A Y5/Y6 Maths lesson on foreign currency and exchange rates. Convert between pounds, Euros, Dollars, Yuan and Rupees. Active learning throughout.

Fred, Fatima, Zia and Dev are at the airport. They’ve all spotted the same tablet in a shop, and the price looks wildly different depending on which country they’re flying to. That puzzle (same product, very different numbers) is the hook that introduces currency, exchange rates, and the concept of stronger and weaker currencies in a way that makes intuitive sense.

From there, pupils work through converting pounds into all four currencies and back again, using multiplication and division with real exchange rates. The lesson includes whiteboard response activities, quick-fire pair challenges using the currency trump cards, and closes with a Foreign Currency Tic Tac Toe game in which pupils must correctly convert amounts before they can claim a square.

Extension:
Draw typical airport souvenirs and give them price tags in two different currencies

Supports the KS2 Mathematics curriculum (multiplication and division, decimals, problem-solving with money) and links naturally to Geography through currency, country, and global awareness.

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This lesson contains:

• Teacher-led lesson deck
• Differentiated activity sheet (three challenge levels)
• Currency trump cards (Euro, US Dollar, Chinese Yuan, Indian Rupee)
• PDF printables