Take a Trip
How do you pay for something in a country that doesn't use U.S. dollars?
Goal:
Goal:
Have you ever wanted to travel outside of the United States? In the story below, you will follow some kids as they travel to different places around the world, all while learning how to use and exchange their money to buy things.
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Using Currency Around the World
Meet the Gang!
Join Billy, Sam, Rebecca, Dave, and Cindy as they explore different places around the world. Come along and see what popular things they buy in each place and learn how they exchange money. Not all countries use the U.S. dollar, so to buy the things they want, they will need to exchange their currency for a different currency. See if you can figure out the math as you follow these children on their journey around the world! Billy
Hi! My name is Billy. I live in Texas. I am traveling to Mexico. 
In Mexico, the peso is the form of currency. The exchange rate is .052. So one peso equals .052 U.S. dollars. I went shopping at the local street market and found a bright-colored carved animal. 
I thought this would be a great souvenir to buy and take back to Texas! The carving costs 100 pesos. 
I need to exchange the U.S. dollars I have to pesos to buy the carved animal. But how many U.S. dollars are 100 pesos? If the exchange rate is one peso equals .052 U.S. dollars, then 100 pesos would be 100 x .052. So 100 pesos equals $5.20 U.S. dollars. I have $20 U.S. dollars to spend on souvenirs in Mexico, so I have enough to buy the carved animal! I can even buy a few more things. Maybe I'll buy a piñata or a brightly colored shirt! Cindy
Hi there! My name is Cindy. I live in New York. My family is taking a trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. 
No machine-readable author provided. NormanEinstein assumed (based on copyright claims). [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons There is a New York side and a Canadian side to the falls. 
We've been to the New York side several times, but this time we are going to the Canada side. It's fun to travel across the bridge into another country! In Canada, the Canadian dollar is the form of currency. The exchange rate is .75. So one Canadian dollar equals .75 U.S. dollars, or $.75. Maple syrup is really popular in Canada. It's a sweet treat, and I want to buy maple cream chocolates from the gift shop in Niagara Falls. 
The chocolates cost 12 Canadian dollars. I have $10 U.S. dollars to spend at the gift shop. Do I have enough money to buy the chocolates? If the exchange rate is one Canadian dollar equals .75 U.S. dollars, then 12 Canadian dollars would be 12 x .75. So 12 Canadian dollars equals $9 U.S. dollars. I have $10, which means I have enough money to buy the chocolates!! Sam
Bonjour! My name is Sam. I have been taking French for a year in school, and now I get to travel to Paris with my class to see the Eiffel Tower. 
Paris is in France, and France is a country in Europe. 
Not only is the language different in France, but the currency is different, too. The European euro is the currency in France, as well as in many other European countries. The exchange rate is 1.13. So one euro equals 1.13 U.S. dollars. We went to a French cafe for breakfast on our way to the Eiffel Tower, and I saw a chocolate-filled croissant that I want to buy. 
Having learned that croissants are popular in Europe, I wanted to try an authentic one. The French croissant costs 5 euros. How much is that in U.S. dollars? If the exchange rate is one euro equals 1.13 U.S. dollars, then 5 euros would be 5 x 1.13. If I wanted to buy the croissant, it would cost me $5.65 U.S. dollars. Rebecca
Hello, my name is Rebecca. I live in California. I am traveling to Japan to see my dad who is staying there for work. 
The yen is the currency used in Japan. 
My dad wants to take me to a souvenir shop so I can buy a few toys to bring back and show my friends at school. A koma is a spinning top popular among Japanese children. 
He also saw a folding fan he thought I might like. 
The exchange rate is .0091. So one Japanese yen equals .0091 U.S. dollars. If the koma costs 659 yen, and the folding fan costs 1,000 yen, how much money would that be in U.S. dollars? If the exchange rate is one Japanese yen equals .0091 U.S. dollars, then 659 x .0091 would equal the cost of the koma, and 1,000 x .0091 would equal the cost of the fan. Add the two costs together to find the total sum of both items in U.S. dollars. (See the math below.)
$5.99 $15.09 cost of both items Dave
Hey! My name is Dave. I am traveling to London, England, to see where the queen lives. 
While we're there, we also plan to go on the London Eye. It is an observation wheel that you ride to see the very best views of London. 
It costs 30 pounds to ride. The British pound is the currency of Great Britain. England is a country in Great Britain, and London is a city in England. So if I ride the London Eye, I will need to pay in pounds. 
The exchange rate is 1.29. So one British pound equals 1.29 U.S. dollars. If it costs 30 pounds to ride the London Eye, how much would it cost in U.S. dollars? Multiply 30 x 1.29. It would cost $38.70 U.S. dollars to ride the London Eye.
Thanks for going on our adventures with us and helping us exchange money around the world. It's pretty neat to think of all the different currencies and how the rates can change depending on where you are in the world. These rates can change almost every day, so before you begin your own adventure, make sure to research the exchange rates and learn the currencies for the countries you will visit! 
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