Home Explorations: STEM and Coins
Start with an interactive reading of the story. "The Pine Tree Shillings" is attributed to Nathaniel Hawthorne and is based on an event in colonial life. You can read the Hawthorne version here: Pine Tree Shillings Picture Book
You can read a revised, more kid-friendly version of the story here: The Mintmaster's Daughter
Information about how to read stories with young people is located here.
Information about keeping a STEM Notebook is located here. We always encourage students to write about their explorations.
After reading the story, students may have questions about the people, places and events related to the story. This is an excellent opportunity for pursuing these questions by reading further about Puritan history. In addition to the literature and social studies aspects of the story, several explorations have a STEM focus. Students can do any or all of these explorations with materials found around the home. They can be done in any order.
Using the story (The Mintmaster's Daughter or Pine Tree Shillings) and three artists' interpretations of the scene, students are encouraged to use text details to determine how well the picture represents the story.
The Metal of Coins In this exploration students build a balance to compare coins. They then determine the difference between coins and the metals with which they are made.
The Metal of Coins II. Using simple materials, a sensitive spring balance is constructed. By taking careful data and graphing, the difference between metals can be explored.
Clean Coins. Dirty coins are not very attractive! How can we clean pennies? What is the chemistry of a dirty coin? Students use household chemicals to clean pennies and understand how these chemicals change the molecules on the coin.
Coin Power. Different coins combined together can create a chemical reaction. Students stack up coins to make a battery.
Bell's Demonstration. Alexander Graham Bell used coins to show how an earthworm can sense weak electrical current.
Plating Coins. How can a silver colored nickel look like a penny?
Making Coins: Try your hand at stamping a coin from aluminum cans!
Betsy's Worth. What would Betsy have been worth? Students use an action figure to determine its weight in coins. By knowing the weight of the figure and the value of the coins, a ratio could determine Betsy's worth.
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