
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Economic Literacy Colorado Presents: Personal and Corporate Debt
Presenter: Jay LeBlanc
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There are many ways for people to get money. One way most people get money is by earning it. This lesson introduces students to work activities that grown-ups do to earn money. Students also explore tasks they might do at home to earn money. They discover their choices are influenced by factors such as how much they will be paid, the amount of effort involved, job availability, and whether they will enjoy the work. Optional discussion questions introduce the human resources people need to get hired and do a job. A conceptual understanding of goods and services before this lesson is helpful.
Have you ever heard the words “working hard for a living”? Most people get the money they need to live by earning it. They get paid for making goods or providing a service. These people are called workers.
People are paid for all kinds of work. They might sell shoes, write a book, fix cars or cook food. You can tell what some workers do by the hats and other clothes they wear.
ACTIVITY 1:
Have the students complete the online activity Workers and their Hats. Direct them to click and drag the names of the workers to their hats.
THINK ABOUT IT:
Hold up real examples of the hats in the online activity Workers and their Hats or show pictures of the hats. Discuss:
ACTIVITY 2:
Tell the students that some children get paid for doing chores at home. Discuss:
Do you get paid to do work? [Answers will vary but may include getting good grades, caring for a pet, washing dishes, pulling weeds, and dusting. Some students may point out that they do some of these jobs at home but don’t get paid to do them. Explain that some families do not pay for work done for the family. All family members are expected to help do work as their contribution to the family. For example, making one’s bed may be expected with no pay.]
Direct the students to examine the jobs featured on What Job Will You Choose and choose a job they would like to do for money. Discuss:
[Note to teacher: Consider projecting the student version of the lesson via an LCD projector or TV monitor and read the text to the students.]
Workers provide goods and services to earn money. Drawing on the list of factors influencing their job choices (i.e. pay, time, effort, skills and knowledge required, fun, job availability, etc.), point out that the work people do to earn money is influenced by many things. We can improve our chances of getting the job we want by investigating and finding ways to get the human resources needed.
First Verse:
We'll be earning lots of money when we work (when we work).
We'll be earning lots of money when we work (when we work).
We'll be earning lots of money.
We'll be earning lots of money.
We'll be earning lots of money when we work (when we work).
Second Verse:
We will sometimes get some money as a gift (as a gift).
We will sometimes get some money as a gift (as a gift).
We will sometimes get some money.
We will sometimes get some money.
We will sometimes get some money as a gift (as a gift).
After the students have completed Activities 1 and 2, have them do the interactive activity Who is Earning Money. Have the students drop and drag the dollar bills in this activity to the people who are making money.
Teacher assessment of student responses during the THINK ABOUT IT sections will also be used to evaluate student learning.
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Presenter: Jay LeBlanc
Grades 9-12
Presenter: Chris Cannon
Grades 9-12
Presenter: Julie Heath
Grades 9-12
Presenter: Julie Heath