Honoring Jovita Idar
Inspire students with Jovita Idar’s story and her exceptional quarter.
Monthly Mint Trivia: In what year did the U.S. Mint release the Texas State Quarter?
Learn Jovita’s Legacy
An influential writer, teacher, and activist, Jovita Idar fought for the rights of women and Mexican-Americans in the early 20th century. Read on for ways you can engage with her legacy using the Jovita Idar Quarter, the latest release in the American Women Quarters™ Program.
Use resources from the U.S. Mint and beyond to bring the Jovita Idar Quarter to life.
- Introduce Jovita with this short biographical video from the U.S. Mint.
- Go deeper into her life with a detailed biography from the National Women’s History Museum.
- Inspect the unique design on this quarter with your class. Watch the U.S. Mint sculptors discuss their craft and how they design coins.
- Review the parts of a coin as a class. Ask the class to identify all the inscriptions on the Jovita Idar Quarter as you display an enlarged photo of the coin. Ask students if they can find the mint mark or artist initials on the coin as well.
- Discuss Jovita’s life and accomplishments as students’ study and color the Jovita Idar coin coloring page.
- Ask students to research Jovita’s life and legacy, and/or use the links above to explain her importance. Then review the other designs considered for the Jovita Idar Quarter. Ask your students to vote as a class for their favorite. Why did they pick one design over another? What elements from their research are present in the designs?
- Modify the Coin Program Poetry lesson plan (Grade 3+) or Design Your Own Coin (Kindergarten+) activity to focus on Jovita Idar.
- Start a class quarter collection. Request a free collectible American Women Quarters coin holder from the U.S. Mint’s catalog.
Want more ideas? Reach out to education.outreach@usmint.treas.gov for recommendations on lesson plans and activities for your students.
Coin of the Month: American Innovation® $1 Coin – Indiana
The American Innovation $1 Coin representing Indiana recognizes the automobile industry. Indiana boasts a long history of innovation in automobile manufacturing and promoting the automobile in American culture. They played a role in the invention, refinement, and manufacture of headlights, rearview mirrors, tilt steering, cruise control, pneumatic rubber tires, and car heaters. Indiana produced a number of auto parts manufacturing companies and automobile producers, including Marmon, Studebaker, Milburn Wagon Works, and Duesenberg.
Indiana also promoted the automobile in American popular culture through car racing. The Indianapolis 500 is one of the world’s oldest automobile races. The creator of the Indianapolis 500, Carl Fisher, also conceived of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile-specific transcontinental highway across the United States.
The reverse (tails) design features a series of vehicles that showcase Indiana innovations from yesterday and today. From top to bottom, the design includes an early style gas automobile, a representation of classic car production, and a recent model of an Indy-style race car.
Money Match Lesson Plan
Denver Mint Virtual Tour
Watch how the Mint makes coins in our Denver facility.
Coin Collector Boards
We Want to Hear from You!
Are you interested in incorporating coins into your classroom next year, but aren’t sure where to start? Let us help you! The U.S. Mint offers K-6 lesson plans, online educational games, videos, online quizzes, a free Coin Coloring Book, and other resources. Reach out to us at education.outreach@usmint.treas.gov to request resources that fit your education needs.
Trivia Answer: The Mint released the Texas State Quarter in 2004.