Lesson Plan

Let's Learn About the United States

Main Subject Area: Social Studies

Duration of Lesson:  30 minutes

Keywords:

• Coins
• Quarter
• State
• Symbols
• U.S. Coins

Brief Description:

Students will explore the 50 State Quarters to learn about each state.

National Standard(s):

• People, Places, and Environment

Additional Subject Area Standard(s):

Objectives:

Students will become familiar with the names of the states and will learn about some special features of each state.

Students will recognize the reverse images of the various quarters and be able to identify the coins by state name.

Materials (online):

Internet and printing accessibility

Coloring pages from "Cents of Color" on the U.S. Mint's H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Web site - http://www.usmint.gov/kids/index.cfm?Filecontents=/kids/games/index.cfm

Materials (offline):

Age-appropriate information about each state cut and pasted onto the state quarter coloring pages

Books about the United States

Big Map of the United States with spots for the 50 State Quarters

Coins Used in Lesson:

Currently circulating U.S. state quarters

Grade Level(s):   K-2  

Procedures (online):

Prior to begining this lesson, print the appropriate state quarter coloring page from the U.S. Mint's H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Web site, for each of your students.

Procedures (offline):

1. The teacher will introduce a coin of the week (a new state quarter each week) by holding up the enlarged pictures found on the U.S. Mint's H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Coloring Pages.

2. If the coin has been put in circulation, the teacher will show the coin and place it in the giant U.S. State Map.

3. Have your students examine the images on the quarter’s reverse and then share what they think the state is famous for.

4. Ask if any of your students have ever visited the state. Have them tell why they visited that state and what they did.

5. Then taking books out on the states that have pictures, share with the children some of the special features of each state.

Assessment / Evaluation:

Every week review the information that the students learned in the past week. What was the state quarter they looked at? What did they learn about the state?

Differentiated Learning Options:

The children will be given a copy of one of the coloring pages we have discussed and will have the opportunity to color that page. Homework is to try to find that coin in their parents change and bring it in to share with the class. When the page is returned, the teacher will file it until all 50 pages throughout the school year have come back. The teacher will then bind each child’s book of states and they will have a lasting memory of the states and a book they can continue adding to it through their elementary school years.

Also, to further discussion about the state, at the end of each week, let your students know what the following week’s “Coin of the Week” will be. If any of your students have visited that state, encourage those students to bring souvenirs that they may have from their trip (photographs, pamphlets, etc.).