Unit Plan: The Market Economy

Lesson Plan for Tuesday

Grade: 5th
Social Studies Strand: Economics
Submitted By: Aaron Clay

EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science
Nevada State College Spring 2014
Instructor: Karen Powell
Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Economics submitted by: Aaron Clay

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2
B. Summary of the Lesson Plan:
The students will discuss and write about how an owner of a donut shop can be both a
consumer and producer of goods and services. I will base this lesson on an actual donut
shop that I worked at using old product order forms and sales data sheets.
C. Basic Information:
Grade Level: 5th grade
Time to Complete this Lesson: 50 minutes
Groupings: Whole group lecture, paired students for the use of the Pluralist Approach
to Content (strategy 15 page104), and small groups of four for a consensus on the
short essay explaining how a donut shop both consumes as well as produces.
D. Materials:
A box of donuts with two of each students favorite in the boxes.
Napkins and cleaning supplies
Product order forms and sales data sheets from my old employer, formatted so they
are more easily understood by 5
th
graders.
A SmartBoard for showing a quick video of work being done in a donut bakery.

Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Economics submitted by: Aaron Clay

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3
Student data sheets divided into two columns for producer and consumer respectively.

My list of which students to partner and group together.
Lists of ingredients for making several types of donuts and the prices next to each item.

Pencils or pens
Paper for writing the short essays
A vocabulary sheet
E. Objectives:
o NV State Social Studies Standards
E9.5.2 Demonstrate an understanding that an individual can be a
consumer and producer at the same time.
o Student-Friendly Standards
I can understand that somebody can consume one good or service
while also being a producer for a different good or service.
Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Economics submitted by: Aaron Clay

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 4
F. Vocabulary
Consumer: A person or business that buys a good or service.
Producer: A person or business that makes a good or creates a service.
Good: A physical object that satisfies an economic want.
Service: An activity that is done to satisfy a customers wants.
Product Order Forms: This is a document in which a consumer checks off what items he
wants to purchase as well as the quantity and price of each desired item.
Sales Data Sheets: This is a document that shows the sales for a given time period. It
also lists the quantities of specific items sold.
G. Procedure:
1. The donuts will be handed out 10 minutes before school starts and the students will
have that time to eat and clean up.
2. The students will have been made aware the day before that the donuts are part of
an economics lesson and that participation is required if they want the donuts.
3. Cleanup will be complete before school begins for the day and students who dont
arrive early can save their donuts for lunch.
4. I will use this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAdEyr92UyA to show the
students how I used to produce donuts as a baker. (Whole group activity)
5. Product order forms, sales data sheets, ingredient lists, and a data sheet to be filled out
will be passed out to each student.
6. I will explain to the students that they will be paired with a partner and alternate roles
of viewing the donut shop as either a producer or consumer. Both partners will have 2
minutes to list reasons for each role; producer and consumer respectively for a total of
4 minutes for filling out reasons for each role. (I will call out time at each 2 minute
interval.) Completing a data sheet on two different points of view is the first part of The
Pluralist Strategy.
7. After both partners have finished their individual lists they will then compare and
contrast their answers and agree upon revisions as necessary. A few minutes will be
allowed for this.
8. Next the partners will be grouped with their table mates in 4 student small groups. The
answers from the data sheet will be used to write a short essay consisting of two
paragraphs. This is the second component of The Pluralist Strategy which is writing a
short essay using reason to back up their opinions. One essay will list arguments and
proof of why the bakery is a producer while the other paragraph will be an argument
for the bakery as a consumer. (The majority of the lesson time will be allotted for the
essay.)
9. After completion of the essay I will ask each group to state one reason why the donut
shop is a consumer and one reason why it is a producer.
10. I will conclude the lesson with the closure statement (listed below.)
Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Economics submitted by: Aaron Clay

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 5
H. Assessment:
What will you use to measure student understanding?
A variety of written work such as the student data forms and the group essays will be
formal assessment. Informal assessment will be through observation while walking
through the room and asking verbal questions of the students.
Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson.
Each student will fill out a data sheet listing evidence of production and consumption
by the donut shop. The groups will provide an essay demonstrating understanding of
the standard as well as a verbal response to my questions.
I. Closure:
Ok today class we learned that a donut shop owner can be both a consumer and a
producer. An example would be that the owner buys sugar, flour, and butter which are
consumed while producing donuts that will be sold to the customers. When you use
something to make another thing you are consuming and producing at the same time.
J. Reflection:
1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach?
Getting the students to think about how a donut shop runs will be the easiest part.
This topic would draw interest from almost anyone especially when the incentive is
a couple of your favorite donuts.
2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach?
The students might be turned off by the reading and writing aspect of this
assignment keeping them interested and on-task will be the most challenging part.
3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson?
I would follow up this lesson during a math lesson right after social studies. Word
problems derived from a bakery setting would be used to have the students
calculate the costs of producing bakery items.
4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts?
I could integrate this social studies lesson with a writing lesson to allow more time
and give struggling students more individualized attention.
5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change?
I might need to cut out bringing in donuts or have special donuts made for certain
students. Gluten-free, diabetic sugar-free, and donuts without nuts would likely
have to be modifications for students with related medical issues.
6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part?
Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Economics submitted by: Aaron Clay

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 6
I was leaning towards something more textbook oriented and couldnt think of
anything I liked. My motivation to be a teacher is based on my career experiences
so I decided an authentic real-world connection would be best. The hardest part
was thinking of a way to bring this to a 5
th
grade level and address an NV standard.