Introduction
Students have already learned that money can be any substance that serves as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, and a store of value. Historically, many products have served as money in the United States. Although money has changed in shape, kind, and size over the years, modern money shares the same characteristics of early money. It is portable, durable, divisible, and limited in availability. Our money also tends to evolve over time. A good example is the new dollar coin that was announced by the U.S. Mint in May of 1999 and placed into circulation in 2000.

Lesson Description
Students will use information from the United States Mint Web site to find out more about the new dollar coin.

Previous Knowledge Expected
Students should be familiar with the following term:
money: anything that serves as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, and a store of value

Applied Content Standards (from the National Council on Economic Education)
Standard 11: Money makes it easier to trade, borrow, save, invest, and compare the value of goods and services.

Instructional Objectives
1. Students will list reasons for the minting of the new dollar coin.
2. Students will describe the role of Sacagawea in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
3. Students will determine reasons that the U.S. Mint selected Sacagawea to appear on the new dollar coin.

Student Web Activity Answers
1-4: Teacher may prepare an answer sheet from the Web site.

Extending the Lesson
Encourage students to research further information about Sacagawea on the Internet. PBS has information available for students at http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/saca.html.
Have students read the Birth of the New Dollar Coin Web page at this same site. This page provides further information about the development of the coin from law to concept to final production.
Encourage students to learn more about the U.S. Mint by using the About the U.S. Mint link on the dollar coin home page.

Student Web Activity