Help! In presenting to cub scouts

HandH · August 30, 2016 4:27PM

Hello ladies and gents. I need help in presentations to cub scouts of coin collecting/presentation. My 6 year old is used to me and him viewing coins, however, none of his friends are exposed to coin collecting. I think my scholarly approaches would fall on deaf ears. Does anyone have an outline that has been successful in encouraging Cub Scout age kids to numismatics, it would be very, very appreciated. HandH. Thank you.

ambro51 · August 30, 2016 9:25PM

The thing they will remember is you giving them an Indian head penny. No matter what you say....your presentation will be 100% improved if each kid gets an Indian head penny. That's their level.

MICHAELDIXON · August 30, 2016 9:45PM

I have a PowerPoint presentation I will send you. PM sent

ricko · August 30, 2016 10:05PM

Presentations. at that age, are far more memorable - and enervating - if they can also touch and feel some coins and - even better (as mentioned above) - take home a special coin. Cheers, RickO

Greeniejr · August 30, 2016 11:14PM

I have a powerpoint as well that I use for a 1st and 2nd grade group. I also have a version modified by a client that he used for a boyscout presentation. Edited to add, feel free to contact me at hjbltd

WoodenJefferson · August 30, 2016 11:40PM

Put a hefty Peace or Morgan silver dollar in their hands to pass around and give them a bit of history as they ogle the coin and listen to the 'ring' of silver.

Good luck.

Note: Some sort of game with Statehood quarters would be good also. Lay out a US map, let the Scouts draw blindly out of a sack, place the quarter they selected onto the map...learning squared.

BustDMs · August 31, 2016 1:51AM

I have a box of coins that I use for educational presentations to kids and non collectors that I call coins with stories. Almost any coin will work. You merely have to wrap a historically correct story around the coin at hand, and make sure you have coins that can be passed around in the raw.

Some examples would include an inexpensive cob and any pirate story that you care to use. Kids like to see and handle a coin that might have been buried by Blackbeard.

I have a few ancient coins that you could tell stories of Caesar, Alexander, Cleopatra and Marc Anthony or even Jesus. Any old silver coin from before Christ could have been on the money changers table when Christ turned them over in the temple. The story of the widows mite always goes over well and as heckle of Tyre could have been one of the 30 pieces of silver given to Judas.

A Spanish colonial piece of eight could have been the one Washington shucked over the Delaware river. A 2 reale could have been on Thomas Jeffersons desk as he wrote the Declaration of Independence.

A Civil War era coin could have been a good luck piece in a soldiers pocket during Gettysburg.

You are only limited by your budget and imagination as to the coins and stories you can put together. The key to it is to let them handle raw coins that famous people from history could have handled. The connections through history in their hands will last a lot longer than a power point presentation without the artifacts to play with.

If you are someone who does not feel extremely comfortable speaking in front of a group just treat the scouts like they are your kids or grandkids and tell interesting stories. They will love it.

HandH · August 31, 2016 8:50AM

Thanks all. You have provided some very good advise.

cladking · August 31, 2016 8:57AM

Something that has always proven pretty effective in interesting children in coins is to give them folders and let them look through a bag of pennies or nickels to fill them.

If you don't have time for it then maybe just give them the folders and have a contest to see who can get the most coins after a couple weeks.

92cc fan · August 31, 2016 11:47AM

Some excellent ideas but also remember to keep it short.

Eagleguy · August 31, 2016 12:20PM

The Wolf book has the Adventures in Coins elective adventure. One of the requirements is to make a coin rubbing. Get a good selection of different types and sizes of coins and a bunch of crayons and let them have at it. Another requirement is to build a coin scale and perform a weight study. Very hands on and fun for the boys.

WTCG · August 31, 2016 12:38PM

Keep it simple and use visual aids. Nothing will bore youngsters faster than an academic lecture and continuous rambling by an adult.

ScarsdaleCoin · August 31, 2016 12:44PM

I'm reminded of Larry Gentile a coin collector who dedicated many hours to YNs and kept kids enchanted for two-three hours at a time

csdot · August 31, 2016 1:34PM

This is directed at the Boy Scouts (a few years older), but it might give you some ideas.

https://meritbadge.org/wiki/images/0/04/Coin_Collecting.pdf

HandH · August 31, 2016 1:37PM

Can someone linkify csdot's referenced url? I wouldn't have the first clue how to do that. Old man. My 6 year old might, but he's sleeping.

TopographicOceans · August 31, 2016 5:44PM

Here - or just cut and paste his link in your browser

Dentuck · August 31, 2016 6:38PM

An approach I've taken with kids that age is to tell them (in simple terms) about symbolism on ancient Greek coins --- e.g., the sea turtle on ancient Greek silver staters represented Aegina's maritime power, the owl of Athens represented Athena, the goddess of wisdom, etc. Other more modern examples can be given, too. Then I ask them, "If you could design a coin for yourself, what symbols would you use?" This launches a discussion where they connect their personal experience to coins. I get the ball rolling by saying, for example, "All of my friends and family know that I love beagles, so I would have a dog on my coin."

Help! In presenting to cub scouts

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