Minds On

Types of money

What other types of money do we use in Canada besides coins?

Action

Task

How many different ways can you show $100 using the 5-, 10-, 20- and 50-dollar bills?

Let’s learn more about Canadian bills.

$5 bill

The $5 bill shows a portrait of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier (1841 – 1919), the first French-Canadian to lead Canada. On the back of the bill, it shows the Canadarm, a robotic arm that was designed in Canada and used on NASA missions between 1981 and 2011.

A 5-dollar Canadian Bill. The bill has a 5 on the front and a picture of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier The back of a Canadian 5 dollar bill. The bill has the number 5 and a picture of a robotic arm and an astronaut in space.

$10 bill

The $10 bill shows a portrait of Viola Desmond (1914-1965), a successful Black Nova Scotian businesswoman and civil rights activist. On the back, is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

A 10-dollar Canadian Bill. The bill has a 10 on the front and a picture of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald The back of a Canadian 10 dollar bill. The bill has the number 10 and a picture of a train.

$20 bill

The $20 bill shows a portrait of Canada’s former monarch Queen Elizabeth II. She was the monarch until her passing in September 2022. The other side features the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which is a monument in France honouring the more than 3,000 Canadians who died in the Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917).

A 20-dollar Canadian Bill. The bill has a 20 on the front and a picture of Queen Elizabeth the second The back of a Canadian 20 dollar bill. The bill has the number 20 and a picture of a statue.

$50 bill

The $50 bill shows a portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874-1950), the Prime Minister who led Canada for most of 1921-1948, which includes World War II (1939-1945). The reverse side of the bill shows the CCGS Amundsen, which is a state-of-the-art icebreaker ship that is used to help the Canadian Coast Guard do research and exploration work in the Canadian arctic.

A 50-dollar Canadian Bill. The bill has a 50 on the front and a picture of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. The back of a Canadian 50 dollar bill. The bill has the number 50 and a picture of a ship.

$100 bill

The $100 bill shows a portrait of Robert Borden (1854-1937), who was Prime Minister of Canada during World War I (1914-1918). The other side of the bill has an image of insulin, which was discovered at the University of Toronto by Canadian scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best.

A 100-dollar Canadian Bill. The bill has a 100 on the front and a picture of Prime Minister Robert Borden The back of a Canadian 100 dollar bill. The bill has the number 100 and a picture of a scientist.

Consolidation

Independent work

Design your own banknote!

  • Who will be on your bank note?
  • How much will your bank note be worth?
  • What symbols will you add?

Explain why you chose this design and value for your banknote.

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity?  Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel...

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.