Country Mouse Makes a Decision!

Very young students will be able to make a cost/benefit chart for the Country Mouse after hearing the classic story.

We make decisions every day! It helps to know the COSTS and BENEFITS of a decision before we decide to do something. The story in this lesson tells us about a mouse who lived in the country but went to the city to visit. He had to decide if he wanted to stay in the town or go home to the country.Students will make a cost/benefit chart showing their understanding of the differences between costs and benefits.

• Identify the costs and benefits of a decision.

• Country Mouse and Town Mouse: A story that students can read online.
  https://bygosh.com/kids-classics/the-city-mouse-and-the-country-mouse/
   
• Drag and Drop Activity: Interactive drag and drop activity used to assess students knowledge of the story.
  Drag and Drop Activity
   
• Country Mouse Makes a Decision: Interactive chart of cost and benefits.
  Country Mouse Chart
   
• Related Lessons: These lessons about costs and benefits may be used as an extension to this lesson.
  Little Star's Problem 
  Cost and Benefits of The Three Little Pigs

Tell the students that in this lesson they will learn how to identify the costs and benefits involved in making decisions.

• A cost is what you give up when you decide to do something.
• A benefit is something that satisfies your wants.

Tell the students that they will hear a story about a country mouse, who takes a trip into town. Country Mouse will find that he likes the town in many ways. The things he likes about the town are the BENEFITS he could gain if he chose to live in town. Country Mouse also will discover some things he does not like about the town. Those things are the COSTS he would experience if he chose to live in town. County Mouse must choose to stay in town or go home. What will he choose to do?

Read the https://bygosh.com/kids-classics/the-city-mouse-and-the-country-mouse/ and see what decision he makes after he thinks about his COSTS and BENEFITS.

Review Country Mouse's decision. Country Mouse decided to go home to the Country because he did not like the big COSTS of living in the town! Show the students how to use a T-chart to represent this decision, using this drag and drop activity.

When we have to make a decision it is important to think about our COSTS and BENEFITS. We can make a chart that will help us think about our COSTS and BENEFITS.

To learn more about costs and benefits, check out these lessons:
Little Star's Problem 
Cost and Benefits of The Three Little Pigs

Students can do a drop and drag cost/benefit chart after hearing this story:

One winter day Olivia’s mom tells Olivia that she can go outside after lunch and play. The sun is up and the snow is pretty. Olivia ate her lunch fast! She put on her boots, coat, gloves and hat. She went outside. At first it was so fun. Then the wind began to blow. Olivia got very cold! Her eyes hurt. Her face burned. Her nose was red. Olivia wanted to be outside, but she was very cold! What should she do?

Make a chart showing the COSTS and BENEFITS of Olivia’s decision. After you make a chart you can see what Olivia should do.