In a ceremony in late January 2006, the United States Mint celebrated the release of the Nevada quarter. The ceremony marked the release of the thirty-sixth state to be celebrated as part of the 50 State Quarters® Program.
Nevada's coin features wild stallions, snow-capped mountains and the sun, bordered by sagebrush and a banner that reads "The Silver State."
Teachers, below you will find several activities and links that will bring the excitement of the Nevada "State Quarter Day" into your classroom!
Nevada Quarter
Learn more about the new quarter featuring the wild horses and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
50 State Quarters Program
Find out more about this program that honors every state in America!
50 State Quarters Program Lesson Plans
The 50 State Quarters Program lesson plans are ready for you to use in your classroom! Take a look at the lessons created specifically to celebrate the Nevada quarter: Force of Habitat (K–1), How Resourceful Are You? (2–3), and Amazing Metals (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.
Are you a secondary school teacher interested in introducing the 50 State Quarters Program into your curriculum? Well, now you can! Our 50 State Quarters Program lesson plans for grades 7 through 12 are also written by educators. To download these FREE plans, visit the 50 State Quarters Program Lesson Plans today!
State Quarter Day Classroom Activities
Here are some fun ways to infuse your curriculum with activities that celebrate the arrival of the newest quarter in circulation!
Also, take a trip to Coin Collector's Workshop! Here, you can enroll in Inspector Collector's Coin Course, or solve coin mysteries in Get a Clue About Collecting. You can even learn How To Share Your Hobby!
"Seeing the States" WebQuest
What's so great about the United States? Let your students find out for themselves as they explore the coins in the 50 State Quarters Program to complete this fun Internet research project, the "Seeing the States" WebQuest.
Connected Coins and Medals
The Nevada quarter features wild horses running along the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. The Nevada quarter isn't the first coin to highlight an animal important to the state on the obverse or reverse of a coin. Take a look at some other coins that display an important state animal as the focus of their coin:
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Wisconsin quarter—Cattle have long been important to Wisconsin. They provide not only beef but dairy products like milk and cheese. "The Dairy State" and "America's Dairyland" are just two of Wisconsin's nicknames. |
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California quarter—California's quarter is the 31st quarter in the 50 State Quarters® Program. For its design, the Golden State depicts John Muir, the Yosemite Valley, and a soaring California condor. The California condor, with a wingspan as long as 9 feet, is also featured on the coin in a tribute to the successful repopulation of the once nearly extinct bird. |
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Arkansas Quarter—Arkansas is nicknamed "The Natural State" because of its many natural resources, including streams, lakes, farmland, wildlife, and minerals. The image portrays many resources including a mallard gracefully flying above a lake. |
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Louisiana quarter—One of Louisiana's nicknames is "the pelican state" because many pelicans live on the coast. The brown pelican is the state bird, but not many are still alive. |
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American Bison Nickel—The American Bison Nickel is part of the Westward Journey Nickel Series TM, it reminds us that the explorers not only described the buffalo in their journals but used the animal for food and clothing. The design also reminds us how important and even sacred this animal was to the American Indians of the prairies. |
Our Foreign Friends
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The coins produced for the 50 State Quarters Program share much in common with the European currency, the euro. With your students, visit the interactive cartoon, Coins of the World, to see how these two programs are similar (here's a hint: look at the backs of euros from different countries, and then look at their fronts). |
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Quarter Games
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Your students can test their knowledge of United States geography and the 50 State Quarters Program, all while helping Bill the Mint Buffalo earn enough money to plan a cross-country trip. |
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Here's a challenge for your students! Put all the pieces of the Nevada quarter back together—in three minutes or less! |
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Are your students budding artists? Let them try their hands at painting the Nevada quarter. A yellow bridge and a purple river? Let your students' imaginations run wild! |
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Here's a word search all about quarters and other coins. Can your students find all the words on each list? |
A Coinage Cartoon
Teachers' Network
Teachers, if we've piqued your interest with the activities above, please sign up for the Teachers' Network. As a member, you can receive information about all of the new educational resources that become available from the United States Mint!