Overview


Subject/Sub-Subject: Social Studies/Civics, Social Studies/Economics


Title: Sort It Out - Economics: Wants, Needs, Buyers, Sellers, Goods, and Services


Summary:



Students will sort through pictures to see the difference between the wants/needs of people, if someone is a buyer or seller, and is it a good or service. This sort is also appropriate to discuss public service announcements versus commercials.


Understanding Goal

Economic systems can be seen throughout history.

Investigative Question

What are the differences between wants and needs, goods and services, and buyers and sellers? Are they different today than from years ago?

Grade(s): K, preK
Audience: Early Childhood
Learners: A class of 20 first grade students with a wide range of abilities.
Required Vocabulary: N/A
Prior Content Knowledge: N/A
Standards

Virginia 1st grade Social Studies standards:
History 1.1- the student will interpret information presented in picture time lines to show sequence of events and will distinguish between past and present.
Economics 1.7- the student will explain the difference between goods and services and describe how people are both buyers and sellers of goods and services.

Field Tests

Click on the title to expand the description of each field test

October 22, 2007 - Christine Malinowski

Sources

Sort It Out - Economics: Wants, Needs, Buyers, Sellers, Goods, and Services

Understanding Goal

Economic systems can be seen throughout history.

Investigative Question

What are the differences between wants and needs, goods and services, and buyers and sellers? Are they different today than from years ago?

Click on an image for more information.

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Wants Needs
Consumers Eat these every day.
Halloween roller skating carnival : On the mall, Central Park : Bring your skates : Come in costume : Prizes will be given for costumes.
Milk - for summer thirst.
Help us preserve your surplus...food.
Safeguard your home - always disconnect cord when leaving iron even for a minute.
Producers "Alison's house" by Susan Glaspell a poetic romance.
Athletics--WPA recreation project, Dist. No. 2 / Beard.
Dept of Parks water carnival Music, dancing, singing.
Du Page County soap box derby ... Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Beard.
Pet show : WPA recreation project, Dist. No. 2 / Gregg.
Senior amateur musical contest on the mall, Central Park / BK.
Better housing : The solution to infant mortality in the slums / Benj. Sheer.
Plains farms need trees : Trees prevent wind erosion, save moisture ... protect crops, contribute to human comfort and happiness / J. Dusek.
September - back to work - back to school - back to BOOKS / V. Donaghue
This is the market where the storekeeper buys the food and brings it to his store near your house.
This is the storekeeper : He sells the things that are good for you to eat : He must keep the food clean.

Required Materials

Files

economics.zip
4853_economic_coversheet-1.doc
4853_economics_bib.doc

Supply Lists

*pictures of people showing different wants and needs - both modern and from history
*markers to write in the particular want or need and how it is different from now

Directions

Formal Assessment

Step 1 Review needs, wants, goods, services, buyers, and sellers (students should already know these terms).

Supply Lists

  • *pictures of people showing different wants and needs - both modern and from history
    *markers to write in the particular want or need and how it is different from now
Step 2 Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4. Give each group the stack of all of the pictures. Let the students sort out the pictures into groups of wants/needs, goods/services, and buyers/sellers. Let them know that some of the pictures might fit into multiple groups.
Step 3 Call the students back together and talk about how each group sorted the pictures after about 10-15 minutes of letting the groups sort and discuss the pictures.
Step 4 Assessment: worksheet asking the students to write down some examples of needs/wants, goods/services, and buyers/sellers. Ask students to consider how these parts of an economy are the same or different today as compared to the past.

Supply Lists

  • *pictures of people showing different wants and needs - both modern and from history
    *markers to write in the particular want or need and how it is different from now

Best Instructional Practices


Understanding Goal

Economic systems can be seen throughout history.

Investigative Question

What are the differences between wants and needs, goods and services, and buyers and sellers? Are they different today than from years ago?


Analysis of Student Learning


What was remarkable to me was how effective the images were in captivating the students. All students were drawn in by the way things were years ago compared to now. They loved working in groups to compare and talk about the pictures.


Analysis of Best Instructional Practices (learn more)

Literacy Instruction Literacy Instruction(learn more)

Writing

The students wrote down needs/wants, goods/services, and buyers/sellers.

Visual

The students were adding a story to each picture as they discussed them.

Teaching for Understanding Teaching for Understanding(learn more)

Explicit Understanding Goal

We discussed why we need to learn about these things and how we will use the knowledge in life.

Learners Explain Thinking

The students were able to share their thoughts on what they saw in the pictures and which category they thought it belonged in.

Technology Integration Technology Integration(learn more)

Content Presented

Pictures from the LOC.gov Web site.

Reflections and Recommendations


It was clear that the students enjoyed sorting out the pictures and explaining why they sorted the pictures the way they did. There was a wonderful "buzz" in the library as the students discussed, lobbied, agreed/disagreed. They were all on task! And, they were talking about goods/services, needs/wants, and buyers/sellers and not about what happened during recess. The pictures captivated them! One change I am making is to include another category on the rubric, "Writing," . They can write about one certain subject.

Credits

Authors and Contributors

Dana Gregory
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Alexandria City Public Schools, Virginia

Library of Congress Items

Library of Congress items used in this Lesson Plan.

Thumbnail Library of Congress Item
Eat these every day. WPA War Services. 1941-1943. Eat these every day. . Library of Congress: American Memory, By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943.
This is the market where the storekeeper buys the food and brings it to his store near your house. Federal Art Project. 1936-1937. This is the market where the storekeeper buys the food and brings it to his store near your house. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Plains farms need trees : Trees prevent wind erosion, save moisture ... protect crops, contribute to human comfort and happiness / J. Dusek. Dusek, J. 1936-1940. Plains farms need trees : Trees prevent wind erosion, save moisture ... protect crops, contribute to human comfort and happiness / J. Dusek. Library of Congress: American Memory, By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943.
Help us preserve your surplus...food. Tasker, W. 1941-1943. Help us preserve your surplus...food. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
This is the storekeeper : He sells the things that are good for you to eat : He must keep the food clean. Federal Art Project. 1936-1937. This is the storekeeper : He sells the things that are good for you to eat : He must keep the food clean. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Milk - for summer thirst. Federal Art Project. 1940. Milk - for summer thirst. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Dept of Parks water carnival Music, dancing, singing. Verschuuren, C. 1936. Dept of Parks water carnival Music, dancing, singing. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Senior amateur musical contest on the mall, Central Park / BK. Kaplan, B. 1936. Senior amateur musical contest on the mall, Central Park / BK. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Better housing : The solution to infant mortality in the slums / Benj. Sheer. Sheer, B. 1936. Better housing : The solution to infant mortality in the slums / Benj. Sheer. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Pet show : WPA recreation project, Dist. No. 2 / Gregg. Gregg, A. 1936-1939. Pet show : WPA recreation project, Dist. No. 2 / Gregg. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
September - back to work - back to school - back to BOOKS / V. Donaghue Federal Art Project. 1940. September - back to work - back to school - back to BOOKS / V. Donaghue. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Athletics--WPA recreation project, Dist. No. 2 / Beard. Federal Art Project, WPA. 1939. Athletics--WPA recreation project, Dist. No. 2 / Beard. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Du Page County soap box derby ... Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Beard. WPA Federal Art Project. 1939. Du Page County soap box derby ... Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Beard. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Halloween roller skating carnival : On the mall, Central Park : Bring your skates : Come in costume : Prizes will be given for costumes. Federal Art Project. 1936. Halloween roller skating carnival : On the mall, Central Park : Bring your skates : Come in costume : Prizes will be given for costumes. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
"Alison's house" by Susan Glaspell a poetic romance. Federal Art Project. 1936-1938. "Alison's house" by Susan Glaspell a poetic romance. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.
Safeguard your home - always disconnect cord when leaving iron even for a minute. Federal Art Project. 1940. Safeguard your home - always disconnect cord when leaving iron even for a minute. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs, Posters: WPA Posters.