Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Name and order the 7 days of the week.
• Use the words 'today', 'yesterday', and 'tomorrow'.
• Tell the difference between a school week and a weekend.
• Recognise South African coins: 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2, and R5.
• Order coins from smallest to largest value.

Lesson summary

This week, we explore two exciting and practical topics in measurement: time and money. For Grade 1 learners in South Africa, understanding the days of the week helps them structure their lives, from knowing when it's a school day to looking forward to the weekend. It's the first step in understanding calendars and planning. Similarly, recognising and using South African coins is a fundamental life skill. It empowers them to understand the value of things, participate in small transactions at the local spaza shop, and builds a foundation for financial literacy. This lesson connects mathematics directly to their daily experiences, making it relevant and engaging.

Lesson notes

Part 1: Time - Days and Weeks What are days and weeks? Time helps us know when things happen. We measure time in days, and we group days together to make a week. There are 7 days in every week. The days always follow each other in the same order. Once we get to the last day, the cycle starts all over again!

The Seven Days of the Week: Monday (Start of the school week) Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday (End of the school week!) Saturday (Start of the weekend) Sunday (End of the weekend) We can remember them with a song (to the tune of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'): Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday too, Thursday, Friday, all for you. Saturday, Sunday, that's the end, Now let's say the days again!

School Week and Weekend: The school week is when we usually come to school.

It has 5 days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The weekend is the two days when we rest and play. These are Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: These words help us talk about time.

Today: is the day that is happening right now.

Yesterday: was the day that came before today.

Tomorrow: is the day that will come after today.

Worked example

Question: If today is Wednesday, what day was yesterday and what day will be tomorrow?

Solution:

Find Today: Look at the list of days. We are at Wednesday.

Find Yesterday: The day that comes before Wednesday is Tuesday. So, yesterday was Tuesday.

Find Tomorrow: The day that comes after Wednesday is Thursday. So, tomorrow will be Thursday.

Part 2: Money - South African Coins

What is money?

In South Africa, we use money called Rands (R) and cents (c) to buy things we need and want, like bread, toys, or airtime. Money can be paper notes or metal coins.

Our Coins:

We need to know what each coin looks like and what it is worth. The value tells us how much we can buy with it.

10c (ten cents): A small, bronze-coloured coin. It has an Arum Lily flower on it.

20c (twenty cents): A slightly bigger, bronze-coloured coin. It has a Protea flower on it.

50c (fifty cents): Our biggest bronze-coloured coin. It also has a Protea flower.

R1 (one Rand): A silver-coloured coin. It has our national animal, the Springbok, on it. (Remember: 100c = R1)

R2 (two Rand): A silver-coloured coin with a bronze-coloured ring inside. It has a Kudu on it.

R5 (five Rand): Our most valuable coin. It is bigger and has a picture of a Black Wildebeest on it.

Worked Example 1: Counting Money

Question: Lindiwe has one R2 coin, one R1 coin, and one 50c coin in her pocket. How much money does she have altogether?

Solution:

Start with the biggest value: Lindiwe has a R2 coin.

Add the next coin: Add the R1 coin. R2 + R1 = R

3. Add the cents: Now add the 50c coin. She has R3 and 50c.

Answer: Lindiwe has R3,50.