During the past month, new information and activities have been added to the United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change^™ Web site.  To help you learn "What's New for You," we've listed and linked these features below.

September Coin of the Month:  Join Peter as he heads north to celebrate the new Alaska quarter.  Alaska was the 49th state to join the Union and is now the 49th quarter to be released as part of the 50 State Quarters® Program.  The design features a brown bear catching a salmon in a river.  A single star stands for the North Star.  The phrase "The Great Land" is a translation of the Aleutian word "Alyeska" from which the state gets its name.

State Quarter Day in the Classroom:  Celebrate the Alaska quarter with State Quarter Day in the Classroom.  Read more about "The Last Frontier" and find out what’s great about the 49th state.

50 State Quarters® Program Lesson Plans:  Take a look at these lessons, created specifically to celebrate the Alaska quarter:  Water Cycling in the Wilderness (K and 1), It’s a Bear Out There (2 and 3), and The Coin and the Fable (4–6).  After that, be sure to check out the rest of the state-specific plans, FREE to download in sets designed specifically for grades K and 1, 2 and 3, and 4 through 6.

Constitution Day: On September 17, 1787, the final draft of the Constitution was signed. A lot of thought, debate, and working together had to happen for the delegates at the Constitutional Convention to come up with the document that has guided us for more than 200 years. Have your students take the Constitution Trivia Quiz to get to know the Constitution and some of the men who signed it!