This project was a pretty fun one because we were able to choose our own topic that we were interested in and do research on that topic. My topic was the US Financial System; I chose this topic because I was always curious how our money today first started. The way I first started was browsing the Internet finding information on my topic. When I first started the project, I was at a road block at what genre to use. I started out slow and was just scanning my friend's blogs to see if I could think of any ideas. It actually helped because after I looked at Jonathon's poem, I decided to do a poem for my first genre also. After I wrote the sonnet poem, things got easier. When I received new information, the ideas for new genres came quickly. As I progressed through the project, I was keeping up with the benchmarks so things went smoothly. My first post was the bibliography. I wanted to organize the blog so that it was easy to find certain things; the bibliography was on the bottom so you could just scroll down and the statement of process and glossary is on the top. My second post is a Shakespearean sonnet. It gives a little briefing about money. The next genre is a game which consists of numerous polls that asks questions about the US Financial System. After that, I wrote a news article. I think this could've been the hardest to write because I'm not really familiar with writing news. With a little help I was able to improve it. Next, I continued doing posts according to my available information.
However, near the end, there wasn't much new information and you weren't supposed to repeat information so there was less progress; but I had nine genres so far so I wasn't so worried. In the end, I ended up with only nine different genres and a glossary, which is still ten genres if you count the glossary. I think that I could have finished one more genre but I had a problem with gaining new information. I think that the easiest part of this project was writing the genres, as in creating the posts. This topic allowed me to be creative with my posts. I think the hardest part was trying to revise. I think it was hard because since I've read these posts numerous times, I lost concentration because my mind got bored of them.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Statement of Process and Reflection
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Glossary
- obligation-[ob-li-gey-shun] noun. a binding promise, contract, sense of duty, etc. (It was Alexander Hamilton's obligation as Treasurer.)
- charter-[chahr-ter] noun. a document issued by a sovereign or state, outlining the conditions under which a corporation, colony, city, or other corporate body is organized, and defining its rights and privileges. (A charter was drafted and signed to enable the First Bank of America.)
- bullion-[bool-yuh n] noun. A bar or ingot of silver or gold, usually measured in mass rather than value. (People could bring their silver or gold bullions into the US Mint and have it turned into coins.)
- screw press-[screw-press] noun. a machine that was used to make coins in the early days of the US Mint. (The man watched as the iron screw screeched into the upper die.)
- upper die-[up-er-die] noun. a part of the screw press. (above)
- planchets-[plan-chets] noun. a sheet of metal that is used to make coins by pressing it with a screw press. (He inserted the planchet underneath the machinery and withdrew his hands quickly.)
Another Game
Have fun searching for these words!:
Rittenhouse
Money
Silver
Gold
Banking
Hamilton
Treasurer
Mint
Bullion
National Currency Act
N A T I O N A L C U R R E N C Y A C T X
H D U R N A U B I R C F I P Z Z X V I J
Q D G J E G I L O H K J X A P I L D V M
A B L O L A M U S T B X G Z R O U E S X
Z H Q Z F P S V B Y R V M N J X Y N K V
C W L X H K F U E T S X G J W P G Q T T
Z M I N T V A B R W Y V Z F R G G Z M M
Q I N T A B T Z Z E F K E E E E S T Z O
G O A T H A B S E I R A M S T D V W L M
S P E V A N B W H P F U Y E R J W L F Y
G Q M V O L A A H A M I L T O N Q N I B
N Q W L N O N S W Q A K D H H A Z Y G S
I P O F S K K U S G D L O G X D J U Z N
L H L C R N I L Z B M G W P E D O D R N
L D U E I U N X Y O Z D N F U U X A J P
U X M M C X G J E F U Y B J E J W I A C
B Q L M T S I N K E S U O H N E T T I R
V I R J B E O E N P Y T V F Q Z C P Q L
N I X E Z X F O E L Y D K D Z C D I N J
T C K D M F M M A J Y R J H G D G N E A
Sorry if the grid is a little messed up. Words can go horizontal, vertical, backwards, and upside-down.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Results Are In!
The polls have closed and the results and answers are in.
Which American Colony had the first paper money?
a. Roanoke, Virginia [1]
b. Massachusetts Bay Colony [5]
c. Maryland [2]
d. Rhode Island [4]
When was the first bank of the United States founded?
a. 1791 [2]
b. 1781 [2]
c. 1776 [5]
d. 1818 [3]
When did Congress issue the National Currency Act?
a. 1880 [1]
b. 1874 [4]
c. 1864 [1]
d. 1863 [5]
When was the US Mint in Philadelphia created?
a. 1793 [1]
b. 1818 [2]
c. 1792 [4]
d. 1791 [2]
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
From the Ghostly Quill of Alexander Hamilton
Dear Journal,
I've come back from the grave to see what has become of America's finance. So far everything is well, but Congress has just voted to abandon the First Bank of the US. The charter lasted twenty years and has now ended in 1811. We are in war with England again. Hopefully a second bank will be made for the country's sake.
From the Quill of Alexander Hamilton
Dear Journal,
Our newborn country is already in great debt. This war that freed us from the grasp of England, has now bound us in the shackles of our debts. Many states, bankrupt, too many types of currency. It is my obligation as treasurer to get our country out of this rut. What in the world should I do...? I've been thinking about making a central bank for America, maybe that could help. I'll have to think about it.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Working Hard to Hardly Working
The sweat was streaming down my face. My hands were shaking, this was the first time I ever used one of these. My tense eyes scanned over the screw-press, trying not to imagine what would happen if my hands were crushed underneath the heavy screw. I took a seat in front of the press; tense but ready to work. Two muscular men stood beside the press; hopefully experienced. I took a planchet and slid it underneath the screw. I watched steadily as the two other men tugged on a wore out leather strap, attached to a rusty iron bar. The bar was attached to a heavy iron screw which screeched when it drove into the upper die. When one man pulled the bar towards him, seemingly as if it didn't weigh more than a few pounds, the upper die drove down onto the lower one. The other man soon pulled the bar towards him, lifting the screw and upper die. Revealed where I had placed the planchet, now stood a dozen shiny new coins. I quickly removed the coins and placed another planchet inside. We repeated this process over and over. Sometimes it took a little longer than most but once I got used to it, it only took about a minute to produce a dozen coins.
It was 1836 and I've worked in the Mint for many years, I was getting old and it became harder to work. I spoke to the Mint Director. I was almost positive they would replace me with a more able person. It turned out that instead of a person, I was replaced by a machine. I stared in awe as I saw them lift the machine into the Mint. This was a steam powered machine that could produce 100 coins a minute. I took investigated the machine curiously, wondering how it worked. I saw that instead of a screw, it had a toggle joint that would work the same as the screw. When they turned it on, the brisk, hydrated air filled the room. I took a deep inhale and watched as the machine sprang to life.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Farewell to Simple Matters
On this sad day, we give our farewells to simple matters, for making money has become more complicated. The cost to make a penny now costs more than a penny and the cost to make a nickel is more than a nickel. The cost of copper, zinc, and nickel is on the rise; simple matters are slowly dying. A penny is made up of 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper, which makes it cost 1.26 cents to make. A nickel is made up of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel, costing it 7.7 cents to be made. Some members of Congress are looking at the solution of making steel coins like those in World War II. There are many arguments in Congress on how to solve this problem; some even say to get rid of the penny altogether. While they try to figure this out, luckily the other coins are still cheaper to make than their face value. Hopefully simple matters can be revived.
*Extra*-According to the Mint, a dime costs a little over 4 cents to make; a quarter costs almost 10 cents; and the dollar coin costs around 16 cents to make.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A Trip into the Future
*A ghostly eagle fades out from within the walls of the first US Mint. Standing there is a boy who stares in awe more than fright*
Boy-Wow! I've never seen anything like that before...
*Surprisingly, the eagle can speak*
Eagle-Hello there, my name is Peter. I come from the future to take lucky people into the future for a sneak peak.
Boy-So I'll be taking a trip to the future? Will we be walking or going by horse-carriage?
Peter-Actually...we're gonna fly...
*After some time of ferocious spinning, they arrive in a place which is actually the second US Mint*
Peter-Here we are, this is the second US Mint, similar to the one you were just staring at.
Boy-But why is there a second one? What happened to the first one?
Peter-We'll...nothing actually happened to the first one, but since the Mint is in charge of making coins for the entire country, they needed more room, so they built a second one, the one you are looking at right now.
Boy-What year is it?
Peter-Why its actually 1834, this mint was first needed in the late 1820's and completed in 1833.
*Just then, a person headed for the mint walks through the boy.*
Boy-Whoa! I'm just like you! Does this mean I can walk through those walls and look inside to see what it looks like?
Peter-Perhaps later, but for now we need to continue our tour. Hold on tightly to my wing.
*This time instead of spinning, they soared through time*
*They emerge out of the time travel vortex and come to another building which is the third US Mint*
Boy-Is this the third US Mint?
Peter-Yes actually. As you can already assume, they needed even more space so they decided to build a third one. If you look at it, you will notice that the design is similar to one of a roman temple.
Boy-When was this built?
Peter- It was built in 1901, but after they built the fourth one, yes there's a fourth one, they will use this for the Philadelphia Community College.
Boy-Could I go in and see this one??(He was even more eager to see what was inside this one)
Peter-Sorry but we still have more places to go. Hold on to my wing again.
*As they flew threw time again, they go further into the future, now emerging in front of the fourth US Mint in Philadelphia*
Peter-Here we are, the fourth US Mint.
Boy-Did they run out of room again?(Boy sounds less interested now)
Peter-Yes, precisely. They needed more space, along with more security and better access to highways.
*Boy nods, seems bored*
Peter-As you can see, this one is more of a box shape and has barely any windows. Well that's enough speaking for now...
Boy-Are we going to go to the fifth one now?(He couldn't help emphasize the last three words in agitation.)
Peter-*chuckle* No, actually, we have enough time to take a tour of this one.
Boy-*His face lights up in amazement and enlightenment.* Ya!
*They float through the walls into the area where they have security checks*
Boy-What are those odd machines? They're moving by themselves...
Peter-That machine is what they use to check for things that are not allowed in the Mint, like cameras...Its a conveyor belt that moves the items through a x-ray and metal detector.
Boy-Cameras?
Peter-They're an invention that takes pic-...well its a long topic...would you rather me talk about cameras or take a tour?
*This took him a while to answer because he was interested in both...but he eventually chose the tour. As they float past the escalator, they emerge into a long hallway with see-through glass on one wall. The glass is a window that shows the process of actual coins being made. First, they see a furnace where the coins are heated, next they see many shiny coins slide out from coining presses into overflowing containers. Finally, they see a forklift carrying the heavy coins into nearby vaults.*
Peter-Well, that's the end of this tour. You can take a further look, I'll be leaving now, to get back to your time, simple clap your hands.
Boy-OK.
*Just as Peter is about to soar away, the boy asks a question*
Boy-Wait! Why is there a statue that looks exactly like you?
Peter-I was wondering how long it would take you to ask. I kind of adapted the Mint as my home in the early 19th century and was the mint's mascot basically. The reason I'm a ghost is because one day, I accidentally perched myself on a flywheel and it started moving. My wing got stuck and I later died because of that. They kept a statue of me mounted in the mint. To most, this is just a story.
Boy-Wow...But why do you keep coming back? Are you haunting us?
Peter-Actually, in a way, I am. Since I died here and was the mascot of the US Mint, its fun to go back into the past and show people the future of this building. Farewell.
*With those words, Peter disappeared*
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tired With Your Boring Old Lump Of Gold Or Silver?
Are you the owner of a boring lump of gold or silver bullion? Tired of the lack of imagery and patriotism? Well we have the solution for you! Come down to the newly built US Mint on Seventh Street and Filbert, near Arch, in Philadelphia. Congress has not established a quick coin exchange progam yet so you might need to wait awhile. According to the National Currency Act, your boring gold or silver bullion will become a fascinating gold or silver coin, inscribed with the words: United States Of America and Liberty. It will also have a visual representation of Liberty and the year it was coined will also be on it. All this free of charge! Those who don't have a gold or silver bulling can just come in for a look around. It's a public building, actually, the first building erected for public use by the Congress.
David Rittenhouse
Born-1732
Died-1796
Family-
(Father)-Matthias Rittenhouse
(Married)-First married Eleanor Coulston, when she died, he married Hannah Jacob
Education-Self-taught, mostly learned from books and a toolkit he recieved from his unlce, who was a furniture maker
Early Life-Established good mathematic and mechanical skills; at an early age, built a model water mill; at age 17, built a wooden clock
Famous For-Constructed the first American astonomical observatory with telescope; invented metallic thermometer; master clockmaker
How does he relate to the US Financial System?-He was the first Director of the US Mint in Philadelphia(1792-1795)
New US MInt Gives America Fresh Look at Money
by Raymond Zeng
Congress issues an act that will let America get a fresh start with our currency and financial system. On April 2, 1792, Congress passed the National Currency Act requiring a building to be made for a minting facility. The stone foundation was laid in the summer of 1792, and eventually, three buildings were constructed which made up the original US Mint in Philadelphia.
George Washington appointed David Rittenhouse to be the first director of the Mint. According to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton, he was a self-educated genius, widely famous for his profession and integrity, which made him a good person for the job.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Test What You Know
If you scroll down to the bottom of the side bar, you will find a small trivia game made up of polls. You can vote for the answer you think is the correct answer to the question. In a couple of days I will post the answers to the blog. Disregard which answer wins because it has most votes because it doesn't always mean it's correct.
Money at a Glance
Once we’d had our revolution with England and Europe,
It was time to have a revolution with our money,
The first types of money were unstable and caused a stirrup,
It had many faults and problems people didn’t find funny.
Most currency back then was a written bank note,
Intended to be traded for silver and gold,
The idea wasn’t backed up and hard to follow so it didn’t stay afloat,
There were so many types of notes that people sold it for any amount of money they could get a hold.
In 1863, the National Currency Act issued by congress,
This act helped make a similar banking system and have it organized,
This solved the problem of unstable money and ended that stress,
These mistakes were made but knowledge is then realized.
From the very first bank notes, money has made its progress,
Every step of the way, learning from our mistakes, trying not to regress.
Reflection-This poem is a Shakespearean sonnet. A Shakespearean sonnet is a sonnet that has 4 stanzas with 14 lines. The rhyming scheme is abab cdcd efef gg, with each letter representing one line and each letter rhyming with it's corresponding letter. When I started to write this poem, since this was the first post, I only needed it to give a brief overlook on money. Once I started writing, I tried to write a poem in the format of a timeline. As I moved along, I wrote whatever came to mind and sometimes going back to edit somethings to help make it smoother.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Bibliography
"A Brief History of American Banking". Fact Monster. 7 May, 2008.
<http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0801059.html>
"American Coin History." Go Metal Detecting.Com. 2008.
<http://gometaldetecting.com/coin-timeline.htm>
Apel, Melanie Ann. The Federal Reserve Act-Making the American Banking System Stonger. Rosen Classroom: New York, 2007.
Cribb, Joe. Money. DK Publisher: New York, 2005.
"David Rittenhouse(1732-1796)." Penn in the 18th Century. Date Not Found.
<http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/people/rittenhouse_david.html>
"Establishment of the Philadelphia Mint". The History of the US Mint. 2002.
<http://www.2020site.org/mint/establishment.html>
"From Wampum to Electric Funds Transfers." Money in North American History. 25 May, 2005.
"George Washington Bicentennial Quarter". The United States Mint. 2008. <http://www.usmint.gov/historianscorner/index.cfm?action=coinDetail&id=345> (Primary)
Hakim, Joy. A History of US: Liberty for All?. Oxford University Press: New York, 2002.
Jay. "How Coins are Made Early vs. Modern US Mint Facilities." Fun Times Guide. 23 Febuary, 2008.
Kaufmen, George G. The U.S. Financial System: Money, Markets and Institutions. Prentince Hall PTR: New York, 1994.
Kellman, Laurie. "Congress Looking at Steel Nickels and Pennies." Al.com. 6 May, 2008.
"Small Size Federal Reserve Bank Notes." Ron's Currency, Stocks & Bonds. 2001. <http://www.ronscurrency.com/rcolsfbn.htm> (Primary)
"The Cutting Machines". The History of the US Mint. 2002.
<http://www.2020site.org/mint/cuttingmachines.html>
"United States Mint." ushistory.org. 2008.
<http://www.ushistory.org/tour/tour_mint.htm>
"US Mint-The History of the US Mint". The History of the US Mint. 2002.
<http://www.2020site.org/mint/>
"US Coin History". US-Coin-Value-Advisor.com. Date Not Found.
<http://www.us-coin-values-advisor.com/the-first-US-mint.html>
