Our Region introduces the relationship between the natural, human, and capital resources found in different regions and explores regional businesses that produce goods and services for consumers. There are five required, volunteer-led activities.

 

The key learning objectives listed beside each activity state the skills and knowledge students will gain.

Activity One: What are Regions and Resources? 

 

Students distinguish economic regions in the United States. They examine natural, human, and capital resources available in different regions. They learn that businesses need resources to produce and sell a product.

 

Key Learning Objectives 

 

Students will be able to:

 

* define region, resource, business, and entrepreneur.
* identify resources as natural, human, and capital.
* locate a business of their choosing in a region.

Activity Two: Exploring Resources 

 

Students examine regions of resources in the United States. They identify resources businesses use to make their products. They learn about the importance of location to a business.

 

Key Learning Objectives 

 

Students will be able to:

 

* analyze resources in different regions.
* list resources required by their business to produce a good or service.
* decide on a location for their business, based on the resources found there.

Activity Three: Resources on the Move 

 

Students recognize that businesses find resources throughout different regions. They discover ways businesses must work together to create a product.

 

Key Learning Objectives 

 

Students will be able to:

 

* identify resources involved in producing a product.
* define economy and specialization.
* recognize economic interdependence in a region and among different regions.

Activity Four: Where's the Money? 

 

Students identify how resources relate to business income and expenses. They complete calculations to demonstrate how a business determines its profit or loss. Students learn a five-step, decision-making process. They solve simple business problems.

 

Key Learning Objectives 

 

Students will be able to:

 

* define income, expense, profit, and loss.
* demonstrate how a business tracks income and expenses.
* solve simple business problems.

Activity Five: The Bottom Line 

 

The students play a game that illustrates the flow of money in and out of a business. They calculate profits and losses and learn the importance of loans. Students search a region for the resources they need to make a product.

 

Key Learning Objectives 

 

Students will be able to:

 

* understand the importance of cash flow to businesses.
* record business income and expenses.
* calculate profit and loss.
* recognize the role of loans in business.


Our Region enhances students’ learning of the following concepts and skills:

 

Concepts: Advantage, Business, Choices, Compass rose, Decision, Disadvantage, Economy, Exchange, Expenses, Financial report, Goods, Government, Incentives, Income, Interdependence, Investment, Loss, Opportunity cost, Products, Profit, Region, Resources, Risk, Scarcity, Services, Specialization, Taxes

 

Skills: Applying thinking skills, Building consensus, Comparing, Compiling data, Conducting research, Decision-making, Demonstrating economic networks, Describing an economy within a region and future economic consequences, Differentiating, Following directions, Giving reports, Identifying goods and services, Identifying and organizing resources, Identifying purpose of taxes, Interpreting data, Math computations, Predicting results, Problem-solving, Reading, Recognizing major geographical features, Teamwork, Understanding symbols

 

Our Region is a series of five activities recommended for students in fourth grade. The average time for each activity is 45 minutes. Materials are packaged in a self-contained kit that includes detailed activity plans for the volunteer and materials for 32 students.