Free Lessons On Money Have Much Value (NAPSA)—An educational pro- gram based on quartersis consid- ered by many to be a shining example of how to make learning fun. The United States Mint offers free lesson plans based on its popular 50 State Quarters’ Pro- gram. More than 125 million Americanscollect these quarters. Now the quarters are also being used to teach students lessons steeped in the history, geography QUARTERS” UNITED STATES MINT 1998 USMINAST and the heritage of each state, as The 50 State Quarters” Program aims to educateall Americans. For the second year in a row of the ten-year state quarter program, the U.S. Mint developed three distinct sets of lesson plans, Janis Paushter, a principal in Fairfax, Virginia. “I believe that the well as lessons in mathematics. one each for kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth through sixth grade using each year’s new quarters. The lesson plans are de- signed by a panel of elementary school teachers and reviewed by education experts. In a survey conducted earlier this year, 70 percent of the teachers who used the lesson plans gave them an overall rating of high satisfaction, with none of them ex- pressing any dissatisfaction. Eighty-one percent said they mentation to be excellent,” said teachers at my school and teachers at other schools across the country, who will receive these plans, will particularly enjoy the cross-curricular approachof the lessons.” The lesson plans have been described as some of the best history plans available because they are current, pertinent andreal. “The use of graphs, Venn dia- grams, word problems, map read- ing, etc., are critical to the development of elementary age students,” said Paushter. The 2001 50 State Quarters Lesson Plansare available online were satisfied with the plans’ edu- free-of-charge. To download a “T have found the quality of the at www.USMINT.gov and locate them under “Mint Programs/Edu- cational value and 85 percent with their ease of use. lessons and their ease of imple- copy, visit the U.S. Mint Website cation Initiative.”
