In a ceremony on June 15th 2005, the United States Mint celebrated the release of Oregon's quarter.  The ceremony held in Portland marked the release of the thirty-third state to be celebrated as a part of the 50 State Quarters® Program.

Teachers, below you will find several activities and links that will bring the excitement of Oregon's "State Quarter Day" into your classroom!

Oregon Quarter

Learn more about the new quarter and Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States.

• For kids
• For adults

50 State Quarters Program

Find out more about this program that honors every state in America!

• For kids
• For adults

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 Oregon quarter:  Crater Creation (K–1), Let's Look at Legends (2–3), and Explosive Ideas! (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!

Oregon is Historical!

Not only is Oregon's quarter the newest coin to be released into circulation, but it's also the June 2005, Coin of the Month.  Check it out and Nero the Mint Police Dog will explain why Oregon'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

Crater Lake rests in what's left of Mount Mazama, an ancient volcano.  About 7,700 years ago, the volcano erupted, spreading its ash over much of western North America.  The Oregon quarter isn't the first coin to highlight a natural historical event of the west.  Take a look at some other coins that display natural historical wonders as a focus of their coin:

	2005 California Quarter—The California quarter pays respects to both the Yosemite Valley and John Muir.  Yosemite has a lot going for it: 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 land became Yosemite National Park in 1890, making it our nation's third oldest national park.
	Yellowstone National Park Commemorative Silver Dollar—The front (obverse) of the Yellowstone National Park Commemorative Silver Dollar shows one of these geysers erupting steam.  The coin's back (reverse) has an American Buffalo.  Both geysers and bison can be seen throughout the park's 2.2 million acres.
	Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar—In the mid-1800s, more than 300,000 people walked this "highway of history", a trip that took five months!  The Oregon Trail led people through six states on their way to the West—Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon.  Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, the first people to travel the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon, made the trip in 1836.

Our Foreign Friends

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).

Quarter Games

	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.
	Here's a challenge for your students!  Put all the pieces of the Oregon quarter back together—in three minutes or less!
	Are your students budding artists?  Let them try their hands at painting the Oregon quarter.  Purple trees and a yellow island?  Let your students' imaginations run wild!
	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!