The United States Mint released the Arizona quarter on June 2, 2008. Arizona is the forty-eighth state to be honored as a part of the 50 State Quarters® Program and the last continental state to join the 2008 series.
The images on the Arizona quarter feature the Grand Canyon and a Saguaro cactus. A banner reading "Grand Canyon State" separates the Canyon from the cactus, which does not grow in the Grand Canyon. But the flower of the cactus is the state flower of Arizona.
Teachers, below you will find several activities and links that will bring the features of this coin and the excitement of the Arizona "State Quarter Day" into your classroom!
Arizona Quarter
Learn more about the latest quarter.
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 Arizona quarter: Super Saguaro (K–1), Desert Dwellers (2–3), and Layer by Layer (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!
"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 images on the Arizona quarter feature the Grand Canyon and a Saguaro cactus. The Grand Canyon joined the National Park system in 1919 and is visited by more than four million tourists a year. Learn more about other unique national parks and natural landmarks featured on state quarters. Can you and your students find any national parks or natural landmarks in your area?
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2006 South Dakota Quarter: The South Dakota quarter features Mount Rushmore, where the busts of four American Presidents are sculpted. It took 14 years to sculpt Mount Rushmore, a 5,725-foot peak. The team finished the work in 1941. Have your students research which four famous men are featured in this national park. |
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2000 New Hampshire Quarter: The New Hampshire quarter shows the natural rock formation, the Old Man of the Mountain. The Old Man of the Mountain" was a distinctive rock formation on Mt. Cannon in the Franconia Notch gateway to northern New Hampshire. Until it crumbled in early 2003, the formation measured ] over 40 feet high with a lateral distance of 25 feet. Have your students compare the different geological events that created such geological formations as the Old Man of the Mountain and the Grand Canyon. |
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 Arizona 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 Arizona quarter. What color will the saguaro cactus be? Orange, blue, or purple? |
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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!
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