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Why are my pears from Paraguay? How did they
get here? And why are they so expensive?
A Unit In Economics
Discipline Area: Social
Studies
Theme: Economics
Subject Areas Covered: Economic Decisions, Supply and Demand, Trade, and
Transportation
Grade Levels: 3rd-5th
Duration: 12 Days
Rationale
Why are my pears from Paraguay? How did they get here? And why are they
so expensive? The answer to all of these is probably best stated by the
catch phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Economics is ubiquitous, yet
we often don’t stop to think about the tremendous impact that it has on
our lives. Even young children are impacted daily by economics when
they enjoy an orange from Florida, make birthday wish lists or have to
wait to get their coveted scooter because they are all sold out. Our
challenge as teachers is to make our students aware of the role of
economics in their lives and to help them to develop a logical approach
to thinking about this complex field.
According to our text, economics is the study of approaches used in
making decisions in response to the universal scarcity problem. Simply
stated, our wants are infinite, while our resources are scarce.
Economic decisions rely on the interdependence of people and regions,
the importance of transportation, and the function of money.
Consequently, the study of economics also involves geography, sociology
and psychology.
The New Jersey Department of Education has included economics as part of
the Core Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. While only one
standard directly refers to economics, several of them indirectly relate
to this field. These standards are designed to help students gain an
understanding of economic forces and the impact of humans and the
environment on these forces. These standards are as follows:
6.4
All students will acquire historical understanding of societal ideas and
forces throughout the history of New Jersey, the United States, and the
world.
6.6
All students will acquire historical understanding of economic forces,
ideas, and institutions throughout the history of New Jersey, the United
States, and the world.
6.7
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying the
world in spatial terms.
6.8
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying human
systems in geography.
6.9
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying the
environment and society.
This unit takes a very practical approach to teaching students about
economics by relating each lesson to the students’ life experiences.
Economics is a very complex field, but if the students can relate to
what they are learning, they are much more likely to understand it and
take interest in it. This is particularly important for third, fourth
and fifth grade students who often need additional motivation. This
unit also emphasizes critical and logical thinking by forcing the
students to move beyond memorizing concepts and formulas. It challenges
students to look for interrelationships between factors and induce
generalizations from the economic concepts that they learn. Critical
thinking is an essential skill, not only in the field of economics, but
also in many aspects of life. By introducing these skills in early to
middle elementary school years, we are preparing students for the higher
level of thinking required in middle school, high school and college.
Practical economics involves concepts such as economic decision-making,
supply and demand, trade, and transportation. Therefore, these are the
focus of this unit. The goal of this unit is to help students to
understand these key economic concepts and to get them to stop and think
about the multitude of factors involved in the production and
transportation of the products that they utilize in daily life and how
these factors are related to each other. Ultimately, this unit in
economics is a lesson in understanding the world around them.
Unit Learning Targets
Knowledge Targets:
K1 The student will be able to define all of the economic concepts
covered in the unit in their own words with complete accuracy. The
students will be given a quiz at the end of each lesson and a test at
the end of the unit where they must write the definitions in their own
words and provide two examples for each. They must be able to define
85% of them correctly. The students will also create a dictionary for
economics and include all of these terms. (Lessons 1-5)
K2 The student will be able to look at a scenario and identify the
economic concept that it illustrates. The teacher will provide students
with case studies that describe particular economic situations that the
students have learned. They must label at least 80% of these with the
correct economic terms. (Lessons 1-5)
Reasoning Targets:
R1 The student will be able to listen to a story on NPR about
problems in the movie industry and analyze the information to determine
what the movie companies could have possibly done to prevent their
financial troubles. At least three ideas must be presented in their
essays and they need to show logical reasoning that illustrates an
understanding of supply and demand. It must include an introduction and
a conclusion and be a minimum of one page. The spelling and grammar
must be accurate, the handwriting should be neat, and it needs to have
an introduction and a conclusion. (Lesson 3)
R2 The student will be able to show logical thinking about how a
product gets from one place to another. They will present any product
to three different people who aren’t in their class and ask them how
they think it got to its final destination. The student will write a
response to his/her findings, answering the following questions: Were
you surprised by the responses? Do you think the people you interviewed
ever think about how products got to them? Do you agree with their
opinions on how the products got to their final destination? Why or why
not? Their report must be at least two pages; it must answer all of the
questions and include the student’s reasoning for each response. The
report must include an introduction and a conclusion, the handwriting
should be neat and the punctuation and grammar should be correct.
(Lesson 5)
R3 The student will answer 15 questions regarding the terrain. They must achieve 80%
accuracy. (Lesson 4)
R4 The student will be able to compare and contrast
the various methods of transporting goods and determine the best method
in a given situation. They will be given a list of 4 products with
corresponding places where they need to get to and from and the choice
of air, truck, rail or sea. The students will fill in a chart of the
factors that they need to consider in transporting the product, list the
pros and cons of each, and then analyze these to make a determination of
the best method of transportation. The students must list at least 10
appropriate factors to consider for each product; at least 5 appropriate
pros and cons for each and show logical reasoning in their final choice
for each. They must show that they understand the link between climate,
terrain, type of good, packaging, and cost of transportation. (Lesson
5)
Skills Targets:
S1 It is essential that the students have an understanding of the
terrain of the US in order to understand our economy. The students will
demonstrate this understanding by accurately reading a topographical map
of the US and correctly
S2 The students will write and present a speech to the CEO of
their imaginary company to persuade them to expand their product to a
new market area. The students will each be given a product and an
area. They need to include the why they think it would be beneficial to
expand to this particular market (considering climate, terrain, type of
good, shipping cost, and supply and demand) and what means of
transportation they would use. The speech must be at least five minutes
long and be well rehearsed. They must use at least three visual aids.
The students must show enthusiasm, make eye contact and use hand
gestures. (After Lesson 5)
Product Targets:
P1 The students will illustrate their understanding of the
factors involved in import and export by working in groups of 4-5 to
make a list of products that are imported and exported to/from New
Jersey, the region, and the United States (10 for each category) and
providing at least 10 accurate reasons as to why they put a product in a
particular category. The students will create a poster with this
information and exhibit it to the class. The poster must be neat,
colorful, accurate, and clearly illustrate the reasoning behind each
choice. For this product, it is more important that the students show
logical thinking than that their answers are correct. (Lesson 4)
P2 The students will work in groups of five to create a product
and decide the best method of shipping it to/from a designated
location. They will present their product and shipping method to the
class via a poster, diorama, or model. They must consider and discuss
all of the following factors: terrain, time, cost, packaging, is the
good perishable and/or fragile? and clearly present this information to
the class. The presentation must be clear and concise and be well
rehearsed. The students must be able to logically answer all
(appropriate) questions asked by the teacher and class. (Lesson 5)
Affective Targets
A1 After reading Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday,
the student will write an essay expressing his/her opinion about how
Alexander spent the money and how they would have spent it. This must
be at least one page and cover both topics. There must be an
introduction and a conclusion, it should be well organized, free of
spelling and grammatical errors, and the handwriting should be neat.
(Lesson 1)
A2 The student will express his/her feelings and show an
understanding of supply and demand in an essay about an instance where
he/she feels they paid too much for an item because the demand was
strong. The essay must clearly present the situation and their
feelings. It must be a minimum of one page long, contain an
introduction and a conclusion, it should be well organized, free of
spelling and grammatical errors, and the handwriting should be neat.
(Lesson 2)
A3 The student will express his/her opinion about working in a
group for the product project by writing a one-page essay. The student
must discuss how they felt about working in the group and why. They
also have to explain how they liked their final product and what they
would have done differently if they had created the product on their
own. The essay must be four paragraphs long and contain an introduction
and a conclusion. It should be well organized, free of spelling and
grammatical errors, and the handwriting should be neat. (Lesson 5)
A4 The student will give his/her opinion about the unit and
explain how it will impact his/her life. The student must write what
they liked the most and the least about the unit and provide at least
three ways that it will affect their life and provide support. The
essay must contain an introduction and a conclusion, be well organized,
free of spelling and grammatical errors, and the handwriting should be
neat. (Conclusion of Unit)
Content Outline
I.
Economic Choices
A.
Resources
B.
Scarcity
C.
Cost/benefit analysis
II.
Supply and Demand
A.
When demand exceeds supply
B.
When supply exceeds demand
C.
Impact of supply and demand on choices
D.
Current examples
E.
Application
III.
Trade
A.
Importance
B.
Import
C.
Export
D.
Goods/services
E.
Consumers/producers
F.
Scarcity
G.
Surplus
H.
Factors affecting
1.
Physical geography
2.
Cost
3.
Supply/demand
I.
Application
IV.
Transportation of Goods
A.
Importance
B.
Methods
C.
Factors affecting
1.
Speed
2.
Cost
3.
Physical geography
D.
Packaging
1.
Type of good
a.
How fragile is it?
b.
How perishable is it?
2.
Cost
E.
Logistics
F.
Application
Lesson 1: Economic Choices
Grade
Levels:
3-5
Goals: 1. Read and discuss the
book, Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday to
help students understand that they are making economic choices every
day.
2.
To illustrate to students that we have to make economic choices
because the wants of people are unlimited but the resources to meet
those wants are scarce.
Learning
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1.
Explain
what an economic choice is.
2.
Identify
economic choices in their lives.
3.
Explain
some of the factors involved in making economic decisions.
4.
Define
the terms economic choices, resources, scarcity, cost/benefit analysis.
5.
Explain
how choosing one thing eliminates another potential choice.
6.
Evaluate
how they feel about how Alexander spent his money.
Purpose/Rationale:
Economic choices and scarcity are at the foundation of understanding
economics. Although the students are probably not even aware of it,
they make economic choices every day. This lesson encourages them to
think about these decisions that they make and evaluate the factors
involved in making these decisions.
I introduce this lesson with this children’s book because it is an
amusing and realistic look at poor economic choices. In the book,
Alexander gets a dollar from his grandparents and quickly spends it on a
series of bad purchases. This book should help to spark a good
discussion on this topic as I am confident that many of the students
will have made poor decisions like Alexander. Since most children’s’
choices are based on wants, I am using an activity that forces them to
decide what gifts they would ask for on a special occasion. This lesson
should provide a real-world application of this important economic
concept.
NJ Core
Curriculum Standards:
6.5
All students will acquire historical understanding of societal
ideas and forces throughout the history of New Jersey, the United
States, and the world.
6.6
All students will acquire historical understanding of economic
forces, ideas, and institutions throughout the history of New Jersey, the United
States, and the world.
Lesson 2:
Supply and Demand
Grade Levels: 3-5
Goal:
To conduct a hands-on exercise that illustrates the concept of supply
and demand.
Learning
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1.
Define
the terms supply and demand in their own words and provide examples.
2.
Explain
what happens when demand exceeds supply.
3.
Explain
what happens when supply exceeds demand.
4.
Explain
how supply and demand affects choices such as production of certain
products, college career choices, etc.
5.
Identify
recent examples where demand exceeded supply and the results.
6.
Illustrate
group work skills.
7.
Express
how an experience related to supply and demand made them feel.
Purpose/Rationale:
The law of supply and demand is what drives our economy and so it is
essential that our students understand this concept. Most likely, they
have all experienced supply and demand by overpaying for something.
This lesson helps to make supply and demand understandable to them by
engaging them in an activity that illustrates the impact that this
concept can have on our lives.
NJ Core
Curriculum Standards:
6.6
All students will acquire historical understanding of societal
ideas and forces throughout the history of New Jersey, the United
States, and the world.
6.10
All students will acquire historical understanding of economic
forces, ideas, and institutions throughout the history of New Jersey,
the United States, and the world.
Materials/Resources:
Procedures
for Teaching:
Introduction:
·Begin
by asking students if any of them are asking for items for Christmas,
Hanukah, birthday, etc. that used to be very popular but are now
outdated such a cabbage patch kids, Atari, or roller skates. When no
students respond affirmatively, ask them, why?
·Teacher
will then begin a discussion with the class on supply and demand and how
years ago these same items were so popular that they could not make them
fast enough to keep up with the demand. Ask the students what they
think happened to the prices when this demand was so great.
·Point
to the flag and explain how you purchased that one last year for $20.00
and this year on September 30th you purchased the same one
for your home but had to pay $40.00. Tell them how you even had to wait
two weeks for the store to get the flag in stock because they were all
sold out. Ask the students why they think the second flag cost so much
more and why the store was sold out of the flag for two weeks.
Activities:
·Students
will be given a box of tokens with at least two different colors in it
and asked to select between one and five of them.
·Teacher
will place a value on each color chip.
·Explain
to students that they may use chips to buy an object that I will present
shortly. The object will be something attractive to most students
(candy). Conduct an auction with students and begin the bidding at 10.
Remind students that they may only bid if they have enough “money” to
buy the object. Once a high price has been set, give the winning bidder
the object in exchange for the chips.
·Teacher
then removes ten of the same objects from her desk. Auction these off
in the same manner as the first but begin the bidding at 1. Wait and
watch the students’ reaction!
·Ask
the student who bought the overpriced item to define supply and demand
based on his experience. Ask him why he was motivated to pay so much for
the item and if he would have paid so much if he knew that there were so
many more of the same items.
·Teacher
will then explain that she will conduct several more auctions. She will
place junky objects on her desk like paper clips, old pens and pencils,
etc. and explain that she will auction these off first and then the
candy later. When she finished the first auction, she will tell the
students that she only has one piece of candy left.
·Break
students into groups and have them answer the following questions:
Why were the prices of the unattractive objects so much lower than the
attractive objects?
What happens when demand exceeds supply?
What happens when supply exceeds demand?
How does supply and demand affect choices in our lives such as: the
style of clothes made each year, the types of cars made, the careers
that people choose, etc.?
Do you think merchants change their pricing based on their competitors?
Have the students discuss and present their opinions to the class in
whatever form they want. (This can be a dialogue, a skit, a report…)
Application:
·Follow-up
(homework)-Have the students look in the newspaper/magazine for five
examples where they think the supply exceeds demand and present them to
the class. They must be able to support each of their examples.
Assessment:
·Observe
student responses and questions. (Objectives 1-5)
·Observe
group work. Look for skills such as leadership, cooperation,
participation, organization, listening, speaking, and presentation.
(2,3,4,6)
·Evaluate
group presentations. These must be practiced before presented and they
should be clear and concise. Students must answer all questions and
provide support and at least one example for each response. They must
illustrate an understanding of supply and demand in their responses.
(2,3,4)
·Have
students write an essay about an instance where they feel they paid too
much for an item because the demand was strong (scooters, play
station…). Have them write about how it made them feel. The essay must
clearly present the situation and their feelings. It must be a minimum
of one page and contain an introduction and a conclusion. (5,7)
·Students
must correctly define supply and demand in their own words and provide
two examples for each. (1)
·Follow-up
(see above) (3)
Lesson 3
Supply and
Demand (cont’d)
Grade Levels: 3-5
Goal:
To reinforce the concept of supply and demand to students with a
hands-on internet/radio activity.
Learning
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1.
Apply
the concept of supply and demand to
explain
why some movie companies are going bankrupt.
2.
Collect
facts
from a National Public Radio broadcast.
3.
Prepare
and
present
a report using quotes from the story that illustrates the factors that
have resulted in the bankruptcy of some movie companies.
4.
Evaluate
what the movie companies could have possibly done to prevent their
financial troubles.
5.
Illustrate
group work skills.
6.
Summarize and article
using quotations
as support.
Purpose/Rationale:
This lesson takes the first lesson on
supply and demand to the next level. I challenge students to apply what
they have already learned about this concept to a real NPR story found
on the internet that provides a great (and recent) example of supply and
demand. Applying what they have already learned to a real-world
situation will help the students to firmly grasp this aspect of
economics. This lesson also teaches the students the valuable tool of
how to use quotations to support an argument. Finally, this activity
emphasizes critical thinking, which is an essential skill for all
students.
NJ Core
Curriculum Standards:
6.7
All students will acquire historical understanding of societal
ideas and forces throughout the history of New Jersey, the United
States, and the world.
6.11
All students will acquire historical understanding of economic
forces, ideas, and institutions throughout the history of New Jersey,
the United States, and the world.
6.12
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
the world in spatial terms.
6.13
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
human systems in geography.
6.14
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
the environment and society.
Materials/Resources:
Two computer terminals with speakers and internet access
National Public Radio Website-www.NPR.org & Megaplex story by Jim
Zarroli
Paper
Pencils/pens
Procedure
for Teaching:
Introduction:
·Teacher
will review concept of supply and demand by asking the class what they
learned about it the other day. She will also ask for some examples.
·She
will ask the students what a quotation is and when we use them.
·She
will explain to the students about how quotations can help to support an
argument. Teacher will also provide examples.
·Teacher
will show students how to write a quotation using the proper
punctuation.
Activities:
·Teacher
will break students into groups of five and have then sit at computer
terminals (Only 2 groups at a time so it doesn’t get too chaotic). The
2 groups not working at the terminals can do DEAR time or other quiet
work. The teacher will tell the students that they will be listening to
a real-life example of supply and demand. She will explain that they
need to listen carefully and take notes so that they can prepare a
report that illustrates the factors that impacted the bankruptcy of some
large movie theatres.
·Students
will go to NPR website and find the story called Megaplex…
·Students
will listen to story, take notes and discuss within their group.
·Students
will prepare
and
present
a report using quotes from the story that illustrates the factors that
have resulted in the bankruptcy of some movie companies.
Application:
Follow-up (homework): Students will find an article in the paper and
write a one-page summary about it using at least three quotations to
support their information.
Assessment:
·Observe
individual student responses and questions. (Objectives 1-5)
·Observe
group work. Look for skills such as leadership, cooperation,
participation, organization, listening, speaking, and presentation.
(1-5)
·Evaluate
reports. Students must use at least four appropriate quotes from the
story to support their points. The report must be practiced before
presented and it must be clear and concise. The report must be at least
one page. Students must correctly identify all of the reasons that the
story claims have resulted in some theatres have gone bankrupt. (1,2,3)
·Assess
individual essays that evaluate what movie companies could have possibly
done to prevent their financial troubles. Students must present at
least three ideas and show logical reasoning that illustrates an
understanding of supply and demand. The essay must include an
introduction and a conclusion and be a minimum of one page. (1,2,4)
·Follow-up
(see above) (6)
Lesson 4
Trade
Grade Levels: 3-5
Goals:
1. To introduce students to the concept of trade.
2. To have students work in groups to make lists of products that are
imported/exported to/from New Jersey, the region, and the United
States and
have them provide rationale for their responses.
Learning
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
-
Define
the economic concepts import, export, trade/exchange, goods, services,
consumers, producers, scarcity, and surplus in their own words and
provide examples.
-
Explain
the importance of trade in our lives.
-
Identify
products that are traded between New Jersey, the region, the United
States and other states, regions and countries and
evaluate
why they are traded.
-
Identify
and
explain
the factors involved in trade.
-
Illustrate
group work skills.
Purpose/Rationale:
Trade is an essential component to understanding economics and although
students encounter trade everyday, they probably do not realize it. By
understanding the elements involved in trade, the students will be able
to conceptualize the relationship between factors such as terrain,
climate, distance, supply and demand, and transportation among others in
this complicated process.
My anticipatory set attracts the students’ attention because it is
amusing easy for them to relate to. I chose this activity because it
forces students to think about the goods around them and question why
they were produced in a particular place and exported/imported to
another location. I am having the students work in groups because it is
beneficial for them to see other points of view and to learn the skills
involved in group work.
NJ Core
Curriculum Standards:
6.8
All students will acquire historical understanding of societal
ideas and forces throughout the history of New Jersey, the United
States, and the world.
6.15
All students will acquire historical understanding of economic
forces, ideas, and institutions throughout the history of New Jersey,
the United States, and the world.
6.16
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
the world in spatial terms.
6.17
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
human systems in geography.
6.18
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
the environment and society.
Materials/Resources:
Effective Teaching in Elementary Social Studies
by Tom Savage and David Armstrong
(Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2000)
Website:
http://minneapolisfed.org
(article: “The History of Money”)
Loaf of bread, meat and cheese
Lunch-sandwich, chips, cookie and a drink
Pens/Pencils
Paper
Poster board
Map of the United States
Map of the World
Procedure
for Teaching:
Introduction
·The
teacher will introduce the lesson by holding a loaf of bread, giving
another student some meat, and another student some cheese. She will
then tell the class that she is very hungry and would like a sandwich
but only has bread. Teacher will ask for their suggestions on what to
do. She will guide students in a brief discussion of trade.
·The
teacher will then tell the students that she forgot that she already had
lunch packed. One by one she will remove the contents of her lunch bag
and tell the students where the product is from. (i.e. The bread is
from a bakery in town that made it from flour from Ohio, eggs from NJ,
and yeast from Michigan…)
·The
teacher will ask the class, why do you think the bakery bought all of
these different ingredients from different places? Why don’t they hatch
their own eggs, grow and grind their own flour and make their own
yeast? Teacher will guide students in a discussion that it would be
inefficient to grow/make all of the products we use consume and that is
why we trade.
·The
teacher will then ask students, “What if I have bread and Tommy has
cheese and I want some cheese but Tommy doesn’t want bread? What do I
do then? Teacher will guide students in a discussion about money and
how trade doesn’t just mean exchanging products but also exchanging
money.
Activities:
·The
teacher will discuss the economic terms import, export, trade/exchange,
goods, services, consumers, producers, scarcity, and surplus with the
students. She will provide examples of each and ask students for
examples.
·The
students will then break into groups of two and roll play each of the
terms. The teacher will have each group act out their term for the
class.
·The
teacher will then break the students into groups of 4-5 and have them
each make a list of products that are imported and exported to/from New
Jersey, the region, and the United States (10 for each category). The
students will also have to provide rationale as to why they put a
product in a particular category. What factors do they think were
involved? (i.e. oranges are exported from Florida because it is warm
there all year, oranges need warm weather to grow, and it is too cold in
New Jersey to grow oranges…)
·The
students will then present their findings to the class.
·Teacher
will lead a discussion in the many factors involved in trade.
Application:
·Follow-up
(homework) The students will locate 10 items in their home and write in
their journals where they came from (or think they came from) and why.
Students will explain what factors they think were involved. For this
exercise it is more important that the students show logical thinking
than that their answers are correct. The students will present some of
their findings to the class.
Assessment:
·Observe
student responses. (Objectives 1-4)
·Observe
group work. Look for skills such as leadership, cooperation,
participation, organization, listening, speaking, and presentation.
(1-5)
·The
students will correctly define each term in their own words and provide
two examples for each. (1)
·Evaluate
group projects. Students must show an understanding of the factors
involved in trade. They must completely cover each aspect of this
exercise listed above. For this project, it is more important that the
students show logical thinking than that their answers are correct.
(1,3,4)
·Write
essays about what they learned about the importance of trade in our
lives. The students must state at least three things that they have
learned and provide support for each. The essay must include an
introduction and a conclusion. This must be at least two pages, the
handwriting must be neat and the punctuation must be correct. (2)
·Follow-up
(see above) (3,4)
Lesson 5
Transportation of
Goods
Grade
Levels: 3-5
Goal:
To teach students about the multitude of factors involved in
transporting goods from one place to another.
Learning
Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1.
Explain
the importance of transportation in our economy.
2.
Identify
and
explain
the factors involved in the transportation of goods.
3.
Develop
a product and
determine
the best method of getting it from one place to another.
Exhibit
final product.
4.
Define
and
provide
examples
of logistics and packaging.
5.
Illustrate
group work skills.
6.
Express
how they liked working with their group.
7.
Express
their opinion on another person’s view on transportation.
Purpose/Rationale:
Everyday we consume products without thinking of how they got to the
place where we bought them. Transportation is an important part of
economics because the price of a product is directly related to the cost
of transporting it. This lesson helps students to understand how and
why a product is shipped a particular way and how this impacts its cost
and availability.
I introduce this lesson in this way because it gets the students
thinking about the goods around them and how they got there. The
students will get very excited about working in groups to develop their
own product and this will help to make the lesson more real to the
students. They will be much more interested in how to transport the
product because it is something that they created.
NJ Core
Curriculum Standards:
6.9
All students will acquire historical understanding of societal
ideas and forces throughout the history of New Jersey, the United
States, and the world.
6.20
All students will acquire historical understanding of economic
forces, ideas, and institutions throughout the history of New Jersey,
the United States, and the world.
6.21
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
the world in spatial terms.
6.22
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
human systems in geography.
6.23
All students will acquire geographical understanding by studying
the environment and society.
Materials/Resources:
Night Markets-Bringing Food to a City
by Joshua Horwitz (Thomas Crowell, NY, 1984)
How Does it Get There?
By George Sullivan (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia 1973)
Items to ask students how they got here
Writing paper
Construction paper
Pens, pencils, crayons and markers
Poster board
Glue
Map of the United States
Map of the World
Procedure
for Teaching:
Introduction:
·Teacher
will refer to prior lesson on trade and how most products that we use
don’t come from our own backyard. She will do a quick review by asking
for some examples of goods that are imported/exported and why.
·The
teacher will read to class Night Markets-Bringing Food to a City
and ask students for some examples from the book of factors that we need
to think about in transporting food. (terrain, perishables, cost,
packaging, etc…)
·Teacher
will present various objects to class and ask how they think they got
here. She will guide group in a discussion on the factors involved in
transporting goods.
Activities:
·Teacher
will break students into groups of five.
·Each
group will be given a place where their product will be made and a
location of where it will be shipped.
·Each
group will create a product and decide the best method of shipping it
the designated location. Groups must consider factors such as terrain,
time, cost, packaging, is the good perishable and/or fragile?
·Each
group will present their product and shipping method to the class.
Groups can use posters, dioramas, models or whatever method they
choose.
Application:
Follow-up (homework)-Students present any product to three different
people who aren’t in their class and asks them how they think it got to
its final destination. The student will write a response to his/her
findings, answering the following questions: Were you surprised by the
responses? Do you think the people you interviewed ever think about how
products got to them? Do you agree with their opinions on how the
products got to their final destination? Why or why not? Their report
must be at least two pages, it must answer all of the questions and
include the student’s reasoning for each response. The report must
include an introduction and a conclusion, the handwriting should be neat
and the punctuation should be correct.
Assessment:
·Listen
to student responses and questions. (Objectives 1-5)
·
Observe group work. Look for skills such as leadership, cooperation,
participation, organization, listening, speaking, and presentation.
(1-5)
·Students
will correctly define vocabulary in their own words and provide two
examples for each. (4)
·Students
will write essays on why transportation is so important to trade. They
must provide at least three reasons and support each reason with what
they learned in class. This must be at least two pages, the handwriting
must be neat and the punctuation must be correct. It must also include
and introduction and a conclusion. (1)
·Students
will write an essay on how they liked working with the group for the
project and how they liked their final product. They must support each
statement and have an introduction and a conclusion. The handwriting
must be neat and the punctuation must be correct. (6)
·Evaluate
group product and presentation. The final product and presentations
must illustrate an understanding of the factors involved in shipping
their product. They need to provide at least three reasons why they
chose the particular shipping method and show that they used logical
thinking. The group project must be rehearsed before it is presented.
Students must show enthusiasm in their presentation. The final product
must be neat and clearly illustrate their product and the shipping
method that they chose. (1-3)
·Follow-up
(see above). (2,7)
Materials/Resources:
Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday
by Judith Viorst (Atheneum, NY, 1978)
Effective Teaching in Elementary Social Studies
by Tom Savage and David Armstrong (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey, 2000)
Paper
Pencils/pens
Procedure
for Teaching:
Introduction:
The teacher will introduce the lesson by
reading Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday. She will then
ask the class what they thought about how Alexander spent his dollar.
She will ask them for examples of poor economic decisions that they have
made in their lives.
She will guide them in a discussion of economic decisions and how we
have to make choices because of scarcity.
The teacher will discuss the economic terms listed above, provide
examples of them and then have the students give examples.
Activities:
·The
teacher will tell the students to pretend that their parents are having
a party for them and want them to make a list of all of the gifts that
they want.
·The
teacher will walk around and look at the lists and then tell the
students that their lists have lots of great items but that their
parents can only spend a total of $20 on their gifts and to pretend that
each of the items on their list costs $5.
·The
children must choose four things that they want the most and write an
explanation as to why they chose each item. They will then present this
to the class.
·The
teacher will ask the class what he/she is giving up by not choosing
certain items and have some students respond.
·The
teacher will help the class to see that they are making choices based on
expected benefits that they assume are greater than what is being given
up.
·The
teacher will ask the class the following questions:
Why couldn’t you get everything you wanted?
What is an economic choice?
How did you decide which things you really wanted?
How do you feel when you have to choose?
What factor do we have to consider in making an economic choice?
Can most people get everything they want? Why/why not?
·The
teacher will explain the concept of a cost/benefit analysis and relate
it to this exercise.
Application:
·Follow-up
(homework)-The students will each ask their parents for five examples of
economic choices that they have made and the factors that they
considered in making the decisions. Students must write these down and
share them with the class.
Assessment:
·Listen
to student responses and questions in class discussions. Evaluate
understanding of the questions asked. (objectives 1-5)
·Students
must correctly define vocabulary in their own words and provide two
examples for each word. (4)
·Write
an essay on what they thought of Alexander’s spending decisions and how
and why they would have spent the dollar. This must be at least one
page and cover both topics. Students must have an introduction and a
conclusion. Handwriting must be neat and the punctuation needs to be
correct. (3,5,6)
·Write
an essay on what gift items they chose and provide an explanation as to
why they chose each item. They must discuss what factors they
considered and why? Handwriting must be neat and the punctuation needs
to be correct. (1,2,3)
·Follow-up
activity (see above) (3)
Materials
Websites:
http://www.minneapolisfed.org
http://www.npr.org
http://www.nationalcouncil.org
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu
http://www.bigchalk.com
Books:
Effective Teaching in Elementary Social Studies
by Tom Savage and David Armstrong (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River,
NJ, 2000)
Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday
by Judith Viorst (Atheneum, NY, 1978)
Night Markets-Bringing Food to a City
by Joshua Horwitz (Thomas Crowell, NY, 1984)
How Does it Get There?
By George Sullivan (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia 1973)
Other
Materials:
Loaf of
bread, meat and cheese
Lunch-sandwich, chips, cookie and a drink
Items to ask students how they got here
Pens, pencils, crayons, markers
Poster board
Writing paper
Dry erase board/chalk board
Overhead Projector
Construction paper
Glue
Map of the United States
Map of the World
Target Code
|
Description of Assessment
|
|
K1 |
Personal Communication
Quiz/Test
Economics Dictionary |
|
K2 |
Personal Communication
Case Studies |
|
R1 |
Personal Communication
Essay on NPR story |
|
R2 |
Personal Communication
Interview/Essay |
|
R3 |
Personal Communication
Comparative Analysis Chart |
|
S1 |
Personal Communication
Performance Assessment-reading a topo. map |
|
S2 |
Personal Communication
Persuasive Speech |
|
P1 |
Product List Exhibit |
|
P2 |
Develop a Product and Present |
|
A1 |
Opinion Essay on Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday |
|
A2 |
Essay |
|
A3 |
Essay |
|
A4 |
Essay |
|
