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Currency Exchange and the Gang of
Fifteen
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Adapted from Eric Enholm
GEON Teacher Consultant
Walnut Jr. High School, Grand Island, NE
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/gang1.htm
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| Introduction |
You are part of an International Investigative unit. The
Gang of Fifteen, an international criminal organization, is known to
have become active again, and is planning the eradication of crosswalks
world-wide. Such a terrorist act cannot be allowed to happen, as
widespread and indiscriminate jaywalking could spread overnight and lead
to other more serious pedestrian crimes. We have found out about this
organization through credit card bills that we have begun to monitor. Your
job is to track the gang through its credit card trail. You will be given
information about the countries they have visited and the amount that they
charged on a stolen credit card. The credit card company is giving
us the information in exchange for our help in tracking down the gang. All
that they ask is help in figuring out the total amount of dollars that the
gang spent.
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| Task |
To do this, use the clues below and the worksheet
provided. Figure out the country's name from the clue. There
are links in each clue to help you figure out the country. The amount
of they spent is given in the clue, but unless it specifically states that
it is dollars ($) then it is in the currency of the country, not in US
dollars. Then use the resources listed to find the
currency name, and the exchange amount. You will also need to plot
the Gang's course on the map
that is provided.
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| Clues |
- The gang was first spotted in one of this country's provinces by the
RCMP at a
lacrosse match. They spent 450 on refreshments, and then stole a boat.
- The gang turned up here, where they were spotted eating Fish and
Chips at a cafe in Cardiff. They apparently stayed in a flat
which they rented for the time that they were there. For the flat, they
spent 1100.
- The gang then traveled through the Chunnel and took a TGV to Strasbourg, the tickets
costing a total of 1500.
- The gang next turned up in Flanders at a speech given by
King Baudouin I. They apparently gorged them selves on waffles, for they
charged a cafe bill of 2100.
- The gang then went north to Narvik
and bought up a large supply of lutefisk and smalahode to take with them
as they skied cross-country. The total food and travel bill that they
charged was $152.98 . How much in the local currency?
- They crossed the border on their skis, and were soon spotted in
Goteborg buying
lots of warm clothing, for which they charged 6000
- Next, the gang was spotted cruising on the autobahn
in this country, decked out in new lederhosen, which they bought in
Bavaria at a cost of $200 . How much in the local currency?
- The gang next was seen in Catalonia
on their way to Malaga,
where they consumed massive quantities of gazpacho and attending several
festivals. Altogether, during their stay here, they charged 150,000.
- The gang appeared in the Po River valley here and went down to Calabria,
where they crossed over to Palermo. En route, the gang bought
biscotti and large amounts of parmesan and mozzarella at a total cost of
45,000.
- The gang couldn't be found for some time until they appeared in
Madras, wearing sarees that
they had purchased at a cost of $175.17. How much in the local currency?
- The gang headed east and escaped local police in samlors following a
low speed chase in the city of Chiang Mai. The gang was
very grateful to their samlor driver and after paying the fare,
gave him a large tip for a total of 600.
- The gang stayed out of sight until they were spotted playing
mah-jongg in Kowloon.
Gang members gambled and lost big at mah-jongg and it cost them 3,300.
- The gang continued on to Pusan,
where they spent 250,000 on Taekwondo lessons. They then left for...
- The city of Kobe,
where they rode the bullet train the length of the island. Of course
they charged the train tickets at a total cost of $212.89. How much in
the local currency?
- The gang was last seen here, bushwalking in the outback, with a
large supply of camping equipment they had bought in Darwin
at a cost of 60,000.
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| Resources |
To calculate foreign currency amounts into American
Dollars, take the amount of foreign currency spent and divide by the
exchange rate. Current Exchange rates can be found in most major urban
newspapers or at the following web sites: http://www.oanda.com/cgi-bin/ncc
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| Teacher Tips |
Use the links in the clues to figure out the
country. Find the amount of foreign currency in the clue. Use
the resource links to find the exchange rate and figure out the amount of
US dollars that they are spending. Then total the last column to
find out the total that was spent.
The exchange rate is X when 1 US Dollar = X times the Amt. of Foreign
Currency.
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