Archives

• August 21, 2025

  Whatever happened to the penny? A history of our one-cent coin.

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  The idea of the penny as the basic denomination of an entire currency system has been with Canadians for as long as there has been a Canada. But the one-cent piece itself has been gone since 2012.

  Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History
• August 6, 2025

  Escaping debt: The risks and benefits of borrowing

  

  Students will prove their understanding of debt in an escape room, learn about the risks and benefits of borrowing and lending and practise calculating simple interest.

  Content type(s): Lesson plans Subject(s): Financial literacy, Math, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2
• August 5, 2025

  Good as gold? A simple explanation of the gold standard

  By: Graham Iddon

  
  

  

  In an ideal gold standard monetary system, every piece of paper currency represents an amount of gold held by an authority. But in practice, the gold standard system’s rules were extremely and repeatedly bent in the face of economic realities.

  Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Business, Economics, Financial literacy, History Grade level(s): Grade 03, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5