3.7 OVERVIEW
The student will explain how producers use natural resources (water, soil, wood, and coal), human resources (people at work), and capital resources (machines, tools, and buildings) to produce goods and services for consumers.
SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
- Explain to students how producers use natural resources (water, soil, wood, and coal), human resources (people at work), and capital resources (machines, tools, and buildings) to produce goods and services for consumers.
- Conduct a word card activity.
-Show the word card human and lead a class discussion of what the word human means to the students. The word people should be included in the discussion. Draw a stick figure next to the term human.
-Show the word card capital and lead a discussion of what capital resources might be found inside and outside of the school. Create a list of machines, tools, buildings, and computers that the students recognize. Draw simple pictures of these resources to assist the students in remembering the term capital.
-Show the word card natural and discuss natural resources (those things that are found naturally are not manmade). Create a list of sample natural resources such as water, trees, and soil. Draw simple pictures to assist the students in remembering the term.
- Ask the student to take out paper and pencil and make a chart with the headings human, natural, and capital. Lead a walk around the school both inside and outside. Before the walk begins, explain that the students are to list the resources they observe under the correct heading. When you finish your walk, come back to the classroom and let the students give examples of each resource. The discussion should lead them to realize that to produce goods and services you need all three types of resources.
- Instruct students to write a personal narrative about something they produce at home (for example, make a sandwich, clean room, set table, or do homework). Remind them this will be a personal narrative because they are telling the story. Students should remember to mention different types of resources and intermediate goods used.
- Make a collage of natural, human, or capital resources.
- Make a list of all the things a person would find in a pizza parlor and categorize them into natural, human, or capital resources.
WEB SITES
http://cob.jmu.edu/econed/Elementary.htm
Elementary economics lessons are available at this site.
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/Econ_Geog.html
Sample elementary economic books and lesson plans are included at this site.
http://www.economicsamerica.org
National Council of Economic Education has many outstanding lesson plans.
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/info.pdf
The Primary Knowledge of Economics serves as a valuable resource.
http://www.vcu.edu/busweb/vcee
Click on the Resources section of the Virginia Council of Economic Education for lesson plans and other materials for teacher economics.
http://chumby.dlib.vt.edu/melissa/posters
This Web site has poster sets for the social studies curriculum.
http://www.fte.org
The Foundation for Teaching Economics has resources for teachers.
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer
A collection of graphic organizers to be used in the unit may be found at this Web site.
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm
Here are more graphic organizers.
LITERATURE LINKS
Explain how producers use natural resources, human resources, and capital resources to produce goods and services for consumers
Snyder, Inez.
Beans to Chocolate. Children’s Book Press, 2003.
This book follows the process of manufacturing chocolate, from harvesting the cacao beans to making candy.
Priceman, Marjorie.
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. Random House, New York: 1996.
A story that takes the reader on a journey to see the any resources used to make an apple pie. This book reviews the elementary economic standards.
Snyder, Inez.
Milk to Ice Cream. Scholastic Library Publishing, March 2003.
This book follows a boy and his dad as they convert milk into ice cream.
Snyder, Inez.
Trees to Paper. Scholastic Library Publishing, March 2003.
This book highlights the process of making paper.
