You can teach first grade students how to count pennies using a worksheet. Take out a blank sheet of paper and number the sheet from 1 to 10. For each problem, draw a row of circles with the letter "P" in the middle of the circle to represent the word pennies. Use different amounts of circles for each problem. For example, for problem 1, only draw three circles, and for problem 2, draw six circles. Have students count aloud the number of pennies using their fingers.
You can have your first graders learn about the importance of saving pennies. First, you will ask your students what small item they would like to purchase, such as ice cream or a specific toy. Explain to the class how they can save pennies to purchase the item of their choice. Then, pass out a piggy bank to each child that has a removable seal at the bottom. Every day, each student will bring pennies to add to his piggy bank. At the end of the week, have the students count how much money they have saved.
You can use a very easy skit for a lesson on pennies. Inform your first grade class about saving, about a bank and how to deposit money into a bank. Then, you can have a student play a teller at a bank and another student act like a customer who wants to deposit his pennies into a bank account. The teller will take the piggy bank or pennies from the student and place the money or piggy bank in a container as a way to hold the money. Then give an explanation of why it's important to place money in the bank. This will give your students an idea of how saving money works at a bank.
You can demonstrate to kids the value of nickels, quarters and dimes and even a dollar using pennies. Sometimes, showing students a variety of coins or a dollar may not help them understand the value of bigger coins or how other coins are used to lessen the amount of pennies used. Gather the students together and have the students sit closely but spread out in a group. Hold up a nickel in your hand, first, and lay it on a flat surface that is visible to your students. Then count out five pennies to show that five pennies and one nickel are the same.