What is silver? Silver is a metal that was sometimes used in trading during the Great Depression. Let’s listen to that fun Christmas song called “Silver and Gold” sung by Burl Ives. Did you know –

• Silver’s chemical symbol on the Periodic Table of Elements is Ag
• Ag comes from argentum, the Latin word for silver
• Silver is malleable
• Silver reaches a liquid state at 962 degrees Celsius or 1,764 degrees Fahrenheit
• Silver is used in smartphone screens
• Across the Middle East silver coins were used for trade well into the 19th century
• Silver is used in dental fillings and silverware
• Silver coins are sometimes used as commodity money
• Silver is used in sterling silver jewelry

Homeschoolers/Educators/Parents: draw/color an illustration. Theme: precious metals – silver and gold. Read the story called “Rumpelstiltskin” in Learning to Read: Favorite Fairy Tales. What did the king want the young maiden to spin for him? Describe how the maiden ended up marrying the king. Put these words in alphabetical order: silver, gold, king, maiden, jewelry, coins. List five facts about silver. Define “commodity money”. Listen to the song, “Silver and Gold” and talk about it. Write your opinion about silver. (Skills: identify, comprehend, apply, creativity, analyze, oral, economics)