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Economics-5th grade
Date: 11/4/04 & 11/5/04
Lesson 2: Countries and Resources
Objective:
TSWBAT identify natural resources, human resources, and capital resources.
TSWBAT explain why different countries face different challenges in producing
goods and how international trade can help. TSWBAT construct a PowerPoint
presentation about the resources a business consumes and produces.
Michigan Benchmarks:
SS.IV.2.1: Distinguish between natural resources, human capital, and capital
equipment in the production of a good or service.
SS.IV.5.2: Describe benefits of international trade to consumers and producers.
Tech.2.LE.3: Retrieve and communicate information using a technological system.
NETS:
Prior to completion of Grade 5 students will:
1. Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive
devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively. (1)
2. Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools,
digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing,
communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for
audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)
3. Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos,
educational software) for problem solving, self-directed learning, and extended
learning activities. (5, 6)
Materials:
Country bags with resources (natural resources-from The Scrap Box, capital
resources-tape, scissors, glue, markers, etc), computers with PowerPoint
Anticipatory Set:
What is a resource? What resources do I need to build a house?
Modeling Activity:
Students will break up into their countries and find out what resources they
have. They are to start to try to build a toy. After a few minutes, I will bring
the class back together and we will talk about difficulties encountered. Does
everyone have the same resources? Does everyone have enough of a resource? What
are your resources? How could you categorize your resources? Now we will briefly
discuss the three kinds of resources. How could you solve your problems? This
will lead into a discussion about trade. Countries trade with each other to get
what they need/want, because resources are not spread evenly around the world.
Before there was money, people used to barter. How does money make trade easier?
When you trade, should it be a fair deal?
Guided Practice:
Students will trade with other countries if desired, and then work together to
build a toy using their resources.
Independent Practice:
Students will pick a business and create a PowerPoint slide show about its
resources. The first slide will tell what the business is and what
goods/services it provides. For the second slide students will explain what a
natural resource is and what natural resources their business uses. The third
slide with explain capital resources and the fourth human resources. The last
slide will explain how the company is a consumer and a producer.
Closure:
Questions to ask: What were your natural resources? What were your capital
resources? What were your human resources? Was it useful to trade with another
country? Why? How did you figure out what to trade? How did you divide up jobs
in your country?
Assessment:
I will monitor students understanding of the topic during the discussions. For
my class, I will grade their slide show to see they included everything. Also,
for my class I will have them write in their journals about the lesson to see
what they have gained from it.
Reflection:
"Economics is fun!" was a comment I heard more than once after this
lesson. They loved this lesson. It turned the room into a disaster area, but oh
well. It made the concept of the different kinds of resources much easier for
the students to understand, and they experienced firsthand the problems
countries face in the real world with resources and trade. Another lesson that
students learned during this lesson, which I didn't even think about before, was
teamwork. When I asked what problems they were encountering, several countries
in each class said they had problems deciding what to make and working together.
None of the classes got to discuss specialization, for time was extremely
scarce, and I didn't notice any countries using specialization in their toy
production.
As for the slide show, we started work on it on Friday. I allowed the students
to pick a partner, which turned out ok, except for the last two who were still
taking a test in their other class, so they ended up paired together to their
dismay. This may be the last time I let students decide their own pairs; we'll
see how it goes. So far they all have stayed on task during their time in the
computer lab.
[ Lesson Plan ] [ Pictures ] [ Slide Show Directions ] [ Slide Shows ] [ Journal Writings ]
