Money Doesn't Grow on Trees

Social Studies Online

TEACHER Loryn Guy

TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Select and adapt these learning activities to best meet the needs of your students, and to fit the time available:

1. Definition of Key Terms
   Students should set up a glossary page for this topic where they can continue to add new terms as the unit progresses. The first terms they should be introduced to are Resources, Goods and Services. For each term gather ideas on meaning from the students themselves. Construct definitions from this information (you may need to make suggestions here to guide students in the right direction).

2. Brainstorm
   For the terms above brainstorm as a class different examples for each, eg. Resources = Land, plants, animals, energy etc. Goods = CDs, furniture, appliances, takeaways etc. Services = Health, education, welfare, etc.

3. Key Factors: What do we need in order to gain access to various resources, goods and services?
   Students are to fill in this chart individually before discussing the answers as a class.

   Students could arrive at a common set of factors and record them for future reference as a Web or List.

4. Access to Resources
   This section is built around UN's CyberSchoolBuses' The Poverty Curriculum.

   Each of the seven lessons consists of four parts:

   1. An Explanation of the lesson; (You need to adapt each lesson to address the achievement objective and learning outcome.)
   2. A Class Activity; (which may also need some adapting to tie it more closely to the New Zealand Social Studies Curriculum.)
   3. Ideas for Community Service which ties well to Social Decision Making and Social Action;
   4. An Internet Connection section with links to related sites, which are good Inquiry starters.

   Note: You will need to download some of the material prior to teaching this unit, so check out the site thoroughly.

5. The Poverty Factor
   Poverty - both the result of limited access to resources, goods and services and a cause of limited access to resources, goods and services.

6. Hunger and Malnutrition
   Factors that restrict people's access to food.

7. Health and Hygiene
   Half the world's population still suffers from health problems that could be greatly reduced with proper access to nutrition, sanitation, contraception and medical treatment. What are some of the factors restricting people's access to these basic needs?

8. House and Home
   About 25% of the world's population only have access to shantytowns, slums, shelters for the homeless or overcrowded tenements.

9. Live and Learn
   A "good education" is seen as a way of gaining access to resources, goods and services.

10. Can I Have a Job Please?
    For most people, economic security is about having enough money to fulfil their basic needs: food, adequate shelter, basic healthcare and education.

11. Taking Action
    Coming to some conclusions.

12. Putting it all Together
    Students complete their Mini Inquiry.

13. Follow Up
    Compare access to resources, goods and services in developed countries and developing countries. Compare access to resources, goods and services within New Zealand.

Collaborative online projects related to this unit: Viewpoints: Project 241

RESOURCES

Electronic

• United Nations CyberSchoolBus
• World Factbook 2000