Students will be able to:
In this economics lesson, students will identify examples of resources and producers to create goods and services.
Warm-up
Review with students the definition of goods. Remind them a good is a tangible object that can be bought and sold, such as a car, house, computer, and cell phone. Often distinguished from services. Ask students for examples of goods that might be used in their classroom. Answers may include book, chalk, eraser, pencil, paper, desk, chair, etc.
Open Mystery Workers: Matching Classroom Goods and project this activity on a screen. Ask for four volunteers and ask each volunteer to drag one good to the correct description. Review the answers.
Open Mystery Workers: Riddles and project this activity on a screen. Direct students to look at the pictures of goods displayed on the screen in the following interactive activity. Ask for four volunteers and ask each volunteer to drag one good to the correct riddle. Review the answers.
Modeling
Review the concept of services. Tell students that a service is an activity performed by people, firms or government agencies to satisfy economic wants. Open Mystery Workers: Matching Services and project this activity on a screen. Direct students to look at the pictures of services displayed on the screen. Ask for four volunteers and ask each volunteer to drag one good to the correct riddle. Review the answers. Ask students what service each of the following workers provides:
Group Activity
Direct students to Scholastic’s Community Club website. Divide students into groups and assign each group one of the following workers:
Print a copy of Workers in the Community worksheet for each student. Ask the students in each group to find out what service their worker provides and record the information on the worksheet. Have groups share their findings. Make a T-chart with the headings, “Producers of Goods” and “Producers of Services.” Ask students to work in groups of 2-3 to provide examples of workers who produce goods and those who provide services. Record answers in the chart.
Individual Activity
Tell students that producers use resources to make goods or provide services. There are three types of resources. These are natural, human, and capital.
Open Mystery Workers: Labeling Construction Site and project this activity on a screen. As a class, review the activity. Click on a natural resource in the picture. Then, click on a capital resource. Finally, click on a human resource. Direct students to the YouTube video How Crayons Are Made – How It’s Made. Assign to work individually, locating examples of natural, human, and capital resources in the video. Remind them that natural resources are ‘gifts of nature’ that have not been changed by people. Print a copy of Resource Hunt for each student to record their answers. Review student answers. (Natural: paraffin wax, Human: workers who run the machines, Capital: any of the machines used such as labeling, molding, and mixing machines)
Print copies of Farm Resources and distribute one copy to each student. Direct students to study the picture to find information needed to complete the activity. (Answers: natural resource – farm land, pumpkins; human – farm workers; capital – tractor)
Play the Kahoot! game using 1:1 devices to assess each student individually. Print a copy of the quiz results for your records.
Activity 1
Read the story Roxaboxen written by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. Ask students to create their own name for a community and have each one think of a good or a service he or she could provide to community members.
Activity 2
For upper elementary students, read Weslandia by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Have students create their own civilization in which they use natural goods around them to provide the things they want and need.
Grades 9-12
Presenter: Alex Lamon
Grades 3-5, 6-8
Grades 9-12
Presenter: Minnesota Council on Education
Grades 9-12
Presenter: Amanda Stiglbauer
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