How it works
Noor has a Give jar with 7 pretend coins. Her grandpa says giving is a choice: give a lot, give a little, or wait, and all of it is okay.
Giving means handing something to someone else with nothing asked back, so a gift is not a trade.
On her walk, Noor gives 3 coins for Mrs. Lund's fence, 2 coins for Kai's birthday present and 1 coin to the animal shelter. She keeps 1 coin for later.
Another giver might choose differently. There is no one right amount.
Worked examples
Adding it up
- Noor gives 3 coins, then 2 coins, then 1 coin.
- 3 + 2 + 1 = 6 coins given.
- Her jar held 7, so 7 − 6 = 1 coin is kept.
Gift or trade?
- A card for Kai asks for nothing back, so it is a gift.
- Paying for bread: coins go one way and bread goes the other, so it is a trade.
- Swapping stickers: each person gives one and gets one, so it is a trade.
More coins to the fence
- The fence got 3 coins and the shelter got 1 coin.
- 3 − 1 = 2, so the fence got 2 more coins.
A different giver
- Another giver gives 2 coins to the shelter and keeps the rest.
- That is okay too, because giving is a choice and no amount is right or wrong.
A taste of the worksheets
These are some of the questions on the sets. The printable sheets have more and an answer key.
- What makes a gift a gift? It costs a lot of coins / Both people give something / It asks for nothing back
- True or false? Noor says: giving means I must give all seven coins. Is Noor right?
- Another giver gives only 2 coins to the shelter and keeps the rest. Is that okay? Yes, giving is a choice / No, you must give more / No, you must give every coin
- Which one is a gift? 🤗 a hug for a friend / 🚌 paying a bus fare / 🃏 trading cards for a better one
- Which one is a trade or a payment? 🚌 paying a bus fare / 🤗 a hug for a friend / 🪵 coins for a neighbour's fence
Words to know
- gift
- Something you give that asks for nothing back.
- trade
- Each person gives something and gets something.
- choice
- Something you decide for yourself.
- shelter
- A place where dogs and cats wait for homes.
Watch out for
- A gift asks for nothing back. If each side gives something, it is a trade.
- You do not have to give every coin. Noor kept one for later, and that was her choice too.
- There is no one right amount. Some people give more, some give less, and some give in other ways.
Try it
Noor gave 3, 2 and 1 coins. How many coins is that in all?
6 coins. 3 + 2 + 1 = 6.
Is paying for bread a gift or a trade?
A trade. Coins go one way and bread goes the other.
Noor gives Kai a card. What must Kai give back?
Nothing. A gift asks for nothing back.
Noor had 7 coins and gave 6. How many coins does she keep?
1 coin. 7 − 6 = 1.
For grown-ups
Ask a grown-up how your family gives to others. Then share an idea of your own.
Ask how your family gives to others, and let your child share an idea of their own. No amount is called right.