Drawing on Texas: A State of the Arts Coin What are Quarters Made of? Science Lesson: Middle School

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Magdalene Morton
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1 Drawing on Texas: A State of the Arts Coin What are Quarters Made of? Science Lesson: Middle School Overview Students will be introduced to the meaning, symbolism, and value of U.S. coins, especially the quarter. They will research why in 1965 the U.S. Mint decided to change the metal composition of the quarter to copper coated with zinc. Students will perform an experiment, record and discuss their observations. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), Middle School (2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to: (A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology; (B) collect data by observing and measuring; (C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence; (D) communicate valid conclusions; and(e) construct graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including computers to organize, examine, and evaluate data. Materials and Resources Weight Scales Magnifying Glasses Glass Laboratory Dishes Vinegar Salt Actual pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, one set per table or group, each set in an envelope, older coins An assortment of 50 States Commemorative quarters, one per student, if possible design template printed from TCA s web site contest, one perstudent Access to computer graphic drawing and/or paint software programs classroom access to the Internet Recommended Books Cribb, Joe, and Keenes, Thomas. Eyewitness: Money. DK Publishing, Guth, Ron. Coin Collecting for Dummies. Hungry Minds, Weatherford, Jack. The History of Money: From Sandstone to Cyberspace. Three Rivers Press, Web Sites Science Net,

2 Drawing on Texas: Science 7-9: 2 United States Mint, The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, New Currency Education Materials American Numismatic Association, The United States H.I.P. Pocket Change Web Site CoinFacts, The Coin Library, Institute of Texan Cultures, Just the Facts, Kid s Stuff, Institute of Texan Cultures, Lone Star Junction, Money of the Republic of Texas, State Seal of Texas, Student Guide Handbook of Texas Online, Texas Almanac, Texas Best Online, Texas History and Social Studies Texas Icons and GIF Images, Texas State Symbols and Emblems, Texas Symbols, Texas Symbols Homepage, TravelTex.com, Vocabulary Alkaline: having a PH of more than seven Acid: a compound containing hydrogen that ionizes to yield hydrogen ions in water Base: a compound that ionizes to yield hydroxide ions in water

3 Drawing on Texas: Science 7-9: 3 Element: the simplest forms of matter that can exist under normal laboratory conditions Compounds: substances that can be separated into more substances only by chemical reactions Synthesis Reaction: Two or more simple substances are combined to form a new more complex substance Decomposition Reaction: A complex substance breaks down into two or more simple substances. Decomposition reactions are the reverse of synthesis reaction. PH: a number used to denote the hydrogen-ion concentration, or acidity, of a solution; it is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution Salt hydrolysis: a process in which that cations or anions of a disassociated salt accept hydrogen ions from water or donate hydrogen ions to water; solutions containing hydrolyzed salts may be either acidic or basic. Culture: sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings Symbol: an image, idea, or object that stands for or represents something else Patriotism: devoted love, support, and defense of one s country, national loyalty Money/currency: gold, silver, or other metal in pieces of convenient form stamped and by government authority and issued as a medium of exchange and measure of value. Coin: a piece of metal stamped and issued by the authority of the government for use as money. Obverse: the side of a coin that bears the principal design; heads. Reverse: the side of a coin that bears the secondary design; tails. Reeded Edge: the textured, narrow edge of a coin Die: A device used to cut out, cast, pattern or stamp articles. Quarter: a silver U.S. coin equivalent in value to one-fourth of a dollar; 25 cents. Penny: a U.S. coin equivalent in value to one-hundredth of a dollar; 1 cent. Nickel: a U.S. coin equivalent in value to one-twentieth of a dollar; 5 cents. Dime: a silver U.S. coin equivalent in value to one tenth of a dollar; 10 cents. Numismatics: the study or collection of coins, tokens, medals, or similar objects. Numismatist: person who collects coins or similar objects. Portrait: picture of a person. Planning and Preparation Become familiar with the Background Information for Teachers. Collect as many different new commemorative quarters as you can. Utilize the Science Net website as a basis for directing initial research and the U. S. Mint Coin Specifications as a basis for instruction. Coin Specifications: Standard Weight = 5.67op Standard Diameter = in (24.26mm) Thickness = 1.75 Edge = Reeded Composition = CUPRO-Nickel Clad (8.33 % Nickel, Balance, CU) Question to Consider: Why did the U.S. Mint decide in 1965 to change the metal composition of the quarter to copper coated with nickel?

4 Drawing on Texas: Science 7-9: 4 Instruction Examine as many quarters as you can find, of various ages. What is date of the oldest one? In what year was the newest one minted? Visually compare the oldest quarters to the most recently minted quarters. What differences do you observe? Compare the old quarters to the new quarters using a strong magnifying glass. What do you observe? What do your observations tell you about the causes for the changes in appearance between the old and new quarters? (scratches, thinning of the nickel coating due to wear) Divide the students into groups and have each group weigh and measure the quarters. Do an experiment to find a possible reason (aside from aesthetic reasons) for coating the quarter with nickel rather than making it just out of copper. Place a quarter and a penny in a dish. Sprinkle a little salt on each. Put one or two drops of vinegar on top. Let them sit in the dish for a week and record your observations during the course of the week. Based on your observations above, what do you predict will happen to the quarter? What actually happened to the surface of the penny? What actually happened to the surface of the quarter? What do you infer? Compile a list of reasons for the U.S. Mint s choice to shift to nickel and copper members. What would be one good reason for coating a copper quarter with nickel? Look at the specific ratio of nickel used in the composition of the quarter; what does it tell us? What variables would come into play given a higher percentage of copper content in the coin? Changes would occur if the percentage of nickel used in the quarter was increased? Compile a list of reasons contributed by various class members. Assessment What did the findings of student observations, research and classroom experimentation indicate about the composition of the quarter? Extensions Try the Disappearing Coin Experiment. Place a small piece of aluminum foil in a glass filled with water. Position a copper coin, such as a penny on top of the foil. Let the glass stand for one day and observe what happens. Describe the appearance of the water, the aluminum foil, and the copper coin at the end of the experiment. What chemical reaction has taken place? How do you know? Have students design coins/currency of the distant future. What forms might it take? Will it only be electronic or digital? Will it always need to have a specific design? What might it look like? Remind students that money must break down into smaller amounts so they need to design forms for each current coin amount. Have students read and discuss Coin Designs Worthy of a Great Nation: A Symposium on Coin Design, remarks of the Director of the United States Mint, available at

5 Drawing on Texas: Science 7-9: 5 Background Information for Teachers Portraits on U.S. Coins Denomination Portrait One cent: Abraham Lincoln Five cents: Thomas Jefferson Ten cents: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Quarter: George Washington Half dollar: Benjamin Franklin, John F. Kennedy Dollar: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea A Short History of the Quarter: Two hundred years ago, one of the most widely used coins throughout the United States and the Western hemisphere was the Spanish 8-reale or Piece of Eight. It was often split into eight bits or pieces to make change; each part was worth twelveand-a-half cents. Half a reale was four bits and a quarter reale was two bits, a term we still use today for the U.S. quarter-dollar coin. Initially the quarter was made of silver but it was changed to a combination of nickel and copper in Last year the United States Mint produced nearly two billion quarter dollars. The quarter-dollar was one of the first coin denominations authorized by Congress in 1792, though it wasn t produced until The Mint Act of 1792 decreed that one side of the quarter had to include the year in which it was minted, an image that symbolized liberty, and the actual word Liberty. The model for the first Lady Liberty may have been a socialite named Ann Bingham. Around her portrait on the front or obverse side were fifteen stars, one for each state in the Union at the time. The back or reverse of the quarter featured a young eagle and the words "United States of America." Interestingly, the numerical indication of the quarter s value was somehow overlooked. For more than 115 years, liberty was symbolized on the obverse side of the coin by allegorical female figures of Lady Liberty in the form of a bust or a full-length figure. The depictions of Lady Liberty and the eagle were changed many times during the late 18th and early 19th centuries to keep up with the varying designs of other coins. Over time, the eagle was altered to become grander and more patriotic. In 1932, in honor of the bicentennial of George Washington's birthday, Lady Liberty was replaced by a silhouette of Washington's head. In 1976, a colonial drummer replaced the eagle on the back of the coin for the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Over the next decade, the quarter will now undergo fifty changes to acknowledge each state in the U.S. Each state will be honored on an individual coin to generate the public's interest in coin design and State history. Hopefully this program will encourage people to take more careful notice of the design of their pocket change.

Drawing on Texas: A State of the Arts Coin Science Lesson: Grades K-Three Quarter Coin Cookies: Changing the Consistency of Matter to Make Coins

Drawing on Texas: A State of the Arts Coin Science Lesson: Grades K-Three Quarter Coin Cookies: Changing the Consistency of Matter to Make Coins Overview In this lesson, students will learn about the historical