In a ceremony on June 14, 2006, the United States Mint celebrated the release of the Colorado quarter. The ceremony, held in the capital city of Denver, marked the release of the thirty-eighth state to be commemorated as a part of the 50 State Quarters® Program.
Colorado's coin features a sweeping view of the State's rugged Rocky Mountains with evergreen trees. Colorado's Rocky Mountains are home to some of the Nation's most majestic natural wonders. Among these, rising approximately 10,000 feet from the valley floor in Northwest Colorado, Grand Mesa is the largest flat-top mountain in the world, and is home to more than 200 lakes and many miles of scenic hiking trails.
Teachers, below you will find several activities and links that will bring the features of the Colorado coin and the excitement of the Colorado "State Quarter Day" into your classroom!
Colorado Quarter
Learn more about the new quarter featuring the Rocky Mountains, home to some of the most breathtaking and colorful natural wonders.
50 State Quarters Program
Find out more about this program that honors every state in America!
50 State Quarters Program Lesson Plans
The 50 State Quarters Program lesson plans are ready for you to use in your classroom! Take a look at the lessons created specifically to celebrate the Colorado quarter: Mapmaker, Make Me A Map (K–1), A Mountain of Myths (2–3), and Colorful Colorado (4–6)! After that, be sure to check out the rest of the state-specific plans, FREE to download in sets designed specifically for grades K and 1, 2 and 3, and 4 through 6.
Are you a secondary school teacher interested in introducing the 50 State Quarters Program into your curriculum? Well, now you can! Our 50 State Quarters Program lesson plans for grades 7 through 12 are also written by educators. To download these FREE plans, visit the 50 State Quarters Program Lesson Plans today!
State Quarter Day Classroom Activities
Here are some fun ways to infuse your curriculum with activities that celebrate the arrival of the newest quarter in circulation!
Also, take a trip to Coin Collector's Workshop! Here, you can enroll in Inspector Collector's Coin Course, or solve coin mysteries in Get a Clue About Collecting. You can even learn How To Share Your Hobby!
Colorado is Colorful!
Not only is Colorado's quarter the newest coin to be released into circulation, but it's also the Coin of the Month for June 2006. Goldie the Mint Fish is eager to show us why Colorado's special design is worth celebrating.
"Seeing the States" WebQuest
What's so great about the United States? Let your students find out for themselves as they explore the coins in the 50 State Quarters Program to complete this fun Internet research project, the "Seeing the States" WebQuest.
Connected Coins and Medals
The Colorado quarter features colorful mountains, rivers, and plains across the state. Take a look at some other coins that tell about their natural colors on the reverse of their coin:
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Oregon Quarter—Oregon's quarter shows us one of the natural wonders of the world: Crater Lake, in Oregon's only National Park. The Klamath Indians revered the lake area, keeping it hidden from European settlers until 1853. On June 12, of that year, three gold prospectors climbed the mountain and came upon the huge, awe-inspiring lake. They reported it as "the bluest lake we've ever seen," and named it Deep Blue Lake. |
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California Quarter—The California quarter shows mountain wilderness, giant redwood trees, some of the world's highest waterfalls, and the most granite domes in any one place in the world. The state's wealth of natural wonders makes it even more worthy of its nickname, "The Golden State." —Challenge your students to find other 50 state quarter designs that show their colors |
Our Foreign Friends
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The coins produced for the 50 State Quarters Program share much in common with the European currency, the euro. With your students, visit the interactive cartoon, Coins of the World, to see how these two programs are similar (here's a hint: look at the backs of euros from different countries, and then look at their fronts). |
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Quarter Games
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Your students can test their knowledge of United States geography and the 50 State Quarters Program, all while helping Bill the Mint Buffalo earn enough money to plan a cross-country trip. |
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Here's a challenge for your students! Put all the pieces of the Colorado quarter back together—in three minutes or less! |
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Are your students budding artists? Let them try their hands at painting the Colorado quarter. A green wagon and yellow oxen? Let your students' imaginations run wild! |
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Here's a word search all about quarters and other coins. Can your students find all the words on each list? |
A Coinage Cartoon
Teachers' Network
Teachers, if we've piqued your interest with the activities above, please sign up for the Teachers' Network. As a member, you can receive information about all of the new educational resources that become available from the United States Mint!
