Henry Hikes to Fitchburg
~Productive Resources~
Introduction: Henry may be a bear but he is aware that many kinds of resources are necessary
for the creation of goods and services.
Virginia History and Social Science Standards of Learning:
2.7
The student will describe natural resources (water, soil, wood, and coal), human
resources (people at work), and capital resources (machines, tools, and buildings).
Time Required: 20-30 Minutes
Materials:
 Book - Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B. Johnson (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)
 Visuals – Human Resources, Natural Resources and Capital Goods Resources
 Game Boards and Game Pieces for each student or group
 Envelopes for Game Pieces
Procedure:
1. Read the book prior to lesson (allocate 7-10 Minutes)
2. Prepare Visuals, Game Pieces and Game Board prior to class. The visuals may be used as
posters or overhead transparencies. The Game Boards work well when run off on card
stock. The Game Pieces should be run off and cut into eight cards, and glued on to 3 ½
by 2 inch colored paper. Using a different color for each set helps keep the cards from
getting mixed up and makes cleanup much easier. The cards can also be created so
that they are self checking. Dash marks are made on the back of the cards to
correspond to the marks next to the titles on the game boards. Therefore, -Natural
Resources-(honey, sun, berries) cards are marked with ONE dash.) - - Human Resources
(painter, writer) -- are marked with TWO dashes and ---Capital Goods Resources--(broom, shovel, wheelbarrow) are marked with three dashes.
3. Inform the students they will be hearing a story about two bears that make very
different choices. Show them the cover of Henry Hikes to Fitchburg. Ask them what
they think the story is about. Briefly discuss several of their responses.
4. Read the book to the class.
5. Display the Visuals – Human Resources, Natural Resources and Capital Goods Resources.
Define Human Resources as the people who use their energy and brains to create goods
and services. (This is some times called Labor Resources.) Define Natural Resources as
the things that exist or grow in nature that are useful to people. (Water, timber, and
silver are examples of Natural Resources.) Define Capital Goods Resources as the
buildings, equipment, machines, vehicles and tools used by people to produce goods
and services. (These are usually expensive things that do not get “used up”.)
6. Distribute envelopes containing Game Pieces and Game Boards.
7. Instruct the students to read the words on the game pieces, look at the illustration, and
place the card in the correct category.
8. Check for understanding. Natural Resources include the Sun, Berries, and Honey.
Human Resources include the Writer and Painter. Capital Goods Resources include the
Wheelbarrow, Shovel and Broom.
Lynne Farrell Stover
stoverlf@jmu.edu
1
Extension Activity: Encourage the students to reread Henry Hikes to Fitchburg and find other
examples of Human, Natural and Capital Goods Resources. They may wish to record their
findings on a chart and share the results with the class.
Human Resources
Natural Resources
Capital Goods Resources
Productive Resources
Human Resources
People Who Work
Natural Resources
Capital Goods Resources
Gifts from Nature
Things Made by People to Help Make
Goods and Services
Buildings-Tools-Machines
Lynne Farrell Stover
stoverlf@jmu.edu
2
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg
Game Board
-Natural Resources-
--Human Resources--
---Capital Resources---
Lynne Farrell Stover
stoverlf@jmu.edu
3
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg
Game Pieces
Honey
Sun
Wheelbarrow
Writer
Shovel
Berries
Broom
Painter
Lynne Farrell Stover
stoverlf@jmu.edu
4