MIn Their HandsThe Numbers in the Coins
Lesson · Grades 5–8 · Math · Timelines, ratios and the widow’s gift
The Numbers in the Coins
Why this matters
Every date and amount on a coin is a number with a meaning. Reading it right means remembering there is no year zero, and asking what a number is a share of.
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By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- find the span of years between two dates: both AD, both BC, or across the join
- explain why there is no year zero, and why a span from b BC to a AD is a + b − 1 years
- use a ratio and a percent to explain why the widow’s two small coins were more than all the others gave
- Go deeperprove the no-year-zero rule with algebra
James Tissot (1836–1902), Brooklyn Museum