First Grade · History · week 23

Money has symbols too

Match common United States coins to the faces and symbols on them, and explain why the country uses symbols like an eagle on money.

Coins are covered in symbols too. Most American coins have a past president's face on the front: a penny has Abraham Lincoln, a nickel has Thomas Jefferson, and a quarter has George Washington.

The back of a coin often has its own symbol, like an eagle -- a bird that stands for strength and freedom. Some coins even carry the words "E Pluribus Unum," which is an old way of saying "out of many, one," meaning many states came together to make one country.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Get a few real coins and look at both sides together, matching faces and symbols to what you learned.
  • Explain that an eagle is used as a symbol because it stands for strength and freedom.
  • If you find a coin with "E Pluribus Unum" on it, point it out and repeat the meaning together.
  • Mention that some quarters show different pictures on the back for different states -- a fun bonus fact if your child has seen one.
Talk about it:
  • Whose face is on a penny?
  • What symbol shows up on the back of a quarter?
  • Why might our country put an eagle on its money?

Mastery looks like: They can match at least two coins to their correct faces or symbols and explain the eagle as a symbol of the country.

Common stumbles: Mixing up which president appears on which coin.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of History for this learner.
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