Lesson Plans

Coin Program Poetry

Students discuss and research an individual or event from a coin program. They then use the information to write acrostic poems, creating stand-up accordion books to display the poems.
Grades: 3rd, 4th
Subject: Coins & Mint

Half Dollar Purchasing Power

Students will explore the purchasing power of the half dollar. Students will collect and graph prices over time, and then write math problems to determine the percent increase between periods.
Grades: 3rd, 4th
Subject: Math

Great Coin Graph!

Students will compare sets of coins and determine which group is greater than, less than, or equal to the other according to the number and value of each set. Students will read and interpret a simple bar graph to answer questions.
Grades: 2nd, 3rd
Subject: Math

Battle of the Coins

Students will observe the physical attributes, such as size, height, weight, and length, of coins. Students will play a game to compare coins to one another.
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd
Subject: Math

Discovering Native American Contributions to the U.S. Space Program

Students will learn about the lives of Native Americans who have made significant impacts to the U.S. Space Program and other STEM fields, including Mary Golda Ross and John Herrington. Students will make predictions about coin elements, research Native American historical figures, and create a biography and/or social media profile to represent their accomplishments.
Grades: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
Subjects: Coins & Mint, History & Government

Making My Coin

Students will pick a person or place they would like to see featured on a United States coin and create a coin design representing their chosen subject.
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Subjects: Coins & Mint, History & Government

For Sale!

After reading an appropriate children's math text, students will review same type (denomination) coin sets, and will build same type sets equaling fifty cents.
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd
Subject: Math

I’m in the Money!

Students will play a game in which they count out the costs in coins for different labeled classroom items.
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd
Subject: Math

Beat the Bank

Students will play a coin identification game to familiarize themselves with coin values. They will add coin values to determine the game's winner.
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd
Subject: Math

Let’s Go Shopping!

Students will apply their knowledge of adding coins to a real life situation when they create different coin combinations to buy their daily snack.
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd
Subject: Math