Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: Grade 3/

Central Focus: Trade
Social Studies
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective: 3.E.1
Date submitted:
Understand entrepreneurship in a market economy.
Date taught: March 16, 2015
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will learn about trade and when the trade is beneficial. They
will independently be given a worksheet to complete and must answer 4 out of 4 questions
correctly.
21st Century Skills: Creativity
Academic Language Demand: Describe Students have
and Innovation, Critical Thinking
to describe what they made with their play dough.
and Problem Solving,
Explain Students have to explain why they made what
Communication, Collaboration,
they made and why they traded it.
Flexibility and Adaptability,
Question Students have to question whether or not their
Initiative and Self- Direction, Social trade was a good trade and what kind of trade it was (fair,
and Cross Cultural Skills,
voluntary, barter)
Productivity and Accountability,
Leadership and Responsibility
Prior Knowledge: Understanding of economics and vocabulary terms associated with it: goods,
services, consumer, producer, scarcity, trade, entrepreneur
Activity

1. Focus and
Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

Review old vocabulary and discuss the new vocabulary. You
have been learning about economics and trade in the
classroom. You will be entrepreneurs today. Can someone
remind me what an entrepreneur is? (Someone who starts
his or her own business). Can someone remind me what a
trade is? (An exchange). If you are a consumer what role do
you play in the trade? (Consume the good). If you are the
producer what role do you play in the trade? (You produce
the good) You are going to learn about barter today, which is
a form of trade.
Tell students Today you will understand trade by making a
good out of play dough and trading it with your classmates.
Then you will independently work on a worksheet and
complete 4 out of 4 questions correct to show understanding
of the standard.
On the board write: trade- exchange, direct trade/barterno money, indirect trade- using money, voluntary trade when both people benefit from the trade. Go over these new
vocabulary words. To help them understand trade, give
students scenarios using the new vocabulary terms. I am
going to give you a few scenarios and decide if it was a
voluntary trade and what kind of trade it was direct or
indirect. Sarah traded a pack of gum to Johnny for a candy

Time

5 min

1 min

5-10
min

4. Guided Practice

bar. They were both happy with the trade. Who thinks this
trade was direct? Who thinks this trade was indirect?
(Students will raise their hands) Those of you who said it was
a direct trade were correct! They didnt use money in their
trade so it is an indirect trade also known as barter. Do you
think this trade was fair? (Yes) Good job this trade was fair
and both people wanted what the other person had so it was
a voluntary trade. Now lets do another example. Sarah
traded an IPod to Johnny for a T-shirt. Who thinks this trade
was direct? Who thinks this trade was indirect? (Students will
raise their hands) Those of you who said it was a direct trade
are correct. They didnt use money in this trade. Was this
trade fair? (No) This trade was not fair but it was still
voluntary or else they wouldnt have traded. BOTH people
have to want to trade in order for it to happen. I have one
more example for you. Sarah traded a candy bar to Johnny
for a dollar. Who thinks this trade was indirect? Who thinks
this trade was direct? (Students will raise their hands) If you
said this trade was indirect you are correct. In this trade they
used money so it was an indirect trade and both people
benefited. When you use money both people dont have to
want what the other person has unlike in a direct trade.
Now I want you to practice trade as a class.
You are going to be an entrepreneur and use play dough to
create your own good.
Once everyone creates their good you are going to trade
your good for another good with someone in the classroom.
You can trade as many times as you want.
When you are thinking of something to make, try to make
something that other students will want (demand) so they
will want to trade you for something you want. The only way
the trade will be beneficial to both students is if it is a
voluntary trade.
As an entrepreneur you want your business to be successful
so make your good of good quality or other students wont
want it (consumer sovereignty).
Make sure that you trade your good for another good that is
of equal value. For example it wouldnt be fair to trade a
watch for a pencil but you could trade an eraser for a pencil.
However if both people are happy with the trade it is still a
voluntary trade even if it is unfair because they want what
you have and you want what they have.
Pass out the play dough after you have given the instructions.
Give the students about 5 minutes to create their play dough

20-30
min

5. Independent
Practice

good. Once they have created their good go around and have
each student briefly explain their good and why another
student would want it. After all the students explain their
good ask them to think to themselves what good they want
from another student. Give them about 5 minutes to trade for
the good they want and remind them they can trade as many
times as they want.
After the trading is over have students return to their seats
and discuss the students experience with these questions:
Why do people trade? (They expect to be better off as a
result of the trade. They traded an article they valued
less for an article they valued more)
Did everyone get the thing they wanted most? (No)
Why not? (I wanted what she had, but she didnt want
what I had; someone made a better product than mine,
etc.)
How many trades did it take to get the good you
wanted? (Answers will vary) Why? (The student I
wanted to trade with didnt want what I had, so I had to
make more trades, etc.)
What would you do differently if you did this again?
(Make something different, make a better product, etc.)
Who benefited when you made a trade, you or the
other person? (When trade is voluntary, both people
benefit)
How can we make our trading easier? (Use money, so
both students would not have to want what the other
had in order to trade)
What happens if businesses make goods and services
that consumers dont want to buy? (Will not sell the
goods and services, and will go out of business.) What
happens when businesses who produce goods and
services that many other consumers want? (They will
make money) Who is really the boss the consumer or
the producer? (In a marker, the consumer is ultimately
the boss i.e., is sovereign)
After the class discussion pass out a worksheet for them to
complete to show their understanding of the lesson and
practice understanding trade on their own. They will
independently complete the worksheet. The worksheet asks
four questions about trade and trade scenarios. Walk around
and help students as needed.
Now please clean up your play dough and I will come around
and collect it. I am going to pass out a worksheet for you to

5-10
min

complete independently that reviews trade. Once you are

finished turn it over on your desk and read quietly.
6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:

Students will be assessed on their understanding of trade based on the

worksheet they complete independently. They are expected to answer 4
out of 4 questions correctly to show an understanding of the objective.

After students have finished their worksheet have them come

back together and discuss what they have learned. Why do
people trade? (To obtain the goods and services they want).
Do both people benefit from a voluntary trade? (Yes) Why is it
hard to trade without money? (It is hard to find someone who
7. Closure
5 min
is willing to trade) Do we use trade without money anymore?
(No) This discussion will show what they have learned. Make
sure they understand we use money now to trade because
both people can still benefit because you are trading money
for a good.
Overall the students did well on their assessment. One of the
things that seemed to be confusing to them was the vocabulary
section where they had to match the word to its definition. I
dont think they understood what I was asking and hadnt been
asked to match before or seen what I was asking them to do. I
think it confused them because they got stuck at that part and
8. Assessment
didnt understand what to do. Once I explained it they
Results of
understood so I know they understood the standard. Next time I
all
would change the way I ask that question and make it clear what
objectives/skills:
I expect from them. Other than that they did well on describing
their trade activity and understood the vocabulary terms.
Another thing I might change about the assessment is the way I
worded the trade scenarios and who benefited from the trade.
The way the sentence was worded might have been confusing to
students.
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Modifications/Accommodations: Students who
Students who cant hear or see well should
dont work well in groups should be monitored
be seated towards the front of the
during the trade so they dont cause problems for
classroom so they can hear the lesson and
other students. Make sure that students who
see the board. Students who have a hard
dont get along dont trade and cause a fight or
time paying attention should also be seated argument.
towards the front so the teacher can keep
an eye on them.

Materials/Technology:
Play dough (one can for each child)
Trade worksheet (one for each child)
Pencil

References: Play Dough Economics by Harlan R. Day Lesson 6

Reflection on lesson: Overall I thought the lesson went really well! One thing I would have
changed is having the students clean up the play dough before we started the discussion after
they were finished trading. Students were too busy playing with their play dough instead of
paying attention. During the lesson they paid attention because I didnt hand out the play dough
until I was finished giving instructions. Students understood if a trade was fair and had good
ideas for the good they created. The trade also went very well and almost all of the students
ended up trading and were happy with what they traded. I was very pleased with how the
activity went and how well they understood it. No one was picky about the play dough color they
got, which was surprising but I was proud of them for not being picky and just being happy with
what they got. The discussion questions after the trade helped them prepare for the worksheet
and understand the reasoning behind their trades. I like that I explained barter and didnt just
have them trade and do the worksheet. Knowing what they were doing helps them understand
and learn.