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Little Bill the Producer!

Key Economic Concepts:

• Producers
• Resources

Description:

This lesson teaches the most basic vocabulary about production. People who make goods and provide services are called producers. This lesson only deals with the student making something (not identified with being a good), and that people are human beings. In this story Little Bill and Alice the Great produce a book about Dr. Martin Luther King.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:

• Identify humans as people who use resources to produce things.
• Produce a book about one of the characters in the story they will read.
• Describe how they acted as producers upon completion of their books.

Introduction:

In this lesson, students will be identifying producers of products. Producers are people who make goods or provide services. In this lesson, students will be identifying people as humans. The students will be producing a book based on a video about Little Bill and the book he and Alice the Great make honoring Dr. King.

Resources:

•"Thank You, Dr. King": This is a video book about Little Bill and Alice the Great. Little Bill helps make a book honoring Dr. King.
www.noggin.com/shows/pdfs/bill_dr_king.pdf ^[2]

•"Nick jr. Crafts": This site can be used to make crafts.
www.nickjr.com/parenting/activity_finder/crafts/index.jhtml ^[3] .

•"Make A Coloring Book About Little Bill": This site gives students the chance to create a coloring book.
www.nickjr.com/shows/little_bill/little_bills_best_pet.jhtml ^[4]

•www.nickjr.com/home/tonya_lee_on_reading.jhtml ^[5] is an interview with an author and you can find the book at www.nickjr.com/home/please_baby_please.jhtml ^[6] .

•"Martin Luther King Jr.": This is the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.
www.holidays.net/mlk/story.htm ^[7]

Process:

This lesson teaches the most basic vocabulary about production. People who make goods and provide services are called producers. This lesson only deals with the student making something (not identified with being a good), and that people are human beings. This point establishes a basis for other lessons on productive resources. Productive resources are the natural resources, human resources, and capital goods available to make goods and services. Until the students can identify what a human resource is, they will not understand productive resources. Have your students follow along with this interactive activity to learn more about producers.

In the story the students will find out that Little Bill produced a friendship flower and he added it to Alice the Great's book honoring Dr. King. Thus, Little Bill and Alice the Great produced a book. Since most kids make things like books and colored pages, they will be able to relate to being a producer.

This lesson will easily lead into the life story of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One website is listed in Resources, but other websites can be found on the internet. This lesson can also be used to introduce the students to being a producer of books about other famous people you are studying.

To start the lesson, show students some artwork that they have produced before. Ask them who made these pictures. Ask the students what a human is. Tell them that humans made these pictures. Instruct them that human beings make all sorts of things. We make houses, desks, pencils, and dishes. Tell the students that people who make things are called producers.

In the story we are going to watch, Little Bill makes a friendship flower. He made his friendship flower out of hand shapes in all different colors. His friendship flower was made to thank Dr. King for helping children of all different colors to go to school and play together.

Go to www.nickjr.com/ ^[1] and click on 'PLAY NOW' in the 'Nick Jr. Playtime' box. They should then click on 'STORIES.' At the bottom of the box, they should click on 'ALL STORIES.' Then they should click on Thank You, Dr. King under 'Just For Me Stories.' This is a video book about Little Bill and Alice the Great. Little Bill helps make a book honoring Dr. King.

After the students have seen the video, discuss the producers it featured. Help the students to understand that when they produce something, they can be called producers, too. Remind them that they are humans.

Help the students do the matching activity.

Conclusion:

This lesson establishes the point that humans can be producers when they make something. The students should be able to understand that they are humans and they can be producers. Could a robot make things? [Yes] Could a robot be a human? [No. Stress that robots are capital resources, not labor, and therefore cannot be considered producers.]

Assessment Activity:

The students should be assigned to be a producer of a book, picture, or other craft about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Little Bill, or Alice the Great, or anyone else you have been studying. Ask the students who produced the art work and check for understanding of the word 'human.'

Extension Activity:

The following sites may be too difficult for students to read. You may ask them to access these with their parents at home and have the parents read these stories to or with them. This would allow these sites to be used in the lesson for the extension activity plus it would make a great classroom to home connection. If the children do not have a computer at home, then print the story of their choice off and send it home with the students to have their parents read with them.

1. To learn more about being an author, the students may read this interview with an author. www.nickjr.com/home/tonya_lee_on_reading.jhtml ^[5] They can find the book at www.nickjr.com/home/please_baby_please.jhtml ^[6] .
2. To find out more about Martin Luther King, Jr., the students may click on www.holidays.net/mlk/story.htm ^[7] .
3. For ideas about other craft objects, the students may go to: www.nickjr.com/parenting/activity_finder/crafts/index.jhtml ^[3] .

Links Used:

1. ^{^} "www.nickjr.com/" - (www.nickjr.com)
2. ^{^} "www.noggin.com/shows/pdfs/bill_dr_king.pdf" - (www.noggin.com)
3. ^{^ ^} "www.nickjr.com/parenting/activity_finder/crafts/index.jhtml" - (www.nickjr.com)
4. ^{^} "www.nickjr.com/shows/little_bill/little_bills_best_pet.jhtml" - (www.nickjr.com)
5. ^{^ ^} "•www.nickjr.com/home/tonya_lee_on_reading.jhtml" - (www.nickjr.com)
6. ^{^ ^} "www.nickjr.com/home/please_baby_please.jhtml" - (www.nickjr.com)
7. ^{^ ^} "www.holidays.net/mlk/story.htm" - (www.holidays.net)

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