Jennifer Lee Vanada
Lesson plan created for the Center for Global Studies
Integrated Arts Kindergarten at Penn State Bennett Family Center
Target Level: Grade 3
This lesson could be done strictly as an economics lesson, or incorporated into a unit on Ancient China or Middle East.
Objectives
- State what a supply is
- State what a demand is
- State difference between a want and a need
- State what goods are
- State what services are
- State goods and services between Ancient China and Middle East
- State some goods and services of the local area are
- State some local supplies and demands
PA State Standards
Subject Area: Economics
6.1.3.A: Define scarcity and identify examples of resources, wants and needs.
6.1.3.B: Identify needs and wants of people.
Subject Area: Markets and Economic Systems
6.2.3.A: Identify goods and services, consumers and producers in local community.
6.2.3.G: Identify characteristics of local economy.
Subject Area: Economics and Interdependence
6.4.3.B: Identify examples of trade, imports and exports in local community.
Methods of Assessment
- Discussions about supply and demand, wants and needs, and goods and services.
- While playing the game, are children able to match their cards to the correct placement?
- Children will discuss local supply and demand, wants and needs, and goods and services.
How to Carry Out the Lesson
- Teacher will review history of trade between the Middle East and China. (cobalt blue/lapis lazuli from the Middle East and Porcelain from China).
- Some good places to read:
- Wikipedia – Blue
- PBS – On China’s China
- China had perfected the making of porcelain but its blue colors faded during firing. The Middle East had the lapis lazuli that could be ground down to a fine powder to make a brilliant blue color that did not fade during the firing process. But the Middle East had not perfected the porcelain; it was rough and not smooth like Chinese porcelain. When the Mongols invaded China they brought with them this lapis lazuli and soon trade was begun. There was a craze for this brilliant blue color in China and, in the Middle East, there was a craze for the perfect porcelain made in China. The Middle East started to send their blue to China to paint pots for them.
- It became very expensive for the Middle East to do this, and eventually they improved their porcelain, began to make their own, and stopped purchasing the more expensive imports from China.
- Some good places to read:
- Show images of Early Middle Eastern and Chinese porcelain. Then show images of later porcelain pieces so children can see the differences.
- Go over terms of supply and demand, goods and services, wants and needs, and how things can change over time.
- How do these terms relate to our story?
- Can we think of any supply and demand/ goods and services/ wants and needs in our local area?
- Hand out cards with examples of supply and demand ( eg. the local restaurants all want trout for their spring menus, OR You are one of the only trout farms in the local area. ); Goods and services (eg.: Buying a car or fixing a flat tire); Wants and needs (eg.: Ice Cream or insulin for a diabetic). Put category/term choices on the board one at a time: Supply or Demand / Good or Service/ Want or Need. Have students read to themselves and decide what category it would fit into. Do 3 different rounds. First Round: Supply or Demand cards. Second Round: Goods or Services cards. Third Round: Wants or Needs cards.
- Continue conversations.
Materials
- Images of Porcelain
- Map
- Cards for Game
Differentiated Instruction
- There will be a wide range of reading/comprehension abilities. Group students heterogeneously to work together on reading their playing cards to one another to have a sounding board before they read their cards to the class. Good peer assistance.
Technology
- Can create a slide show to go along with the story for a great visual.
Lesson Analysis
- What went well?
- Planning reflection
- Teaching reflection
- Improvements