Here’s my coin-related wonder: does having multiple versions of one coin affect your students’ understanding of coin values?
First, let me say that I support the U.S. Mint wholeheartedly. I love coins! In fact, if anyone connected with the U.S. Mint is reading this blog, I’m behind you all the way and I’ll take any free coins you’d like to unload. I just dumped the contents of my coin purse on my desk and I could definitely use a few more coins! (PS: I like paper money too!)
From a teacher’s standpoint, I’m thankful the presidents associated with the coins don’t change. I’m not sure how I feel about multiple updates to the flip side of specific coins, though. I know from a publisher’s standpoint that it’s tricky to keep up with changing coins.
Does having coin variations add confusion to coin identification or does it increase student interest in coins? On a personal level, I’m eager to start collecting the new national park quarters. What a great way to learn about the United States!
Eager to hear from you!
Diane
It does make things confusing in Kindergarten, but also fun!
I kept those state quarters in one of those collector books (my colleague has a US map for the quarters), so they’re interesting to look at (especially w/magnifying glasses). When we do coins I use the “old fashioned” ones so they match the student papers and the display coins, but I also have some of the newer ones in a “junkbox” collection that the kids can investigate as well. They’re a “two-fer” — good for compare/contrast, meeting some science standards!! 🙂
For PreK it doesn’t really make a difference of course. They are confused that a dime is worth more than a penny. After all the penny is bigger. LOL
Wow, can not say I actually thought about this before.
I collected the state coin as did several of my 4th graders, but now as a kinder teacher I use just the traditional coins which match the large display coins and papers but I really like Tracy’s use of coins( compare/contrast)…I will have to give this more thought for next school year.
Thank you for stirring the pot again.
Our world is full of things that change and we have to learn to recognize those things in different states. Ex. Water – Ice – Gas… The ability to see that a quarter is still a quarter regardless of the picture on one side is a wonderful lesson for kids. I have collected nearly every state quarter myself.
I try to focus my instruction on the shape and size of the coins rather than the pictures on the faces.
I definately think the changing pictures raise their interest in coins. It gets them looking at coins more closely and noticing the differences and similarties between them.
I also use the pictures to springboard Social Studies mini lessons on the signifigance of the monuments and objects depicted on the coin.
So Mint, change away! I’m excited to see what pieces of America you will showcase next.
I have a song or chant for each coin I teach.
penny- (echo)
Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln
On a copper penny, on a copper penny,
One cent, One cent!
nickel- (tune to Farve Checha)
Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson
Silver nickel, silver nickel,
(high voice) five cents, five cents,
(lower your voice) five cents, five cents!
dime-
Franklin D. Rosevelt(spread your arms wide, long name),
On a tiny little dime (tiny fingers up to your eye),
Ten cents! (show ten fingers)
quarter- Cheer!
George Washington!
Quarter!
25 cents!
I agree with Darlene!
PreK students get sooooo excited about pennies.
I think that the changes are fun and keep us interested in collecting. It does make learning our coins harder. People who travel to the US need to be able to sort and use the coins also. With that in mind, change one side of the coin, but keep a constant on the other side. It will help me teach identifying the coins, and help travelers to the country learn to identify our coins.
Other countries have had an easier time of using a coin for the “dollar” amount. I saw these differences from our coin, and if we tried another dollar coin I would suggest:
make it a different size and color (perhaps copper like the penny?)
use two metals, one as a color in the center, and
another as a ring around the center color.
be sure the coin is not close to the same size as another coin!
I teach Kindergarten, and we count and use REAL money when I teach it. It took some time to save up the coins to do this, but it is worth it!
This has got me thinking. I’m thinking rubbings, impressions in model magic, using burlap and yarn with big needles to make a coin purse for our paper or model magic coins, venn diagrams, how they are alike, how they are different.
Our school held a family night “Parents, Kids, and Money Matters”. We found this to be a hot topic as many families are experiencing financial challenges. We all ate pizza together then the teachers took their students to the classroom to do a lesson on “Share, Save, Spend” while the parents attended a corresponding session. Each child left with a plastic piggy bank divided into three sections so he could begin to apply the lesson. See Thrivent.com for program info. It is Christian based but could be adapted.
My 3 year olds love to bring coins to school so I show them the different kinds and name them. I only show them the face of the coin or the presidents head because that never changes. The penny was easy since it is a different color, but nickles; dimes; and quaters were a little more difficult. I showed them the face and they figured out how to tell the difference- the smallest the dime has rough sides, a nickle is smooth, and the largest is the quater with rough sides also. I have not taught them the value of the coins only what they look like and named, I do not show them paper money.
I love teaching and reteaching my third graders about money, and then giving them a reason for counting, using and collecting money. My management system revolves around money, gaining it and losing it. They work as individuals at the beginning of the year, then as teams 1/2 way through. Easy and educational.