Feel free to reach into your pocket and scan a dollar bill to help in answering this question. 

Answer: 

1. Serial Numbers & EURion Constellation
2. Color Changing Ink
3. Microprinting
4. Intaglio Printing
5. Security Threads & 3D Ribbons
6. Paper, Fibers, & Watermarks

Questions: 

• How often do you pay with paper bills (e.g., $1 or $5 bill) compared to using a debit card or a payment app?
• When was the last time you looked closely at a paper bill or had someone you were paying inspect it? 
• Why do you think that so many security features are built into our paper currency? 

Here are the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Visual Capitalist): 

In 1739, Benjamin Franklin sought to tackle the issue of counterfeit money in America, using a printing press and leaves to create unique raised patterns on the colonial notes.

Almost 300 years later, Benjamin Franklin is the face of the U.S. $100 bill, and it is protected by a myriad of security features including secret images, special ink, hidden watermarks, and magnetic signatures, among others.

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Students will learn how to protect their identity and identify dark patterns in the NEW! Consumer Skills Unit from the NGPF Flagship Semester Course

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Looking for more resources about digital and paper currencies, here's what the NGPF Search Tool found. 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.