Valentine’s Day Capital Resources Activity

Use an arts and crafts activity, like making Valentine’s Day hearts, to teach students about human and capital resources.

Student Handout

Handout – Print two copies per student

Scissors – One for each student

Markers or crayons

1. Before starting the craft activity,  introduce the concept of human resources.   Students are human resources when they are working to produce goods and services.  Human resources are the people who do the mental and physical work to produce goods and services.   When students are producing their Valentines they are acting as human resources – producing a good, the Valentine – to give to someone they care about on Valentine’s Day.
2. Hand out a copy of the Heart Student Handout to each student.   Have them stand up and ask them to try and “cut out” the heart so they can decorate it for Valentine’s Day.  They can’t use scissors or their desk, they must only use their hands.   Make note of how long it takes to produce the heart shape and how the edges are ragged from the tearing. Be sure to point this out to students during this round of production.
3. Tell students that they will now use a tool that will make production of their Valentines faster and of better quality.   Have students get a pair of scissors while you hand out another copy of the Heart Student Handout.   Tell them that tools, like scissors, are also called capital resources.  Capital resources are goods that are produced and used to make other goods and services.  They will use the scissor – their capital resource – to cut out the heart for their Valentine.   Ask students to describe the difference between the two experiences – one where they are only using their hands to “cut out” the Valentine heart and one where they are now using a capital resource – the scissor – to cut out the heart.   Students should note that it is easier,  faster, and makes a better-looking Valentine.
4. Finish decorating the hearts.  Remind students that they were Human Resources using Capital Resources to make their Valentines.