2nd Grade  Activity 60 minutes

Math Missions: Mini-Lessons, Centers, Exit Tickets

Shayanne T
Updated
Basics
Project Work
Elements Core Content
Settings Submission Required

Students will work in small groups to solve real-world shopping problems using addition and subtraction within 100 and 1,000 as they plan items for a class store. They will read and build numbers with words, standard form, expanded form, and base-ten blocks, then measure class items to choose the best unit and calculate coin and dollar totals for simple buying and change situations.

Duration
60 min
Grouping
Small Group
Details

Lesson plan

6 steps · 60 min
# What teachers do Time
1 Gather students on the rug and show the four center tools: price cards, coins and dollars, base-ten blocks, and measuring tools. Model one short example of adding prices, building a number in two forms, counting money, and choosing a measuring unit, using hand signals like thumbs-up for a reasonable answer and arms wide for a longer object. 20 min
2 Send students to Center 1: Shop Math. Students use item cards to add or subtract shopping amounts, draw quick sketches or equations, and make an estimate first to check if the answer makes sense. 10 min
3 Pause for a quick stand-and-stretch transition, then move students to Center 2: Build the Number. Students read a number connected to a shop total or inventory card and build it in standard form, word form, expanded form, base-ten blocks, and a quick sketch. 10 min
4 Lead a short movement transition with marching in place while students carry materials, then move to Center 3: Money Shop. Students count mixed coins and dollars to pay for an item, tell the total value, and practice simple change with a partner shopkeeper. 10 min
5 Guide students in a final rotation to Center 4: Measure the Room. Students measure classroom objects with inches, feet, centimeters, or meters, record the measurement, and say why the unit fits the object best. 5 min
6 Bring students back together for an exit ticket. Students solve one short shopping or measurement problem on their own and show their thinking with numbers, drawings, or labels. 5 min
Total 60 mins
Preparation (12 items)
  • Set up four clearly labeled centers with picture signs: Shop Math, Build the Number, Money Shop, and Measure the Room.
  • Prepare a mini-lesson anchor chart with simple visuals for add, subtract, estimate, build with base-ten blocks, count coins, make change, and choose a measuring unit.
  • Make shopping item cards with pictures and prices, including totals within 100 and a few modeled larger amounts up to 1,000.
  • Gather base-ten blocks, number cards, place value mats, and recording cards for standard form, word form, expanded form, and quick sketch practice.
  • Prepare sets of play or real-looking coins and dollar bills in bags or trays so pairs can count mixed money amounts easily.
  • Create simple role cards for Money Shop such as shopper and cashier, with sentence stems like 'I need to pay' and 'Your change is.'
  • Place rulers, measuring tapes, yardsticks or meter sticks, and a small set of preselected classroom objects at the measurement center.
  • Add color-coded direction cards with pictures at each center so students can follow the steps with little adult help.
  • Prepare recording sheets or dry-erase boards with large spaces for drawings, equations, labels, and measurements.
  • Plan student groups ahead of time and place materials in bins for quick rotation between centers.
  • Prepare an exit ticket with one brief real-world problem that allows students to show a drawing, equation, labeled number, money count, or measurement choice.
  • Keep a timer, attention signal, and a short movement cue ready for each transition, such as clap patterns, stretch prompts, or march-and-freeze.