Money:

Money is the means of exchange by which people buy and sell things. Today, when we use money, we are as likely to use plastic cards as paper bills and coins, but this was not always true. Consider how society moved from bartering goods to exchanging money. You could learn about the items that people have used for currency throughout history and how those items came to hold value. Or, you could explore the designs of paper bills and coins and what they reflect about their countries of origin. You might also think about how money moves between people, across borders, or through cyberspace. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Academic Subjects/Standards you could explore in this category: Social Studies, Civics, Mathematics, Technology, Languages & Language Arts, Visual & Performing Arts

Topic Example One: The Beauty of Paper Money

We carry money to buy things, but money has more meaning than just its cash value. Its artistic design tells a story about its home country. What is most important and prominent about a country often finds its way on to the faces of its paper money. Money can depict a country’s landscape, its unique plants and animals, prominent people from its history, or national symbols such as a coat of arms. In Nigeria, where agriculture is a major part of the economy, images of people collecting coconuts and farmers selling their harvest can be found on the paper money. China’s money shows images of dragons, rice fields, and beautiful mountain ranges. Some of Brazil’s paper money depicts monkeys and sea turtles. How can looking at money teach us about the world? What subjects are depicted on the money from your country? How do countries select the designs for their money?

Topic Example Two: Early Forms of Money

These days, people regularly exchange paper bills and use plastic cards for money—but it didn’t start out that way. Before “money” existed, people traded items of value, such as cattle or grain. Similarly, the earliest forms of currency were inherently valuable things, such as gold, silver, or other precious resources. In Ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt, which was harvested from the sea. Salt could be used to season and preserve food, but more importantly, the human body requires it for survival. In West Africa, people exchanged manillas as currency from the late 15th to the early 20th century. Manillas were ornamental bracelets made from precious metals such as copper, brass, or iron. In North America, the earliest form of currency was a shell bead called wampum. The Narragansett people are believed to be the first producers of these beads, which were created by shaping and drilling the inner spiral of Whelk shells. Wampum was valued because it took lots of time and hard work to find suitable shells and make them into beautiful beads. What other items have been used throughout history for money? What made these items valuable?

Topic Example Three: Stock Markets

Did you know that you can own a little piece of a big company? In a stock market, people buy and sell shares of a company, which are also known as stocks. A share is a unit of ownership of a company; people who own shares of a company are called “shareholders.” Companies sell stock because they want to raise money to expand their business—it costs lots of money to create new products, build more factories or stores, and hire more employees. People buy stock because they want to make money by choosing good investments. Some companies give part of their profits to shareholders by paying them cash. These payments are called “dividends.” Nowadays, most people make money in the stock market by investing in companies that are successful. If shareholders buy stock when the value is low and sell it when the value is high, they make a profit. But, investing in the stock market can be risky. If the stock goes down in value, the shareholders lose money. Investors can buy stocks in many different kinds of companies. Examples of stock markets around the world are the New York Stock Exchange in the United States, the London Stock Exchange in England, and the Nagoya Stock Exchange in Japan. What is the importance of Stock Exchanges around the world? How do individual investors contribute to the global economy? How and why do new Stock Exchanges develop?

Topic Example Four: The Euro

On January 1, 1999, the European Union made money history, implementing the largest monetary changeover the world has ever seen. On that day, eleven of the countries in the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) adopted a new, single currency called the Euro. The Euro was a “cashless” currency when it was first introduced, meaning that it was only used for cashless transactions, such as electronic banking and stock market transactions. Actual Euro banknotes (bills) and coins officially went into circulation on January 1, 2002. The original eleven countries that adopted the Euro were Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. By unifying, these countries became a stronger economic and political power in the world. A single currency also allowed people, services, and goods to move freely from country to country without the inconvenience of currency exchange. What did each of the countries in the European Union contribute to the process of making the Euro a reality? What benefits and challenges come with a major monetary change? What are some other major currency shifts in the world?

Citations

• Shafer, Neil, and Colin R. Bruce II, eds. The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: Volume Two. 9th ed. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 2002. 92-102, 215-227, 626-640, 863-864, 960-963.
• Tomonis, Audrius. Banknotes.com. 19 Aug. 2004 <http://www.banknotes.com/>.
• “Salt.” Knowledgerush. 23 Aug. 2004 <http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Salt/>.
• “The Artistry of African Currency.” AfricasZawadi.com. 3 Aug. 2004 <http://www.africaszawadi.com/1africa/
  country_profiles/money_history/MANILLAS.HTM>.
• Hammell, George R. “Wampum.” Encyclopedia of North American Indians. Houghton Mifflin Company. 19 Aug. 2004 <http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/naind/html/
  na_042000_wampum.htm>.
• “Understanding the Stock Market.” Young Investor. Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. 20 Aug. 2004 <http://www.younginvestor.com/kids/investIt/
  articleUnderstandStockMarket.html>.
• “What is the stock market?” The Mint. Northwestern Mutual Foundation. 20 Aug. 2004 <http://www.themint.org/investing/ whatisthestockmarket.php>.
• “Background to the euro.” The Euro. European Central Bank. 6 Aug. 2004 <http://www.euro.ecb.int/en/what/history.html>.
• Curtis, Ed. “Der Euro Kommt.” Spartan Deutsch. Corvallis High School. 20 Aug. 2004 <http://www2.corvallis.k12.or.us/chs/staff/curtise/ der_euro_kommt.htm>.
  

Helpful Hints:

For each category, we have provided several examples to get you thinking about the wide variety of topics on which you might develop a website. Remember, your website entry is only required to fit into one of the broad categories, such as Money.

You will notice that many of our examples include cross-cultural references or highlight international aspects of a particular topic. The criteria used to score ThinkQuest entries reward collaboration among student teams in different regions or countries, so we have provided examples that we hope will inspire you to think globally and collaboratively as you choose your topic area and develop your website.

Here is one way you might choose a topic with your team: