
  • Have you ever come across collectible coins?

Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.

Acknowledgements(Opens in a new window)

Action

Sorting coins

How can you sort coins? Using what you learned in the Minds On section, come up with different ways you can sort the coins. For example, you can sort the coins by value, size or by colour.

You can sort them using a graphic organizer or your notebook. You can also sort them on a mat or into different groups using the digital coin manipulatives.

You can complete the Money Sorting Organizer in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help you get started.

Money Sorting Organizer
Money Sorting
Money Sorting Organizer

Press the Activity button to access Money Sorting Organizer.

Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)

Did You Know?

Did you know?

The front side of a 50-cent coin. It contains two inscriptions, the Canadian coat of Arms and the words Canada and 50 cents.

Did you know that we have a 50-cent coin in Canada? The coin has lions, maple leaves, flowers, flags and a crown in its design.

The 50-cent coin is not used in stores or banks very often. It is mainly bought and kept by coin collectors.

Consolidation

Putting it all together

Student thinking about various Canadian coins on their desk.

Reflect on the sorting activity in the Action section.

How did you decide to sort the coins?

Share your thoughts to a partner, if possible.

Learning Check!

For each coin, select the corresponding value.

Reflection

Take a minute to reflect on your learnings from this lesson.

What kinds of other choices could you make when sorting coins?

I feel...

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.