Women’s History Month
Celebrate Women’s History Month by exploring the life and legacy of American Women Quarters honorees.
Monthly Mint Trivia: Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first woman to serve as director of the U.S. Mint. In what year was she appointed? (Hint: Check out Women at Work: Meet the Mint’s Trailblazers.)
Celebrate the Honorees
Each year, March is recognized as Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The U.S. Mint celebrates women’s contributions to American history as part of the American Women Quarters™ (AWQ) Program. This year, the AWQ program will honor pioneering American women Bessie Coleman, Edith Kanakaʻole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar, and Maria Tallchief with five new quarter designs.
The U.S. Mint and other sources have helpful and engaging resources to share the AWQ honorees’ stories.
Resources for Grades 2 and above:
- Design Your Own Coin (U.S. Mint Coin Classroom): Learn about Edith Kanakaʻole’s life and see her quarter design. Then ask students to design their own coin – what would they choose to represent Edith’s life and achievements?
- Coin Coloring Pages (U.S. Mint Coin Classroom): Print out the 2023 quarter coloring pages for students to color.
- Coin Drop (U.S. Mint Coin Classroom): Practice flying in a biplane like Bessie in this free online game.
- Hula Dance Lesson (The Kennedy Center): Learn about the history of hula and then let students create a hula dance that tells a story.
- Eleanor Roosevelt by Grace Hanen (YouTube): Learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt with a read aloud book.
Resources for Grades 6 and above:
- Collector’s Corner: Teach kids about coin collecting and how to display, share, and trade coins with friends and family.
- Share biographies, discussion questions, and watch videos from the National Women’s History Museum.
- Learn more about women’s contributions to American history using a video and primary source documents with documentaries from PBS.
- Learn about the life of Maria Tallchief and her rise to fame as the first American prima ballerina in this lesson from the Native Hall of Fame (PDF).
Want more ideas? Reach out to education.outreach@usmint.treas.gov for recommendations on lesson plans and activities for your students.
Coin of the Month: Edith Kanakaʻole Quarter
The Edith Kanakaʻole Quarter is the seventh coin in the American Women Quarters Program. Edith Kanakaʻole was an indigenous Hawaiian composer, chanter, kumu hula, and a custodian of native culture, traditions, and the natural land. Her moʻolelo, or stories, served to rescue aspects of Hawaiian history, customs, and traditions that were disappearing due to the cultural bigotry of the time.
The reverse (tails) features a depiction of Edith Kanakaʻole, with her hair and lei poʻo (head lei) morphing into the elements of a Hawaiian landscape, symbolizing Kanakaʻole’s life’s work of preserving the natural land and traditional Hawaiian culture. The inscription “E hō mai ka ʻike” translates as “granting the wisdom,” and is a reference to the intertwined role hula and chants play in this preservation.
History of Women on Coins
Watch this video to learn about the history of women on U.S. coins.
G.W. Quarter’s Jigsaw Puzzles
Mint Virtual Tours App
We Want to Hear from You!
Are you interested in incorporating coins into your classroom next year, but aren’t sure where to start? Let us help you! The U.S. Mint offers K-6 lesson plans, online educational games, videos, online quizzes, a free Coin Coloring Book, and other resources. Reach out to us at education.outreach@usmint.treas.gov to request resources that fit your education needs.