Ancient Coins and Education

Zee Ann standing before the Coin museum that she and her students put together

I recently received the following letter from one of the teachers supported by the Ancient Coins for Education (ACE). Zee Ann Poerio is one of ACE's most creative teachers. I have had the pleasure of seeing several of the coins that I have donated to ACE go to Zee Ann's Coin Zoo! Go to the link that she provided and see just how creative she and her students are. In the right hands Ancient Coins can be used to inspire students. All of the ACE teachers that I have had the joy of interactive with have been tremendously motivated and creative. So, to Zee Ann I would say that she and the other teachers have been a great inspiration to me.

Dear Charley:

I announced the new addition to the ZOO COINS during coin week last week. (The Latin Club students had a preview of the coin earlier in the year, but I was saving it for a special time to announce it to everyone else.) Thank you so much for your kind and generous donation for the exhibit. The children were so excited. I had a little art contest and you will see in one of the pictures the top three entries. These were all from third grade students. (I have art background, so I love the opportunity to get the children to share their artistic talent.)

http://picasaweb.google.com/zee.poerio/CoinWeekSampler2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIuK3taOscP9Ug&feat=directlink

I really enjoy teaching and using the ancient coins in the classroom. During Coin Week, we also celebrated the anniversary of the founding of ROME, so I have the students act out the myth with Romulus and Remus. Then I get to talk about the URBS ROMA. (So there is always a coin connection in my class.) We got some publicity on that and a reporter also did a full story on the ancient coins in the the classroom. the whole school took turns filing through the classroom to see the exhibit...I have more pictures of all the festivities, if you want to see them.

I hope that you realize what a difference it makes in the classroom and how excited the children get. Every year, I have several students who start their own museum at home. Last year, for career day one student told the class she wanted to grow up to become a numismatist! Every day this week, the students have been bringing in coins from their collections or their families' collections. I recently discovered that all the coin books are OUT of the school library. I didn't realize this until I was walking through my classroom and one of the girls hadn't pushed in her chair, when I looked down there were two coin books on her seat! (Please see photo in sampler.)

Thanks again for all that you have done for me and for all the students and teachers in the ACE program.

Zee Ann Poerio