Currency Exchange and
the Gang of Fifteen


Adapted from Eric Enholm 
GEON Teacher Consultant
Walnut Jr. High School, Grand Island, NE
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/gang1.htm 

 

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. 

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.

Clues
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. The gang then traveled through the Chunnel and took a TGV to Strasbourg, the tickets costing a total of 1500.
  4. 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.
  5. 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?
  6. They crossed the border on their skis, and were soon spotted in Goteborg buying lots of warm clothing, for which they charged 6000
  7. 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?
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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?
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. The gang continued on to Pusan, where they spent 250,000 on Taekwondo lessons. They then left for...
  14. 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?
  15. 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.
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

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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