Courseversity

Lesson

Adding money amounts

Primary EducationGrade 2MathematicsCV-PRI-G02-MATH-MEA-U02-L0645–60 min

You will learn

  • Add prices.
  • Find a total cost of items.
  • Compare the total with the money you have.
  • Use + and = signs for money.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Add the prices to find the total cost.
  2. Check if you have enough money.
  3. Use + and = signs.
  4. Add the biggest prices first.

Words to know

price
What something costs.
cost
How much to buy.
total cost
All prices added.
enough
As much as you need.

1. Discover: at the shop

Bread costs 25 units and milk costs 40 units. How much for both? Is 100 units enough?

2. Understand: adding money

To find the total cost, add the prices. Bread 25 + milk 40 = 65 units.

3 items at 15 units each: 15 + 15 + 15 = 45 units.

Is it enough? Compare the total with the money you have. 60 + 45 = 105 units. 105 is more than 100, so 100 units is not enough.

Idea 1: Total cost

Bread costs 25 and milk costs 40. The total cost is 25 + 40 = 65.

Idea 2: Many items

3 items at 15 each: 15 + 15 + 15 = 45.

Idea 3: Enough?

Prices 60 and 45 total 105. If you have 100, it is not enough.

Why check? We should not buy more than we can pay for.

Remember: Add the prices for the total cost. Compare with the money you have.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Add

Bread 25 and milk 40. Total?

  1. 25 + 40.

Answer: 65

Example 2 (We do it together): Same price

3 items at 15 each. Total?

  1. 15 + 15 + 15.

Answer: 45

Example 3 (You try): Enough

Prices 60 and 45. Is 100 enough?

Show the steps and answer
  1. 60 + 45 = 105.

Answer: No

Did you know?

Shops use machines to add prices, but we should still check the total.

Why this matters

Adding prices helps us know how much to pay and whether we have enough.

4. Explore: shopping list

You need paper and a pencil.

  1. Write three items and prices.
  2. Add the prices.
  3. Decide if 100 units is enough.
  4. Write a sentence for the answer.
Think about it: what did you notice?

Totals vary; compare with 100.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The total is ___.
  • I have ___ and the cost is ___.
  • It is enough because ___.
  • ___ + ___ = ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. 25 + 40?

65 units.

Question 2. 15 + 15 + 15?

45 units.

Question 3. 60 + 45 — enough for 100?

105, no.

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. 25 + 40
  2. 120 + 80
  3. 15 + 15 + 15
  4. 50 + 35
  5. 60 + 45 — is 100 enough?

Level 2: Grow

  1. 35 + 25 = ___.
  2. Tomatoes 40, onions 30, pepper 20. Total?
  3. 2 items at 45 each. Total?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. A bag costs 125 and a hat costs 75. Total?
  2. Ana has 150. Shoes cost 90 and socks cost 40. Is it enough?
  3. Ben says 20 + 30 = 5. What is wrong?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: everyday mathematics

Rice costs 120 units and oil costs 80 units. How much for both?

Show a sample answer

200 units.

Another one. Write a shopping list with three prices and add them.

Show a sample answer

Any three prices and the correct total

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Forgetting the unit.
Fix: Write units with the answer.
Another mistake: Forgetting an item.
Fix: Tick each item as you add it.
Another mistake: Not checking if the money is enough.
Fix: Compare the total with the money you have.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can add prices.
  • I can find the total cost of items.
  • I can compare the total with my money.
  • I can use + and = for money.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. Bread 25 and milk 40. Total:

2. 120 + 80 =

3. 3 items at 15 each cost…

4. 50 + 35 =

5. Prices 60 and 45. Is 100 units enough?

6. 30 + 45 =

7. 90 + 60 =

8. 4 items at 20 each cost…

9. 65 + 25 =

10. Prices 30 and 50. Is 100 enough?

11. 35 + 45 + 20 =

12. Total cost means…

Challenge 1. 75 + 48 =

Challenge 2. Ama has 200. She buys items costing 85 and 90. Does she have enough? What happens?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Add prices for total cost.
  • Compare with the money you have.
  • Say the unit.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Making change in simple situations. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Bread 30 and milk 25. What is the total? [2 marks]
  2. 3 items at 20 each. What is the total? [2 marks]
  3. Prices 70 and 40. Is 100 enough? [3 marks]
  4. What does total cost mean? [1 mark]
  5. Ali says 50 + 35 = 75. Check his answer. [3 marks]

Total: 11 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. 30 + 25 [1] = 55 [1]
  2. 3 × 20 [1] = 60 [1]
  3. 70 + 40 [1] = 110 [1]; no [1]
  4. All the prices added [1]
  5. 50 + 35 = 85 [1]; he is wrong [1]; he should check his addition [1]

Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. 25 + 40
  2. 120 + 80
  3. 3 items at 15 each
  4. 50 + 35
  5. Is 100 enough for 60 + 45? (yes/no)
  6. 25 + 40 = ___.
  7. 120 + 80 = ___.
  8. 3 items at 15 each = ___.
  9. 50 + 35 = ___.
  10. 75 + 48 = ___.

Homework

Make a shopping list of three items with prices. Find the total.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
25 + 40 65 2
120 + 80 200 2
3 items at 15 each 45 2
50 + 35 85 2
Is 100 enough for 60 + 45? (yes/no) no 2
Total 10

Practice answers: Worksheet: 1 65; 2 200; 3 45; 4 85; 5 no.

Quiz answers: 1 A, 2 B, 3 C, 4 A, 5 B, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 C, Challenge 2 C.

Extra worksheet answers (items 6 onward): 6 65; 7 200; 8 45; 9 85; 10 123.

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 65; 2 200; 3 45; 4 85; 5 no, 105 is more than 100. Level 2: 1 60; 2 90; 3 90. Level 3: 1 200; 2 Yes, 130 is less than 150; 3 20 + 30 = 50..

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Add prices Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Find a total cost of items Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Compare the total with the money you have Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use + and = signs for money Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Forgetting the unit. Write units with the answer.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects first, then pictures.
  3. Show a simpler example: Use play coins to build each price.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child adds prices and checks if there is enough money. You do not need to be good at mathematics to help.

  • Add prices on a real shopping receipt.
  • Ask: do we have enough?
  • Practise adding in tens.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: add prices; find a total cost of items; compare the total with the money you have; use + and = signs for money.

Prerequisite knowledge. Lesson 5; addition within 1,000.

Materials. Counters (stones, seeds or bottle tops), paper, pencils, board or chalkboard. Low-resource options: use stones, seeds, sticks, bottle tops or drawings in the sand or on the board instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Gather the counters and draw the example pictures on the board before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Start with the Discover situation and let learners suggest ideas before you teach.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the Understand section with real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words.

Guided activity (10 min). You need paper and a pencil. Learners follow the Explore steps in pairs.

Independent activity (10 min). Learners complete the independent practice and the worksheet.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the total? Do you have enough? How do you know?

Teacher explanation notes. Use the concrete, pictorial, abstract order: real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words. Return to real objects whenever a learner needs support.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use real objects and work with a partner; say each step aloud together. Extension. Ask learners to make up their own example and explain it to a partner.

Formative assessment. Listen to learner explanations, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Forgetting the unit. Write units with the answer.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz and worksheet on this page. The 11-mark exam practice scheme, the 10-mark scheme and all answers are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer and the marking scheme before publication.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Use play coins to build each price. Enrichment. Invite learners to find or create three more examples at home or in the classroom and explain them. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which concepts learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points named in the Courseversity standard: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (official site): Grade 2 » Measurement & Data. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core 2.MD.C.8 (money word problems); Cambridge Primary Mathematics Stage 2 (money). These sources informed the lesson.

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