Lesson Plan

Why is Sacagawea on the Golden Dollar?

Main Subject Area: Language Arts

Additional Subjects: Social Studies

Duration of Lesson:  90 minutes

Keywords:

• Essay
• Golden Dollar
• Lewis and Clark
• Persuasive Writing
• Sacagawea
• U.S. Coins
• Writing

Brief Description:

After researching the decision to place the image of Sacagawea on the Golden Dollar, students will write persuasive essays either defending or opposing this decision.

National Standard(s):

• Gather and use information for research purposes
• Use grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
• Demonstrate competence in the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
• Demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process

Additional Subject Area Standard(s):

• People, Places, and Environment

Objectives:

The students will write persuasive essays which support or oppose a statement about the new Golden Dollar.

Materials (online):

Chapter 6, the history of the Sacagawea Dollar - http://pompstory.home.mindspring.com/Pages/chapter6.html

POMP The True Story of the Baby on the Sacagawea Dollar - http://pompstory.home.mindspring.com/index.html

Materials (offline):

Writing paper

Pencils

Coins Used in Lesson:

Sacagawea Golden Dollar

Grade Level(s):   6-8  

Procedures (online):

Have your students to read through the online text listed under Materials/Resources.

Procedures (offline):

1. Ask students what they know about the Sacagawea Dollar. Make a web on chart paper or on the overhead that links their ideas.

Ask questions such as: Why do you think they picked Sacagawea to be on the new dollar Why do they put image of people on coins? Who else do you know that has their image on a coin?

2. Have the students read Chapter 6, the history of the Sacagawea Dollar (http://pompstory.home.mindspring.com/Pages/chapter6.html). This will give the students some history about the Sacagawea Dollar.

3. Read aloud the quote from the Mint’s Director, listed below:

The Mint’s director Philip N. Diehl decided to invite the public to help choose who should appear on the coin. “Coins [are] not just a way of buying things,” he said about his approach toward the design. “[P]utting images and words on coins. . . .[is] way for a government to talk to its people and for people to talk among themselves.”

4. Have the students write an essay either defending or opposing the statement. They can read through the first chapters of the online book for research.

Assessment / Evaluation:

Students should be graded using a rubric based on how they defend or oppose the statement from the Mint’s Director.

Differentiated Learning Options:

Students should be graded using a rubric based on how they defend or oppose the statement from the Mint’s Director.