Currency

While not an exhaustive look at economics (in fact, it barely scratches the surface), Currency is a song designed to get your students thinking about money and how it works for us. It makes mention of various types of currency, in paper and coin form, some domestic, and some international. It also defines some of the relationships between currencies, i.e. one dollar is the equivalent of four quarters, or ten dimes, or twenty nickels.

In measure 33, we've thrown in three theatrical interludes - dialogs that should be entertaining as well as educational. You'll want to look over these dialogs and pick some students to speak these lines. (The interludes are located on the lyric page.) We've begun the first interlude with a narrator giving the definition of currency (read by an adult on our recording). If you like, it can be read by a student, your principal, or whatever authoritative-sounding voice you care to add. Please note that these interludes are suggestions for performance only - feel free to write your own dialog if there is something specific you wish to cover. You may also adapt our dialog any way you like. You will want to practice these interludes in the context of the song, however, to make sure they do not run over the allotted 16 measures. Timing is important here.

Musically, the song is very repetitive. Once students have learned one verse and the chorus, the rest should come fairly easily. The melody beginning at measure 17 is only slightly different than at measure 9, in that it goes up to a B-flat instead of a G.

Beginning in measure 57, we've added sixteen different references to currency in groups of four. Again, you'll want to pick students to speak these lines. Each word is spoken approximately on each beat in between the singing parts. Listen to the recording for an idea of how this fits together.

Then at measure 61, everyone spells out currency in an energetic finale. This is, of course, a cross curricular piece, so hopefully your use of it will please your math teachers.