Time and
Money
Benny’s Penny
Students will think this poem is funny, and before
they know it, they’re working with money!
50+ Super-Fun Math Activities: Grade 4 © Scholastic Teaching Resources
DIRECTIONS
1. Quickly review penny equivalents for these amounts of money:
nickel = 5¢ or 5 pennies, dime = 10¢ or 10 pennies, quarter =
25¢ or 25 pennies, dollar = $1 or 100 pennies. Ask students
what they can actually buy for these amounts of money and
make a list on the chalkboard. Explain to students that they will
read about a character named Benny, who discovered that there
wasn’t much he could buy with some of these coins!
2. Distribute copies of reproducible page 20 and ask a volunteer to
read the poem aloud to the class. Suggest that students circle the
different types of money mentioned in the poem.
3. After students complete the activity, discuss their responses. If
there is disagreement about any of the answers that involve
computation, have volunteers write the problem on the
chalkboard and explain how to find the answer.
ASSESSMENT
Answers: 1a. 4 more pennies b. 9 more pennies c. 24 more
pennies d. 99 more pennies 2. 10 dimes 3. 20 nickels 4. $1.40 5.
60¢ (61¢ if he uses his penny!)
Grouping
Individual
You’ll
Need
For each student:
◆ Benny’s Penny
(reproducible page
20)
◆ Pencil
Writing
Connection
Have students write
their own money poem
about Benny.
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Time and
Money
Name
50+ Super-Fun Math Activities: Grade 4 © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Benny’s Penny
Pleased to meet you! My name’s Benny.
I went to the store with a shiny penny.
I told the owner I wanted a pickle,
But he said it would cost me a nickel.
So I asked if I could buy a lime.
“Sorry,” he said, “that costs a dime.”
I asked for an apple, and his temper got shorter.
“Don’t you know that costs a quarter?”
I picked up a soda, and he started to holler,
“The price of that bottle is exactly one dollar!”
I didn’t have a nickel, dime, quarter, or buck;
It looked like I was out of luck.
How many things can you buy with a penny?
The answer is simple: not too many!
Read the poem. Then answer the questions.
1. How many more pennies would Benny need to buy each item?
a. a pickle? _____________________
c. an apple? ______________________
b. a lime? ______________________
d. a soda? _______________________
2. How many dimes would Benny need to buy a soda? _____________________________
3. How many nickels would he need to buy a soda? _______________________________
4. How much money would Benny need to buy all the items (pickle, lime, apple, and soda)?
________________________________________________________________________
5. Benny’s mom gives him $2. He goes back to the store to buy all the items. How much
change should Benny get back? _____________________________________________
>>> On the back of this paper, make a list of all the food items mentioned in the
poem that Benny wants to buy. Find out what each of them actually costs at
a local grocery store.
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