In this resource, learners will explore the question: What can money tell us about the people who made and used it?

By looking at examples of money from people who have lived in different places and times, students will practice their close looking skills, learn about other cultures, and think about how the money they see in their everyday lives reflects their community and nation. The exercise concludes with an activity that prompts students to apply what they have learned by designing their own money.

Start by clicking on the first tile in the upper left-hand corner. Then move through the playlist by clicking on the ">" symbol at the bottom of the page. Look for the information and paperclip icons to provide more information about selected resources. As learners progress through the collection, educators and caregivers are encouraged to support student learning by reading the text and participating in the tasks together. There are 18 tiles in this collection.

This resource is made possible through major support from Michael Chou, the Bowker Family Endowment, and Bill Calderazzo, with additional support from Jeff Garrett, Robert L. Harwell II, and John F. McMullan.

Many of the objects included in this resource are from the National Museum of American History’s national money collection, called the National Numismatic Collection (noo-miss-MAT-ick). The collection is really big and includes objects from around the globe, spanning 3,000 years of history.