Revised By: Jennifer Brower, April 2007
Originally Created By: Jennifer Brower, Sandy Dewing, Mary Beth Johnson, & Beth Turnpaugh, June 2005
Weslandia 1
Economics and Inquiry Lesson: Weslandia
Introduction
In this lesson, use the children’s book, Weslandia, to introduce and reinforce the key
economic concepts of productivity, opportunity costs, money, and interdependence. Students
will be using classroom supplies to invent a new product.
Students will participate in a word-building activity. They will use note-taking skills to
apply vocabulary knowledge. As a culminating activity, students compose an
expository/descriptive writing piece.
Content Standards
Information Literacy Standard
Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and
creatively.
 Indicator 2. Integrates new information into one’s own knowledge
 Indicator 3. Applies information in critical thinking and problem solving
Language Arts
Indiana Academic Standard 4.2.6: Distinguish between cause and effect and between
fact and opinion in informational text.
Indiana Academic Standard 4.3.3: Use knowledge of the situation, setting, and a
character’s traits, motivations, and feelings to determine the causes for that character’s
actions.
Indiana Academic Standard 5.4.1: Discuss ideas for writing, keep a list or notebook of
ideas, and use graphic organizers to plan writing.
Indiana Academic Standard 5.4.5: Use note-taking skills.
Indiana Academic Standard 5.4.8: Review, evaluate, and revise writing for meaning and
clarity.
National Council on Economic Education Standard
Standard 1: Productive resources are limited. Therefore, people cannot have all the
goods and services they want; as a result, they must choose some things and give up
others.
Revised By: Jennifer Brower, April 2007
Originally Created By: Jennifer Brower, Sandy Dewing, Mary Beth Johnson, & Beth Turnpaugh, June 2005
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Weslandia 2
Benchmark #7: The opportunity cost of a choice is the value of the best
alternative given up.
Benchmark #14: Entrepreneurs are people who organize other productive
resources to make goods and services.
Standard 14: Entrepreneurs are people who take the risks of organizing productive
resources to make goods and services. Profit is an important incentive that leads
entrepreneurs to accept risks of business failure.
 Benchmark #2: An invention is a new product. Innovation is the introduction of
an invention into a use that has economic value.
 Benchmark #3: Entrepreneurs often are innovative. They attempt to solve
problems by development and marketing new or improved products.
Objectives
The students will:
1. Identify the opportunity costs of choices made.
2. Identify the main character’s entrepreneurial characteristics.
3. Create a new product related to the story.
4. Define interdependence, entrepreneur, productivity, opportunity cost, money, goods,
and services.
5. Write a combined expository/descriptive piece.
Time Required
90 Minutes (two 45 minute sessions)
Materials
1. Copy of Job Cards
2. Copy of Weslandia by Paul Fleischman
3. Economic Vocabulary Handout v1 – blank copy for each student
4. One transparency of the Economic Vocabulary Handout WITH definitions
5. Working with Words Handout – teacher copy
6. Option: blank Working with Words Handout and Letter Cards for each group
7. Writing Rubric
8. Graphic Organizer
9. Seed Packet Samples
10. Blank 6x9 Manila Envelopes – one per student
11. Art box supplies
Revised By: Jennifer Brower, April 2007
Originally Created By: Jennifer Brower, Sandy Dewing, Mary Beth Johnson, & Beth Turnpaugh, June 2005
Weslandia 3
Procedure
Hook Activity
(Teacher’s Note: Do not use the economic term “interdependence” until
AFTER the word building activity.)
1. On the board introduce by example (Job = Artist; Goods = paints, paintbrushes, paper;
Products/Service = paintings, sculptures); have students brainstorm additional jobs,
goods and products.
2. Explain to the students that they are to discover the goods used by the job on their
card, as well as the products that are produced or the services provided.
3. Distribute the 15 Job Cards to students. Allow students 5 minutes to work
individually or with a partner to record the goods, products, and/or services of the
job card.
4. Give 5-10 minutes to share groups’ findings.
5. Cause and Effect: Ask the class, “What would the effect be if the farmer could not
provide any milk/eggs to the baker?” “What if the truck driver doesn’t arrive with
the supplies the carpenter requires?” Encourage the class to openly discuss the
possibilities.
Lesson
6. Randomly tape each interdependence card, letter side showing, to the board. Ask
students to rearrange letters to create words. Guide class to discovering the bonus
word of INTERDEPENDENCE. (Use the working with Words teacher copy to help.
a. Option: Divide students into small groups. Give one copy of the blank “Working
with Words” page and the “Letter Cards” page to each group. Students will
need to carefully cut the letter cards apart. For 5-7 minutes, have groups build
as many words as possible. Come back together as a class to discuss correct
words. Ask, “Did anyone discover our bonus word?”
7. Upon discovering the bonus word, ask them to use what they know about all the jobs –
goods and services required by each one – to define the word “interdependence.”
8. Distribute the blank Economic Vocabulary Handout (the other handout includes the
definitions for the teacher…make sure you use “v1”). Discuss definitions of the
economic terms. Use examples to help students discover the meaning of the terms.
Students will write each definition from the overhead of the Economic Vocabulary
Handout WITH definitions on their own handout.
9. Explain to the students that as you read the story of Weslandia to them, they are
expected to write examples of the economic terms.
10. Read Weslandia to the class.
Revised By: Jennifer Brower, April 2007
Originally Created By: Jennifer Brower, Sandy Dewing, Mary Beth Johnson, & Beth Turnpaugh, June 2005
Weslandia 4
11. Discuss/Share the examples found. Encourage students to add examples not already
on their papers.
Assessment
1. Using the 6x9 manila envelopes, students will create a seed packet for an original
plant. The plant should provide natural resources to be used in creating new products.
Students should use the sample seed packets to design the packaging. The back
should include a map of the growing zones, description of the plant, directions of how
to grow the plant, and the products.
2. Hand out the Writing Rubric and the Graphic Organizer to each student.
3. Allow an appropriate amount of time to complete the project. Once projects are
completed, students can take turns introducing their original plant ideas and seed
packet writing to the class.