Children’s Book:
Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory, Margret & H.A. Rey’s, published by Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998, ISBN# 0-395-91214-8
Lesson Source: Self Created
Created For: Second Grade and Econ 3053, Spring2001
By: Mila Baugh
Christy Frits
Carrie Holt
Sarah Neal
Focus: After reading the children’s book Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory, the students learn basic economic concepts. Through discussion students learn productive resources are the natural resources, human resources, and capital goods used to make goods and services.
They participate in a group project where they categorize productive resources.
Curriculum Alignment:
Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics:
Content Standard 1: Students will understand that: 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.
Grade 4-Benchmark 3: Goods are objects that can satisfy people’s wants.
Grade 4-Benchmark 9: Productive resources are the natural resources, human resources, and capital goods available to make goods and services.
Grade 4-Benchmark 10: Natural resources, such as, land, are “gifts of nature;” they are present without human intervention.
Grade 4 –Benchmark 11: Human resources are the quantity and quality of human effort directed toward producing goods and services.
Grade 4-Benchmark 12: Capital goods are goods that are produced and used to make other goods and services.
Grade4 –Benchmark 14: Entrepreneurs are people who organize other productive resources to make goods and services.
Rogers Social Students Standards
Strand 1: Scarcity and Choice
Social Studies Curriculum Second Grade:

Understand the production, distribution, and consumption of a product.

Use literature to evaluate an economic decision made by the characters.

Understand the concepts of wants and needs, income, goods and services, producers and consumers in the community.

Bentonville School District Content Standards and Objectives
Social Studies – Economics

Demonstrate an understanding of how limited resources necessitate decision-making by defining and applying basic economic concepts such as scarcity, wants and needs, income, producers and consumers, goods and services.
PREPARE:
Materials:

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory

Chalkboard/marker board with writing implement

Poster board or butcher paper for each group (every four-five students)

Handouts 1-7

Glue (one bottle per group)
 Purchase a bag of Hershey’s Kisses – one per student
Construct:

Copy handout 1 for each student in the class.

Copy handouts 2-7 for each group (every 4-5 students).

Cut out the pictures on handouts 2-7.

Create a replica of handout 1 on each poster board and on the chalkboard/marker board.
TEACH:
Know: Give each student a Hershey Kiss chocolate candy or other small piece of chocolate. While the children are eating their chocolate ask them to think about what is in that candy and how it was made.
Activities:
Part I.
1.
Read the book, Curious George goes to a Chocolate Factory, by Margret and H.A.
Reys, to the students.
2.
Explain to the students there are four productive resources. They are natural resources, human resources, capital resources, and entrepreneurs.
3.
Explain that natural resources are things found in and on earth that are used in the productive processes. Give examples such as heat from coal, the sun, and milk from cows.
4.
Explain that human resources are people performing mental or physical work. Give examples such as factory workers, truck drivers or farmers.
5.
Explain that capital resources are human made inputs used to produce other goods.
Give examples such as chocolate factories, transportation means, or sugar refineries.
6.
Explain that entrepreneurs are people who organize, manage, and assemble other types of production. Give examples such as a president of a company.
7.
Discuss with the class different types of resources. Use the chart drawn on the board to categorize the resources named by the students. Have the students fill in Handout
1 as it is being written on the board. For example, help the students get started

thinking of natural resources by repeating the definition and a few examples such as wind and water. Hopefully the students will be able to continue giving more natural resource examples.
Part II
1.
To ensure the students have grasped the concepts, divide them into groups of four or five. Give each group a poster size chart that you constructed as well as the pre-cut handouts 2-7. Explain to the students that as a group they should decide which resource picture goes into which resource category.
2.
As the students are working, check their progress and give individual help as needed. Once the students have decided where the pictures should go and are correct, have them glue the resource pictures into the category.
3.
After each group has successfully completed their poster have them share with the class. Each group could be assigned a different column in which to report.
4.
Have students play Productive Resource Charades. Pick several students to come to the front. Announce to the class which resource the student will be acting out.
Whisper to the student a resource to act out and have the class guess what they are. Keep playing as time permits. Some examples of resources to act out are: an airplane, a farmer, a factory worker, a truck driver, or rain.
Link: Have the students think about how these productive resources could be used in other situations. Some suggestions for other situations include making their favorite school lunch or how a textbook was made.
CONNECT:
Language Arts: Have each student write about a new type of candy they will create.
They should be encouraged to use descriptive words to explain how they will produce this candy and what they will call it. They should also list some productive resources they plan on using.
Internet/Science: Have the students explore the Hershey’s website to learn how chocolate is made.

Log on to www.hersheys.com
 Click on “kidztown” on the left side of the screen.
 Click on the “Inside Hershey” icon or on the Hershey building.
 Go to the “Hershey’s plant tour” to see exactly how Hershey’s chocolate is made.
 Follow through the process by going to the “From bean to bar” and then to “The Great
American Chocolate Story” and “The Ingredient Gang.”
As an activity, have your students explain the chocolate production process. Explore the site to find out more information about Hershey’s. There is also kid trivia and games as well as a student/teacher resources on the site.
Reading Center: Develop a reading center where your students can read other books that explain the productive processes of other things. You can also include books about entrepreneurs and inventors so the students can learn about creating new things.

You have decided to be an entrepreneur for a new type of candy. Write about the type of candy you will create. You should use descriptive words for the way it will look and taste as well as how you will produce it. Make sure to name your candy and list some of its productive resources.
4 Advanced

Develops a creative name for the new type of candy .

Lists 5 productive resources used in making the new candy.

Gives 2 characteristics of the new candy.
3 Proficient

Develops a creative name for the new type of candy .

Lists 4 productive resources used in making the new candy.

Gives 2 characteristics of the new candy.
2 Basic

Develops a name for the new type of candy .

Lists 3 productive resources used in making the new candy.

Gives 1 characteristic of the new candy.
1 Below Basic

Develops a name for the new type of candy.

Lists 1 productive resource used in making it.

Gives 1 characteristic of the new candy.