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Economics

Some of these files are not my own creations. I have tried to give credit where credit is due. If I have not given proper credit, please let me know.

US Mint for Kids -- Lesson plans and online activities using US coins.

A Perfect Pet -- In this lesson, you will learn about the economic wants of pets and their owners.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie -- Lesson plan for cause/effect, needs/wants, goods/services.

Cowboy Bob Builds A Community -- A cowboy rides into a ghost town and decides that it needs to be rebuilt. Students will select the necessary things that a town needs in order for it to function and grow. Could tie in with study of West Region.

Economic Spotter: Supply and Demand During the Gold Rush -- During the Gold Rush, people paid exorbitant prices for ordinary objects. Why? Because of the laws of supply and demand, that's why! In the lesson, students will see how these laws fit into this great historical time. Could tie in with West Region.

Hawaiian Economics: From the Mountains to the Sea -- Ancient Hawaii was ruled by chiefs, who were responsible for the well-being of their people and for managing the islands' resources. The chiefs divided the islands into land districts shaped like pie slices called Ahupua'a (ah-who- pu-ah-ah.) Each Ahupua'a covered the three main regions of the islands: the mountains, the valleys, and the shore. This system was designed to allow all Hawaiian communities equal access to the limited natural resources of the islands. Students will recognize that an island has limited natural resources, will understand that the Ahupua'a system was one method for allocating resources, and complete a Cost/Benefit Analysis of this method. Students will also come up with own method for distributing Hawaii's natural resources and compare it with the Ahupua'a method.

The Color of Resources -- This lesson will demonstrate the making of Crayola products to introduce natural, capital, and human resources as well as touching on some other aspects in the Crayola industry such as producers and consumers. Could tie in with study of the Northeast Region.

Mystery Workers -- In this lesson students review the concepts of goods, services, and producers using the Internet to locate examples of each in a teacher's classroom. They learn about the three kinds of resources necessary to produce goods and provide services locating examples from a picture tour of the Crayola Factory. Through interviews they learn about the work of the people in their families and draw conclusions from their findings. Finally, they examine a picture of a farmer working in a field to identify examples of natural, human, and capital resources. Could tie in with Northeast Region.

The Mystery of the Amazing Farmers -- In this lesson you will be taking on the role of an an investigative reporter to solve the Amazing Farmer Mystery. The goal will be to use seven clues provided throughout the lesson in order to figure out how so few farmers can produce enough food and fiber for the nation. Could tie in with Midwest Region.

Toys for Me: A Lesson on Choice -- This lesson plan for students in grades K-2 and 3-5 introduces the concept of scarcity by illustrating how time is finite and how life involves a series of choices. Specifically, this lesson teaches students about scarcity and choice: Scarcity means we all have to make choices and all choices involve "costs."

Jelly Bean Jam -- In this lesson students will make a decision making chart and use it to help them in deciding which flavor of Jelly beans to buy.

We are consumers and producers -- In this lesson students learn how they and family members fulfill these roles at home and in their community. They begin by exploring the goods and services that people use and they identify those that require the payment of money. To help show they can be producers, students sequence the steps in washing dishes. They discuss the fact that family members are often not paid for the work they do at home and as volunteers, taking account of the possibility that the benefits may outweigh the lack of pay. This lesson works well as a follow-up to Simple Simon Meets a Producer.

bartering.ppt -- Powerpoint about bartering.

bartering2.ppt -- Another powerpoint about bartering.

economics.ppt -- Economics1.ppt -- 2 different powerpoints introducing basic economics terms.