Online Lesson

EconomicsMinute
What Do You Want To Be?

Key Economic Concepts:

• Stock Market
• Supply
• Surplus
• Taxation
• Technological Changes
• Tools of the Federal Reserve
• Trade-off
• Trade-offs among Goals
• Transfer Payments
• Types of Unemployment

Description:

In this lesson, students have the opportunity to explore various jobs and decide what they might want to be when they grow up through an interactive activity.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:

• Students will be able to choose one job from a short list and state reasons for their choice.
• After reading about various jobs, students will be able to list examples of the goods and/or services each job provides.
• After discussing various jobs, students will be able to list at least one specialized skill associated with each job.

Introduction:

Many children fantasize about what they want to be when they grow up. In this lesson, asking students what they want to be when they grow up is the starting point for learning about why adults work and why they choose the jobs they do.

Begin the lesson by asking the students the following questions. List the answers on the board.

• What are some of the jobs that our parents (relatives) do?
• Why do your parents (relatives) work at these jobs?
• What kind of goods and services do they provide in these jobs?
• What special skills are needed to perform the jobs listed?

To help generate a list of jobs, you may want to refer to http://jobprofiles.monster.com/.

Emphasize the goods and services that each job provides. You may want to have students complete the following lessons on good and services so they have an understanding of these concepts:

• Woof! Woof! At Your Service
• Delivering the Goods

Process:

Have the students complete the interactive activity.

Students should look at all five of the jobs listed within the activity by rolling their mouse over each one. Once they've decided on one of the five jobs they "want to be", they can click on it to select it. The next step will be to put the parts of the uniform on the character in the activity. To complete this activity they can print out a copy of what they've created and color it in.

Have students list verbally or in writing why they chose the job they did. Make sure they understand the various goods and services that each job provides.

If students express an interest in other jobs that aren't listed, you can visit http://www.jobprofiles.org/ for descriptions of several other jobs.

If you decide to have students color the picture they printed, explain to them the various parts of the uniform and what each person does with the items. As well as what special skills are needed to use each of the pieces of equipment.

Conclusion:

Have students think about these questions:

1. Why did you decide on the job you did?
2. What goods and services does that job provide?
3. What special skills would you need to perform that particular job?
4. Were there other jobs that weren't listed that you would like to do?
5. What goods and services do those jobs provide?

Assessment Activity:

Have students answer these questions:

1. Write down three reasons why people work.
2. Write down three jobs and the goods and services they provide, as well as any special skills required to perform the job.

Extension Activity:

• Have students research someone who has the same job they chose. What stories do they tell about their work? Students can look for an actual person in their community or search the Internet using one of the kid’s search engines on this page: www.rcls.org/ksearch.htm .
• Have students write a story imagining that they have the job they chose. What would a day be like? What things might happen to them?
• The following lessons cover related topics and may enhance this lesson if used in conjunction with it:
  • Woof! Woof! At Your Service - students learn about goods and services
  • Delivering the Goods - students learn about the difference between the providers of goods and providers of services
  • Dog Gone Job! - students learn about specialization

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