More about barter

Dear Teachers,

In my last post, I wrote about how ancient Greeks used olive oil as a form of currency. If you're interested in sharing more about barter as currency with your students, check out this great lesson!

It is designed for upper elementary students and it has a really fun activity to help students learn about the benefits of using money instead of barter. You can find the lesson on the St. Louis Federal Reserve website here.

Ancient Greeks used WHAT for money??

Earlier this week, Ms. Hoffman wrote about all the amazing uses that the ancient Greeks had for the olive tree. She learned something else about it too!

She found out that the ancient Greeks used olive oil as money! At one time, an ancient Greek could be paid for his day of work with 3 kilos of oil!

She also found out that the winner of the Panathenaic Games (kind of like the Olympic Games) might take home as much as 5 tons of olive oil in a ceremonial amphorae.

The olive was so important that the winner of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece would receive a crown made of olive leaves.

You can also see olive leaves on some of these ancient Greek coins.

Look close and you can see the olive leaves next to the owls.

You can still see olives grown many places in Greece today!

Walking through an olive grove in Sparta

Olives growing on the trees

A beautiful olive grove!

What do you know about Olives and Olive Oil? (Part 2)

Last week, Ms. Hoffman asked you all to think about olives and what people might do with them. Did you come up with some ideas?

Ms. Hoffman visited a museum in Sparta, Greece to learn more about these amazing fruits!

People have been using olives for around 3000 years. The Ancient Greeks were using them in 500 B.C. and even earlier. But what did they use them for?? 

The olive was an amazing plant that had many uses back then and today. Here is a chart that was at the museum which describes some of the uses of olives.

As you can see, they used every part of the olive tree! They used the wood to build things and to burn for heat. They used the fruit to eat and to create olive oil. We use olive oil for eating today and they did then as well, but they also used it for other things. They used it to fuel their lights and they used it for perfume. Athletes wore it to protect their skin. They used the pit of the olive to burn, to make different kinds of oil, and even to make soap! They used the leaves to feed their animals.

Can you think of another culture that makes sure to use every part of an animal or plant to live? Give some other examples!

What do you know about Olives and Olive Oil??

Did you know that olives and olive oil are really important in Greece (and many other countries)? People have been using olives for thousands of years here in Greece. Ms. Hoffman went to a museum to learn more!

First, what are olives? Can you see them in this picture? If you visit Greece, you will end up eating olives a lot! They come in every Greek salad! They are delicious!!

So, you now know that people can eat olives, but can they do anything else with olives?? Brainstorm some ideas of some other things that people might do with olives!

Answers: Using Estimation to Make Math Easier!

Yesterday, Ms. Hoffman asked for your help. She thought maybe she could use estimation to make converting from Turkish Lira to US Dollars easier.

Did you think of a good way?

Here is one way:
Ms. Hoffman knows that 0.45 is close to 0.50. (Just like 45 is close to 50 when you round to the nearest 10)
$0.50 is half of $1.00.
If 1 Turkish Lira is about half of $1.00 then about 2 Turkish Lira equal $1.00. Make sense?

Now it is easy! All you have to do is divide how many Turkish Lira you have by 2 to get the number of US dollars.

Let's try a problem now!

Ms. Hoffman bought a special Turkish towel. It cost 10 TL. How many dollars was it?

10 divided by 2 = 5! The towel is about 5 dollars. Remember, it is not EXACTLY 5 dollars, because we are estimating, but it is close!

Estimating to Make Math Easier!

Last week, Ms. Hoffman asked you how to convert Turkish Lira to US Dollars. She told you that the official exchange rate was 1 TL = $0.45. You then figured out how much 15 TL was in dollars. But, I bet you had to use a pencil and paper to figure it out! Ms. Hoffman does not always carry a pencil and paper with her (or even a calculator) when she is traveling. But, she still wants to know how much things cost in dollars. She has to find ways to do the math in her head!

With some different money, the exchange rate was pretty easy, like in South Africa. But, here in Turkey, it is not so easy. Ms. Hoffman might have to use estimation.

Can you think of a way to use estimation to make it easier for Ms. Hoffman???

Communism vs. Capitalism Part II

Last week, Ms. Hoffman asked you to think about some questions related to what life is like in the USA which has a mostly Capitalist Economy.

Today we will look at what the answers to those questions would be if you lived in a Communist Economy.

*Note for Teachers: This information comes from the information and stories I've heard in the former communist countries of the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Albania. The Communism in the former Yugoslav countries I visited of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Montenegro was considerably less strict. Also keep in mind that there are currently only 5 communist countries in the world: China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, and North Korea. The Communism described below would only come close to describing what life is like in North Korea and Cuba. Most economies today would be described as mixed, so I have tried to describe some of the more pure examples.

	Capitalism in the USA	Communism in Late 1900s in Eastern Europe
Can you own something? Like a car or house?	Yes, you can own something as long as you have enough money to buy it. The government protects your right to own something.	In many communist countries, you cannot own something for yourself. Everything belongs to the government. You can live in an apartment, but it is not yours. You might be able to use a car, but it is not yours to buy or sell.
How do you earn money?	You earn money for providing goods or services for people. You earn money for your job from the person, people, or company that you work for.	You work for the government. The government will provide you with money or the goods and services you need to live.
Who decides what you do with your money?	You decide what you do with your money.	The government decides what goods and service you can buy with your money. It tells you how much you can buy and where to buy it.
Who decides how much things at the store cost?	The people/person/company who owns the store decides how much things cost. They set the prices based on how much they think they can sell at each price.	The government decides how much things at the store will cost. It will cost the same at every store that you are allowed to go to.
Can you change jobs when you want to?	Most of the time you can. It is your choice where you want to work. The owners of each company can choose when/if they want to hire you based on your skills, knowledge, and education.	Not often. You don’t have a lot of choice about where you work. The government will choose where they need you to work. They will likely decide the level of your job based on your loyalty to the communist government.
Can you move to another city or state if you want to?	You can always choose to move, as long as you have the money that you need to do so.	Not often. The government will decide when or if it will allow people to move.
Can you travel to another country?	Yes. If you have money and a passport.	Sometimes, but it is difficult to get permission from the government to leave your country.
When you go to the doctor, who pays for it?	You do. Sometimes you pay a health insurance company to help you pay for the doctor.	The government pays for it. You can go to the doctor for free.
Does everyone have to have a job?	No. Everyone does not have to have a job. Many people have jobs but some people want a job but have a hard time finding one.	Yes. Everyone must have a job. The government will help you find one.
Is everyone equal?	People are supposed to have equal rights. Some people have more money than others.	Everyone is supposed to be equal- everyone has the same amount of money. In many of the countries Ms. Hoffman visited, there were still people in the government who had more power and more money than others.

After learning more about the difference between Communism and Capitalism, do you have an opinion on which you would rather live under? Why do you think that most countries are no longer Communist?

Communist Images in the Czech Republic. The goal is to glorify the common worker!

Communist Imagery in Tirana, Albania

Answers: How Much Does it Cost in Turkey?

Ms. Hoffman wanted to figure out how much her new scarf costs in dollars. The scarf was 15 TL.

Did you figure out how to find the answer?

Here is one way: 15 x 0.45 = $6.75

How Much Does it Cost in Turkey!

Ms. Hoffman is visiting the country called Turkey. Here in Turkey they use money called the Turkish Lira!

Ms. Hoffman bought a beautiful scarf for herself in Kaş, Turkey. The scarf costed 15 TL (Turkish Lira). Ms. Hoffman wants to know how much that is in US Dollars!

What you will need to know: 1 TL = $0.45

Can you figure it out??

Seeing Photo Albums from Countries Ms. Hoffman has Visited

Dear Readers,

I have finally updated the Countries Visited tab on the menu right above. It has a list of all the countries that Ms. Hoffman has visited. If you click on the caption link for each country, it will take you to a photo album from that country. I hope that you enjoy some of the photos.

Thanks!

Ms. Hoffman does the Sid Shuffle Around the World... Part 2!

Remember when Ms. Hoffman did the Sid Shuffle all around Africa and Eastern Europe? She continues dancing around the world. This video focuses on the Balkans, Greece, and Turkey. Sid says it best, "get on your feet, it's easy to do, just follow me!"

Communism vs. Capitalism Part 1

Ms. Hoffman visited many countries in central Europe. One thing she learned was that the counties that she visited are very young. They are young because they completely changed their governments and economies. Two weeks ago, she asked you what an economy was. Did you figure it out?

In the USA, we have a mostly Capitalist or Market Economy.

In many of the countries that Ms. Hoffman visited, they have the same kind of economy now, but not too long ago, they had a different kind. It was called Communism.

Have you heard of Communism? This is a different kind of government and economic system. To help you understand, answer the questions below. Check back here next week to understand how the answers to these questions would be different in a Communism System!

In the USA...
1. Can you own something? Like a car or house?

2. How do you earn money?

3. Who decides what you do with your money?

4. Who decides how much things at the store cost?

5. Can you change jobs when you want to?

6. Can you move to another city or state if you want to?

7. Can you travel to another country?

8. When you go to the doctor, who pays for it?

9. Does everyone have to have a job?

10. Is everyone equal?

Ms. Hoffman Did a Road Trip: Where are Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia Herzegovina?

Ms. Hoffman visited with her parents in Europe! She really like seeing them. They were all able to rent a car and travel to three different countries: Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Can you find them?

Here is Ms. Hoffman and her family on a rainy day in Zagreb, Croatia!

Answers: How Long did she Wait??

Yesterday, Ms. Hoffman asked how long she had to wait for the bus in the bus stations. The first thing you need to do is figure out when she was waiting for the bus!

She left Olympia at 9:30 am. 
She arrived in a town called Pirgos at 10:43 am.
She stayed in the bus station at Pirgos till her bus to Tripoli at 3:30 pm.
She arrived in Tripoli at 6:10 pm.
She stayed in the bus station at Tripoli until her bus to Sparta at 6:55 pm.
She arrived (finally!) in Sparta at 8:05 pm.

She was waiting at the Pirgos bus station from 10:43 am to 3:30 pm.

She was waiting at the Tripoli bus station from 6:10 pm to 6:55 pm.

No figure out how much time that was all together!

She waited 5 hrs and 32 min!

How Long did she Wait??

Last week, Ms. Hoffman wanted to find out how long she was on a bus. This week, Ms. Hoffman is curious about how long she had spend waiting for the bus. Waiting for the bus is NO FUN! Can you help her figure it out?

Ms. Hoffman traveled from Olympia to Sparta on the bus.

She left Olympia at 9:30 am. 
She arrived in a town called Pirgos at 10:43 am.
She stayed in the bus station at Pirgos till her bus to Tripoli at 3:30 pm.
She arrived in Tripoli at 6:10 pm.
She stayed in the bus station at Tripoli until her bus to Sparta at 6:55 pm.
She arrived (finally!) in Sparta at 8:05 pm.

How long did she have to wait for the bus at the two train stations?

What is an Economy?

Ms. Hoffman visited many countries in central Europe. One thing she learned was that the counties that she visited are very young. They are young because they completely changed their governments and economies. What is an economy?

An economy is the system that deals with money in a country. It also deals with how people exchange goods and services. You can learn more here!

http://0-school.eb.com.erslion.dpsk12.org/levels/elementary/article/353081

http://0-school.eb.com.erslion.dpsk12.org/levels/elementary/article/353081

Answers: How Much Time on a Bus?

Ms. Hoffman asked how much time she was on a bus. The first thing you have to do is figure out when she was on the bus.

She left Olympia at 9:30 am. 
She arrived in a town called Pirgos at 10:43 am.
She stayed in the bus station at Pirgos till her bus to Tripoli at 3:30 pm.
She arrived in Tripoli at 6:10 pm.
She stayed in the bus station at Tripoli until her bus to Sparta at 6:55 pm.
She arrived (finally!) in Sparta at 8:05 pm.

She was on the bus from 9:30 am to 10:43 am when she traveled from Olympia to Pirgos.

Then she was on the bus from 3:30 pm to 6:10 pm when she traveled from Pirgos to Tripoli.

Finally she was on the bus from 6:55 pm to 8:05 pm when she traveled from Tripoli to Sparta.

Let's figure out how much each of those were, and then how much it was in all!
1 hr 13 min + 2 hrs 40 min + 1 hr 10 min = 4 hrs 63 min
But wait! If you have 63 min, is that more than 1 hour?? Yes! How many minutes in 1 hour? 60, right?
63 min - 60 min (1 hr) = 3 min.

The answer is 5 hours and 3 min!

How Much Time on a Bus??

Ms. Hoffman has had to take a lot of buses on her travels around the world. She does a lot of waiting around for the buses to come and then waiting to get to her new location. Sometimes she wants to know how long she spent on the bus and how long she spent waiting!

Ms. Hoffman traveled from Olympia to Sparta on the bus.

She left Olympia at 9:30 am. 
She arrived in a town called Pirgos at 10:43 am.
She stayed in the bus station at Pirgos till her bus to Tripoli at 3:30 pm.
She arrived in Tripoli at 6:10 pm.
She stayed in the bus station at Tripoli until her bus to Sparta at 6:55 pm.
She arrived (finally!) in Sparta at 8:05 pm.

How long did she travel on a bus?

Where is Hungary?

Ms. Hoffman has found one of her new favorite countries! It is called Hungary. Yes, that is the name of a country!

Can you find it on the map?

Answers: Why Did They Build That City There?

Last week, Ms. Hoffman asked why certain cities were built in their locations. The answer she heard in the cities is that they were built along rivers. Every major city in Central Europe was built by a river. Why do you think it is important to be near a river?

If you said for water, you are right!

But what about for transportation and trade? Do you think those could be reasons too?

Ms. Hoffman has traveled to even more cities now, and she has found more that are near the ocean and rivers. Do you think this is important?? Is your city near a river or ocean? If not, why do you think they built your city where it is?

Here are maps of some other cities Ms. Hoffman visited:

Zagreb, Croatia


Dubrovnik, Croatia


Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Answers: How Much Does it Cost in Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Greece, and many more countries??

Ms. Hoffman wanted to know how many dollars were equal to 24 euros.

Here is one way to do it:
24 x 0.78 = $18.72

Can you explain how she found that answer??

How Much Does it Cost in Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Greece, and many more countries??

In Europe, many countries have the same money! This money is called the Euro. You might have heard of it! So far, Ms. Hoffman has visited 5 of the countries that use the Euro.

She bought dinner at a restaurant and it cost 24 euros. How much is that in dollars?

You will need to know this: $1.00 = 0.78 Euros
This is a bit harder than some of the other currencies Ms. Hoffman has had to convert!

Why Did They Build That City There?

Ms. Hoffman for to visit a lot of cities in Central Europe. She found one thing in common about all the cities. She was curious about why people decided to build cities where they did. All these cities were very old! People have been living in the same place for thousands of years. If you look at the maps for these cities can you figure what they all have in common? Something that might explain why they decided to build cities there?

Prague

Krakow

Bratislava

Budapest

Answers: How Far Is That?

Ms. Hoffman knows that 1 km = 0.6 mi.

There are several ways to do this problem. Ms. Hoffman did it like this.

Can you think of any other way?

How Far Is That?

When Ms. Hoffman was in Slovakia, she took a long hike through the mountains. It was beautiful! She had to climb up very high and then back down. It was very exhausting.

Long hike up the mountains

I made it to the top!!

When she was done, she knew that she had walked about 20 kilometers (km). In Europe, they use km to measure distance. But Ms. Hoffman is used to measuring in miles. She wants to know how far she went in miles!

How many miles is equal to 20 km?

You will need this information: 1 mile equals 0.6 km.

Where is Slovakia?

Ms. Hoffman is visiting the country of Slovakia. Find a map and locate the country Slovakia. Describe where it is??

What continent?

What countries does it border?

Is it close to her last country (Poland)?

Answers: How Much Does it Cost in Poland?

Ms. Hoffman's meal cost 18 zlotys. She knows there are about 3 zlotys in 1 dollar.

She did 18 divided by 3 = 6.

Her meal cost about $6!

How Much Does it Cost in Poland?

Ms. Hoffman for to go to a milk bar in Poland. Don't worry! It serves more than just milk. A milk bar in Poland is like a cafeteria!

She gets special soup called Borscht and dumplings. It cost 18 zlotys. Zlotys are the money in Poland. She wants to know how much her lunch cost in dollars. Ms. Hoffman know that there are about 3 zlotys in every dollar.

 How many dollars did her lunch cost?

Where is Poland?

Ms. Hoffman is visiting the country of Poland. Find a map and locate the country Poland. Describe where it is??

What continent?

What countries does it border?

Is it close to her last country (the Czech Republic)?

Ms. Hoffman got to go to a Soccer Game in Czech Republic

Ms. Hoffman had a wonderful experience today. She got to experience a soccer game in Olomouc, Czech Republic. The two teams were called SK Sigma Olomouc and they were playing a team called 1.SC Znojmo. We were rooting for Sigma because that was the country we were in, but unfortunately they lost 2-0.

What was very cool was that it was a whole lot like a soccer game in the USA! There were excited fans and good athletes. There are some things the same no matter what country you are in!

Is there anything else you can think of that is the same in all countries? Things that all people can enjoy?

Answers: Why is there a city called Cape Town?

The trip to Indonesia from Amsterdam was a very long one by ship. Sometimes it would take a year to travel! Can you imagine being in a small ship for a year?? People would get tired and sick. There was no such thing as a refrigerator back then, so it was hard to keep good food on the ship for a whole year as well. They would start to run out of food! The ships would sometimes begin to wear and things would break. The Dutch needed a place like Cape Town right in the middle of the journey. That way the people on the ships to get on land, eat good food, and get better if they were sick. The ships could also pick up more fresh food to take on their way. People could also fix the parts of the ships that were broken.

That is why there is a city called Cape Town!

Answers: How Tall is That??

Ms. Hoffman knows that there are about 3 feet in ever meter.

So she multiplied, 19 m times 3 = 57. The altar is about 57 ft high! That is very high!

How tall is that??

In Slovakia, Ms. Hoffman visited a church in a small town called Levoca. This church is famous because it has the highest altar in the world. It is almost 19 meters tall! Ms. Hoffman doesn't know very know too much about meters though because in the US we measure height in feet. But she can figure it out!

How many feet are in a meter?

How tall is the altar in feet?

Ms. Hoffman Dances Around the World

Everyone should join in! You know the song and dance!

2014-10-03