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Back to School 2012

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Happy New Year!  Do you have your confetti and noise makers ready to celebrate the new school year?  We're happy too!

The United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change Web site will continue to be your ongoing education resource this year.  You'll find that our fun and creative instructional ideas and tools can enrich and extend your standards-based curriculum in many core content areas.


Lesson Plans

America the Beautiful Lesson Plans
Explore the rich history of national sites across the country with the new "America the Beautiful Quarters® Program lesson plans!  This program of quarter designs runs from 2010 through 2021. The plans are geared to grades K through 12.  Through the amazing diversity of our national parks, forests, battlefields, monuments, and similar sites, a wide range of subject areas and skills are easily addressed.

Native American $1 Coin Program Lesson Plans
Concurrent with the Presidential $1 Coin Program is the Native American $1 Coin Program.  Each year, new theme on the coin's reverse highlights Native American contributions to the growth of the United States.  And each year, a new set of free lesson plans is created around the new design, for grades K through 8. The 2012 design relates to Native American trade routes and the spread of the horse.

50 State Quarters Lesson Plans
These plans relate directly to the popular 50 State Quarters® Program.  The collection of kindergarten through 12th grade lesson plans covers all 50 quarters plus a bonus plan for each grade group each year.  Although this coin program ended in 2008, its associated lesson plans remain a popular source of instructional guidance for the full range of study areas and grade levels across the country.

The Presidential $1 Coin Program Lesson Plans
The Presidential $1 Coin Program honors all the past Presidents of the United States who have been deceased for at least two years, in the order in which they served in office.  The four new Presidential $1 coins struck during 2012 honor 19th-century presidents Arthur and Harrison and two coins for Cleveland, the only one who served two non-consecutive terms.  Download our free lesson plans (for kindergarten through twelfth grades).


Activities

America the Beautiful Quarters games icon.
Try out a new game each year based on the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.  The game for this year's coins is called Triple Play, a great memory workout.  And try out the other games on the Games page as well!

Classroom Gadgets
Be sure to check out the Classroom Gadgets for useful, fun activities.  By projecting these, the whole class can take part in deciphering secret codes, playing Bingo, exploring probability, and more!  (Click on the Inspiration light bulb for ideas.)

Time Machine
This interactive activity will transport your students into the middle of historic events.  Time Machine adventures begin with the colonial era and continue through 1976 during the American Bicentennial celebration.

Presidential Portraits
Want students to learn more about past presidents?  While testing their knowledge of the presidents featured on U.S. coins, students use their memories to navigate.  Presidential Portraits. This trivia game can be used with the Presidential $1 Coin lesson plans.

Quarter Explorer
In Quarter Explorer, students help Bill the Mint Buffalo earn enough quarters to travel across the country.  Students will employ knowledge of United States geography and the quarters in the 50 State Quarters® Program to complete the tasks.

Teacher Feature
The Teacher Feature Stockroom is full of quick, engaging activities that introduce a topic.  Browse by content area—Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Technology.  For early US history try "History in the Making,"  "Declaring Democracy," and "Time to Honor."

Coin Curricula
Set students’ sights on circulating coins at the Coin Curricula center.  One by one, the six circulating coins are described and linked to features on the site that provide interaction and learning related to that coin.

Need large, detailed images of the coins you’re studying?  Consider using the coloring pages!  These outline images are clear and larger than life size—perfect for perspicacious perusal, whether displayed overhead or distributed for individual use!

Would you like to receive updates by e-mail on new lesson plans and activities created to help you in the classroom?  Join the Teachers' Network, an online community for educators!



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