The United States Mint 50 State Quarters Program launched a 10-year initiative in 1999, commemorating each of the nation's states in the order they were admitted into the Union. Approximately every 10 weeks (5 times a year) through 2008, a new limited-edition quarter that displays an individual state's design is released into general circulation. For each edition of state quarters, the U.S. Mint has developed three sets of lesson plans for grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-6. This teaching guide for grades K-1 focuses on the 2003 United States Mint 50 State Quarters Program, which includes new quarter designs for the following states: Illinois, Alabama, Maine, Missouri, and Arkansas. The guide includes 6 lesson plans that fit easily into the curriculum, reproducible student worksheets that coincide with each lesson, state facts, information on the new quarter designs, a U.S. map template with state outlines, and the 50 State Quarters Program 1999-2003 quarter board. (BT)