The 25-Cent History Lesson

 The 25-Cent History Lesson

    David decided to collect quarters when he read about how the backs of the quarters were changing. He found that many of the coins were already available. All he had to do was reach into his pocket. On the back of the new Ohio quarter was an outline of the state. On one side of the outline was an early airplane An astronaut was on the other side. The coin said, "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers," and David wondered which pioneers this referred to.

    He used a library computer to search for information about the Ohio quarter. He learned that the coin honored Orville Wright, one of the inventors of the airplane. It also honored astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, two men who walked on the moon. David wanted to know more about the roles these men played in history. He read library books about their lives.

    The next quarter cam from David's dad. It was a New Jersey quarter. The image on the coin was based on a well-known painting. It inspired David to learn about the history of New Jersey.

    The more quarters David collected, the more frequently he visited the library. "How's the coin collecting coming along?" the librarian asked David one day.

    "Great!" he answered. "I still don't know much about coins, but I'm learning a lot about history."