Activity Guide
Reading Makes Cents is comprised of a collection of 53 experiential activities developed around exemplary children’s literature that has money as a theme. The selected children’s literature explores ideas, activities, and strategies that help children learn how to earn, save, share, and spend money. Children’s literature provides a rich diversity of settings, people, income levels, relationships, ethnic backgrounds, cultures, religions, holidays, intergenerational friendships all related to money messages and learning.
Guide Downloads
The printed guide has a large number of Adobe PDF files available for download. These files are located on this page. As more files are added or modified, those files will be updated on this page.
Table of Contents
History of Money Word Search
I Spy a Dollar
Make a Match Game
Saving Money
Making Piggy Bank Template
Saving Money Word Search
USA Today, Money Section
United States Mint, Kids' Site
Sharing Money
Make an Action Plan
Sharing Money Word Search
Wikipedia: Philanthropists
Women in Philanthropy
Charity Navigator
Charity Guide
National Charity Report Index
American Institute of Philanthropy
Just Give Guide
Earning Money
Allowance Improv
Tin Candle Holder Pattern
Earning Money Word Search
Explore Different Careers
Job Smart: Online Career Guide
Pysanky Eggs
Feedback and Support Materials
Answer Key
Feedback: Evaluation and Success Indicators
Inquesta Sobre Las Actividades - Spanish
Feedback - Parent Communication Sheet
Feedback - Family Time Acitivities Survey
Word Match Game
Reading Makes Cents Glossary
Make a Match - Leader Notes
Reading Makes Cents - Notes Pages
Support Book
Money Facts
FACT:
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces 38 million notes a day with a face value of approximately $541 million. That doesn’t mean there is $541 million more money circulating today than there was yesterday, though, because 95% of the notes printed each year are used to replace notes already in circulation.
FACT:
Would you guess that the average life expectancy of your one-dollar bill is just 18 months or that you can fold a dollar bill 8,000 times before it will tear?
FACT:
Speaking of paper money, it isn’t actually paper. US bills are 75% cotton and 25% linen. 38 million bills are printed each day by the Bureaus of Engraving and Printing at a value of $541 million dollars. 95% of them are used to replace notes already in circulation. 48% of all bills printed are $1 bills.
FACT:
Did you know that it only costs 4.1 cents to make a $1 bill. It costs the same thing to make a $100 bill?
FACT:
Did you know that before paper money was used, Americans used buckskins for money? This is where we get the term “bucks.”
FACT:
Every note, regardless of value, weighs 1 gram. That means 454 bills will equal one pound.
FACT:
If we laid each current U.S. bill printed side by side they would stretch around the earth’s equator about 24 times?
FACT:
If you could stack 14.5 million dollars, in @1 notes, that pile of currency would reach a mile high.
FACT:
Did you know that the U.S. Secret Service was established to stop counterfeiting?
More Money Facts
Currency Trivia
Facts About U.S. Money
U.S. Money Trivia
Did You Know...
Web Resources
There are many web site links within the printed guide. This page contains a summary of those links. As more web site resources become available, they will also be added here.
Educational materials, podcasts, downloadable images, videos, screensavers, wallpapers, and more. Explore these resources for use with your group.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces educational materials that can be downloaded from this Web site in more than 20 languages. The materials provided here are intended as a toolkit of resources about newly designed currency.
Games, cartoons, a time machine and more… all about the history of coins, the U.S. Mint, and U.S. history.
Games, cartoons, a time machine and more… all about the history of coins, the U.S. Mint, and U.S. history.
Educational resources such as podcasts, downloadable images, videos, screensavers, wallpapers, and more.
Photographs of the Great Depression from the American Memory collection on the Library of Congress web site.
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