Consumption and Production

General

Students learn about the functions of producers and consumers in their communities. They will practice identifying examples of each and participate in various matching and sorting activities.

Learning Objective

Students will be able to define and identify examples of producers and consumers in their communities.

Introduction

Students begin by thinking about their community: grocery stores, department stores, and shopping malls. They will discuss with a partner where they think these stores get all of their supplies. Next, explain that everyone is a producer or consumer at some point. Ask what kinds of items their families like to buy and what kinds of services they receive.

Instruction

Review the definitions of goods and services and needs and wants, and provide examples. Have students decide if an item is a need or a want. Then define “production” and “consumption” to the class, and show examples of each. Examples of producers include farmers, police officers, and bakers. Consumers may purchase groceries, new sneakers, or they may go to the movies. Have students read two scenarios and decide when a producer or consumer is being described. Next, students will drag to sort several images into “producers” or “consumers.” Finally, they will draw a line to match producers with the good or service they provide for consumers.

Quiz

Check student understanding with ten multiple-choice and true/false questions. Students decide whether a statement describes a producer or a consumer.

Closing

Have students think of some examples of producers and consumers. Then have students work in pairs or groups. They will invent a new product and present it to the class. They will need to decide what is needed to produce the product and who their consumers will be.

About Gynzy

Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.

With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.