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Grade
3
Barbara Mania
Unit Lesson Plan
Economics

Grade: 3
Subject: History- Social Studies
Strand: 3.8

Title of Unit: Examining economic through the book

A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert.

SOL Objectives: The students will recognize

that because people and regions cannot
produce everything they want, they specialize
in producing some things and trade or barter
for the rest.
Time: 1 week.

Unit Summary: In this unit the students will read the book by Harriet Ziefert, A New Coat For Anna as part of
the lesson on economics. The book will introduce the students to concepts of scarcity, specialization, barter, and
trade. Students will learn specialization occurs when people focus on the production of selected goods and
services. People and regions often specialize in the production of certain goods and services in order to trade
for things they need or want. Specialization encourages trade because people want goods and services that they
do not have or cannot make.

Unit Rationale: Learning and understanding economics is important to all students to be successful in todays
global economy. Students will be exposed to important concepts that they may see on the SOLs. The student
will learn that sometimes we use money, and sometimes we trade or barter for the things we need or want.
Students will understand why people or regions specialize in certain products.

1. DESIRED RESULTS
Enduring Understandings (BIG ideas)
People and regions specialize because they cannot produce everything they want.
People trade or barter for things they need when they do not have money.
Essential Questions
Why do people trade?

Knowledge and Skills

KNOW: New Vocabulary words associated with economics.
capital resource: are goods produced and used to make OTHER goods and
services.
consumer: people who buy goods and services.

What is specialization?

goods: a material that satisfies a want.

natural resource: Gifts from nature; they are present without human
intervention.
needs: something that is necessary.

Why do those who

specialize have to depend
on others?

producers: are people who make goods or provide services.

Who are consumers?

trade: exchange of goods or services.

services: an action that someone does for someone else.

specialization: individuals or countries concentrating their production efforts
on a limited number of goods or services.
wants: something desired or wished.

Who are producers?

barter: to exchange things (such as products or services) for other things

instead of money.
UNDERSTAND:
TSW understand that people and regions specialize in what they do best and
trade or barter for everything else.
TSW understand the difference between the use of barter and money in
exchange of goods and services.
TSW understanding the differences between natural, human, and capital
resources.
DO: Gather, classify, and interpret information. Identify people who purchase
good and services as consumers and people who make goods or provide
services as producers. Classify resources as natural, human, or capital.

A
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
One book by Harriet Ziefert, A New Coat for Anna. (copy for teacher to read to students)

Paper
Pencils
Colored pencils
KWL graphic organizers- one for each student
Index cards-vocabulary words
White boards
Markers
Multiple-choice test & Answer key
Worksheets

Stage 2. ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Prior knowledge
What prior knowledge do students come with?
(Look at other grade levels)

Pre-Assessment: KWL graphic organizer will be filled

out together as a class.

TSW have prior knowledge of previous instruction

in the following areas of economic concepts.

Prompt: Write about a time you traded something with a

family member or friend.

The student will describe natural

resources (water, soil, wood, and coal),
human resources (people at work), and
capital resources (machines, tools, and
buildings). (2.7 sol)

Formative: (Assessment FOR Learning): TSW fold a

piece of paper into fourths, number the sections 1-4, and
in each square draw a picture or write a sentence to answer
questions about the story from the story:

The student will distinguish between

the use of barter and the use of money
in the exchange for goods and
services. (2.8 sol)
The student will distinguish between
the use of barter and the use of money
in the exchange for goods and
services. (2.9 sol)

White board group activity of a 5-10 question and answer

Jeopardy format game.

Traditional: (10 Question multiple-choice test for

summative assessment).

Stage 3. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE

Minimum of 9-12 lessons at 30-40 minutes each. Every objective must be taught. Include 2
lessons that are differentiated and include 5 instructional strategies throughout the unit.
Monday-HOOK-TW, ask the students, how could you get a new coat without using money?
Teacher will introduce the book by Harriet Ziefert, A New Coat for Anna.
Before reading the book to the class teacher will question the students.
How will Anna get a new coat?
What do you know about scarcity?
What is a consumer?
Who is a producer?
Explain that after WWll in Europe many things were scarce due to the war. This is the setting of
the book.
What do you know about resources? Natural, human, and capital?
Class will fill out a KWL graphic organizer together on the smart board.
TW read book to the class. TW introduce new vocabulary words. SW make vocabulary cards
with index cards, word on one side / definition on the other side.
Tuesday- Morning worksheet on vocabulary matching. TW discuss specialization and how it
is exhibited in the book A New Coat For Anna. SW do activity of folding a piece of paper into
fourths, number each section in a corner with 1- 4. Draw or list a good or service that is
specialized from the textbook. Go over vocabulary words with a partner.
Wednesday- Morning worksheet, Three Main Types of Resources. Center work will take place:
Independent work at the computer- center students will play The Lemonade Stand game at
www.coolmath-games.com/lemonade. Vocabulary center students will play vocabulary game in
small group. Writing center students will answer the question:
Write about a time when you traded something with a friend or family member. Teacher will
lead a center to check for understanding of essential questions and remediate if needed. The
book will be available at all times for the students to access. Homework will be assigned; TSW
be ask to list three things that they consume ( food, electricity, water, education) and three things
they produce ( homework, lawn work, babysitting, clean dishes or cooking)
Thursday- Morning worksheet, Classifying Resources. Class discussion to revisit our KWL
organizer to summarize what we learned and to clarify any topics as needed. Exit Ticket needed
to leave class for the day. Review vocabulary words for test.
Friday- Review economic concepts by playing a quick question and answer game with the white
boards to prepare for 10-question multiple-choice unit test. Reward for a week of hard work a
15- minute recess.
Lesson Plan
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Monday
Teacher: Mrs. Mania
Grade Level: 3rd

Subject: Social Studies

Time Duration: 1 hour

Objective: SOL 3.8: The student will recognize that because people and regions cannot produce
everything they want, they specialize in producing some things and trade or barter for the rest.
Overview: Beginning of a unit of study on economics. Introduce topic of study, assess prior
knowledge, and read the book, A New Coat for Anna.
1) Anticipatory Set: Question written on the board: How could you get a new coat without
using money?
2) Purpose: The purpose of todays lesson is to introduce the topic of economics, the
vocabulary words and read the book, A New Coat for Anna. TSW be able to determine if
something is a consumer or a producer and know that there are three types of resources, human,
natural, and capital with 85% accuracy.
3) Input: TSW write the new vocabulary words on index cards and discuss the meaning of each
as a class. TSW be introduced to the concepts of scarcity, bartering, and trade.
4) Modeling: The class will fill out a KWL graphic organizer together on the smartboard.
5) Guided Practice: TW will lead the KWL activity posing questions to the students. TW will
read the book to the class.
6) Checking for Understanding: TW stop often during the reading of the book to check for
understanding by asking questions of the students.
7) Independent Practice: TSW practice the new vocabulary words.

Lesson Plan
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Tuesday
Teacher: Mrs. Mania
Subject: Social Studies
Time Duration: 45 minutes

Grade Level: 3rd

Objective: SOL 3.8 The student will recognize that because people and regions cannot produce
everything they want, they specialize in producing some things and trade or barter for the rest.
Overview: TTW review vocabulary and concepts introduced on Monday. Focus of todays
learning will be on specialization, who and why do people and regions do it.
1) Anticipatory Set: Morning worksheet of vocabulary matching.
2) Purpose: TSW recognize when a person or region specializes and why they do it with 80%
accuracy. TSW understand trading and bartering is a result of specialization.
3) Input: TW review the book, A New Coat for Anna, vocabulary words, and clarify any
concepts needed for the students.
4) Modeling: TW demonstrate the 4-square activity on goods and services for students.
5) Guided Practice: TW scaffold students in the 4-square activity.
6) Checking for Understanding: TW collect the 4-square activity and assess students work.
7) Independent Practice: SW review vocabulary words at home.

Lesson Plan
Wednesday
Teacher: Mrs. Mania
Subject: Social Studies
Time Duration: 1 hour

Grade Level: 3rd

Objective: SOL 3.8 The student will recognize that because people and regions cannot produce
everything they want, they specialize in producing some things and trade or barter for the rest.
Overview: TW review the three types of resources. TW do a formative assessment during
center work and remediate students as needed.
1) Anticipatory Set: Morning worksheet on resources.
2) Purpose: SW will understand that the types of resources people or regions possess determine
if they specialize and what products they specialize in producing and what they need to trade or
barter for to satisfy their needs. 85% accuracy
3) Input: Review of concepts introduced.
4) Modeling: 5) Guided Practice 6) Check for Understanding: Will all take place under
one of these formats. Center work in vocabulary, computer game on economic, writing center,
and work with teacher on essential question understanding.
7) Independent Practice: SW have this in the computer center and in the writing center.
Homework of 15 minutes will be assigned. SW list three things that they consume (food, water,
electricity, education) and three things that they produce (homework, clean dishes, yard work,
pet care, cleaning up).

Lesson Plan
Thursday
Teacher: Mrs. Mania
Subject: Social Studies
Time Duration: 45 Minutes
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Grade Level: 3rd

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Objective: 3.8: The student will recognize that because people and regions cannot produce
everything they want, they specialize in producing some things and trade or barter for the rest.
Overview: This is a review day of all vocabulary words, concepts and KWL organizer.
1) Anticipatory Set: Morning worksheet on classifying resources.
2) Purpose: A review of all vocabulary and concepts to prepare for summative testing on Friday
and to check for understanding of essential questions. Exit ticket at the end of day will be
collected.
3) Input: No new information today. Review only
4) Modeling: & 5) Guided Practice: TW use the smartboard to revisit the KWL organizer we
first filled out when the unit began. TW lead class discussion on if our objectives in all three
columns was met.
6) Checking for understanding: TW CFU during the KWL revisit and with an exit ticket
asking the students is they have any other question that need more discussion.
7) Independent Practice: All homework is handed back to the student and they can review for
the summative test on Friday.

Lesson Plan
Friday
Teacher: Mrs. Mania
Subject: Social Studies
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Grade Level: 3rd

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Time Duration: 1 hour

Objective: 3.8 The student will recognize that because people and regions cannot produce
everything they want, they specialize in producing some things and trade or barter for the rest.

Overview: TW give students a summative test to check for understanding of the objective.

1) Anticipatory Set: TW lead a game of economic Q & A with the students. TW read the
question and students will write the answers on their white boards.

2) Purpose: SW is able to meet the object of sol 3.8 with 99% accuracy.

6) Check for Understanding: SW takes a 10 question multiple-choice test.

WHITE BOARD QUESTIONS

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THE PERSON WHO PRODUCES

A GOOD OR A SERVICE.A PRODUCER

FOCUSING ON ONE JOBSPECIALIZATION

TRADING ITEMS WITHOUT

USING MONEYBARTER

SOMETHING YOU BUY AND CAN

HOLD IN YOUR HAND..A GOOD

PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE

GOODS AND SERVICESCONSUMERS

ACTIVITIES PEOPLE DO TO
SATISFY WANTS AND NEEDSSERVICES

SOMETHING YOU MUST HAVE

TO SURVIVE.A NEED

3 STUDENTS AND 2 ICE CREAM

CONESSCARCITY

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NAME:____________________________________________________________
______________
READ THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. THEN
COMPLETELY FILL IN THE BUBBLE OF EACH CORRECT ANSWER.
1. The weaver in the story of A New Coat for Anna was ?
O consumer
O producer
O need
2. How does Annas mother get wool for the coat?
O She gives a lamp to a woman
O She gives a teapot to a tailor
O She gives a gold watch to a farmer
3. The lingonberries used to dye the wool red are a?
O natural resource
O human resource
O capital resource
4. Annas mother has no money, how does she get the
things she needed for Annas new coat?
O She uses a credit card
O She writes a check
O she trades and barters
5. There were no coats at the stores for Anna to buy,
this is called?
O specialization
O scarcity
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O services
6. When Anna gets her new coat, she is a ?
O consumer
O producer
O teacher
7. When did Anna finally get her new coat:
O in winter
O in summer
O in spring
8. What did the tailor have to do before he could begin
to make the coat?
O buys some red cloth
O takes Annas measurements
O makes a cup of tea
9. In addition to getting a new, coat for Anna, Annas
mother?
O saved enough money to buy another coat
O learned to weave cloth
O made other people in the town happy
10.
In the story, A New Coat for Anna, were there
more producers or consumers?
O producers
O consumers
O neither

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Barbara Mania
3rd Grade Economics
Regent University

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Rational
I selected this unit of study that I created to demonstrate that a complete
understanding of the standards needing to be taught should be the basis of all lesson
planning. The standards are not taught in isolation, nor covered in a mini lesson on a
Friday afternoon, but are the chief component of the lesson plan. The standards are the
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focus of the lesson plans the other activities are the vehicles to help deliver the
knowledge to the students.
Reflection
This unit of study on economics was an amazing experience from start to finish.
Economics is a subject most adults do not fully comprehend, teaching it to third graders
seem daunting at first. The students were hooked in right away with the thought that the
little girl (Anna) needed a new coat and there were none to be bought was a strange
idea to children who have spent half their lives shopping at malls. The sequencing of
events helped the students remember that all stories have a beginning, middle, and an
end, which is an ongoing focus of study in the language arts curriculum. The lesson also
did a great job of offering up the opportunity for discussing characters and settings. The
filling in of the KWL gave students another strategy to use for other assignments. I
would use this unit of study for other classroom and grade levels with certain
modifications to the homework, assessments, and vocabulary covered.

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