Grade Levels: K-3

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching about economics and goods and services. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Goods and Services topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Classroom Activities for Teaching About Goods and Services

Local, Domestic, and International
Have students bring in different items of their choice. They might bring in articles of clothing, toys, books, pencils, or packaged foods. Encourage them to be creative and bring in different items. Then have students figure out where their item was produced, grown, or manufactured. Find locations on a map and discuss which item traveled the farthest distance and which was produced locally. You can use this opportunity to discuss how what people consume influences the economy and environment.

Supply and Demand
Distribute beans or play money to students and then offer different items for auction. You may want to offer items that might be exciting to students, and thus a high demand, and some items that have less perceived value and will have lower demand. Then have students bid on items using their beans. Which items had higher “prices”? Why? Help students realize that supply and demand help determine and control the price of certain goods and services.

The Producers
Review what producers do with your students and challenge them to name as many producers as they can. Encourage students to be creative, and think of people who provide services and those who manufacture goods For homework you might ask them to draw two producers in the community or from around the world. The next day the class can create a chart of manufacturers vs. service providers, or local vs. global.

Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About Goods and Services

Consumption Function
Challenge your child to write down what he or she consumes everyday for a week. Remind him or her that people consume far more than just food. They wear clothes, use computers, travel to places in cars or buses which use fuel, they read books, throw away paper towels, etc. Encourage him or her to be conscientious about the things they consume. At the end of the day, discuss the different items on the list. Talk about where the item might have come from and how it might have been produced, manufactured, or made.

Service the Community
Together with your child, provide a service for your community. You may want to walk pets together, help clean up a park, volunteer at a community center, help collect cans and clothing for the needy, or assist elderly neighbors with tasks. Volunteering to improve your neighborhood helps foster a sense of community and civic duty. It also empowers your child to be proactive and seek improvements in the neighborhood.