I’D LIKE TO ORDER A EURO SANDWICH, PLEASE. . .
A lesson about Europe’s money---and lunch.

European Union members will begin trading in their currencies for the new "Euro" in 1999. Full conversion for approximately 300 million persons will begin the first day of 2002, a revolutionary change. U.S. students, accustomed to cultural uniformity throughout their own nation, fail to appreciate the need for and impact of such changes. The activity which follows can be used to introduce a unit of study about Europe by forcing students to solve a problem relating to Europe’s cultural diversity.

Connection with the Curriculum: Geography classes; could be used in sociology, economics, and mathematics classes.

Teaching Level: Grades 7-12.

Objective #1: The student will gain an understanding of the advantage for EU members to abolish multiple currencies in favor of a common one.

Standard #10: The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics.

Knowledge Statement #1: The impact of culture on ways of life in different regions.

Skill Set #4: Analyzing geographic information.

Theme: Place.

Introducing the lesson:

Arrange students in groups of 3-4. Ask them to envision the following scenario:

You and your friends (the persons in your group) are escorted to the window table in the Restaurant Victoria, where you can overlook the main street of the Swiss town of Brig. You have been traveling with your friends through the 15 European Union countries, and your trip is near an end. Tomorrow you will take a Eurorail train to the airport in Geneva, Switzerland, for the flight back home. You decide that you will celebrate your last evening in Europe with a very nice meal. Distribute copies of the menu for Hotel Restaurant Victoria.

A glance at the menu reminds you that you have spent most of your money. You check to see if the emergency $10 is still safely tucked away in your camera case. It is. You reach into your pockets and produce a handful of coins. They are samples of various currencies from EU nations. You dump them in a pile on the table and hope. (Distribute the photocopied sheet of coins).

The waitress takes pity on your inability to speak more than one language, your insensitivity to European cultural diversity, and your ignorance of currency conversion. She has just spoken to the chef in French, the manager in German, and the busboy in Italian; she responds to your plea in excellent English. Yes, she will take payment for your meal in any mixture of foreign currencies. Your friends agree to help you count your money. Arranging the coins by nationality, you discover you have the following:

Do you have enough to pay for the meal? (Don’t forget your $10).

Developing the Lesson:

Ask students to discuss with others in their group the procedure they will use to determine the value of their coins. Discuss as a class. If students are challenged with this question as homework, many will discover the currency exchange rates in the newspaper or on the internet. If you wish to speed up the process, you may provide the accompanying exchange rate handout (September 3, 1998) or print a sheet with the most recent rates (Of course, if you do it for them, you deprive students of the thrill of research, discovery, and problem-solving).

Students will need calculators for converting values. To develop an understanding of the value of the U.S. Dollar to other currencies, the various currencies should be converted to $US, then to Swiss Francs. After calculations have been completed, students will conclude they do not have enough money to purchase a meal at the Victoria.

Ask students: What is on the menu? (The menu is in both German and French; many of the words are cognates of English words. For some words, an English-French and/or English-German dictionary may be consulted).

Continue the scenario:

Unable to afford the meal, you wander out into the streets. Another restaurant catches your eye. The menu is posted at the door. (Distribute menu for the Zoulou restaurant). Can you afford to eat here? If so, what are you likely to order?

Concluding the Lesson:

The activity simulates a tourist in Europe. It is intended to generate curiosity about Europe and some basis for understanding the cultural diversity of the region. In particular, the task of converting currencies leads to a discussion about the Euro, and attempting to understand the menus leads to a discussion about language, foods, and other topics of cultural diversity. Other possibilities:

• What is the purpose of the EU?
• Do the economic advantages of belonging to the EU outweigh the cultural disadvantages? Why do the British favor keeping the Pound rather than converting to the Euro?
• How will the Euro affect business? Tourism?
• Why is Switzerland not a member of the EU? How is Switzerland’s location particularly well suited to being "neutral ground" and international banker?

Teacher Note: Conversion of currency.

To convert a currency to $US: divide currency amount by $US Rate.

To convert $US to another currency: multiply $US amount by $US Rate.

Converting the photocopied coins:

 Total financial resources available to student: $14.86, which = SwFr 21.09.

 Currency Exchange Rates for European Union Countries and the United States.

(September 3, 1998)

Source: INFOHUB Currency Exchange Information: www.infohub.com/TRAVEL/AID/currency.html

 

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