Resources on the Mississippi River: Grade Three: Day Seven

1. Economics on the Mississippi River
Students will learn what economics is and how the Mississippi River is an economical resource for many different materials.
2. Materials needed:
-overhead
-news paper articles from Winona State library catalog
-library books (pre-selected by teacher)
3. Goals for my lesson:
A. The students will comprehend what economics by creating a “timeline” of a product of their choice.
B. The students will compare the price of certain materials over a number of years.
4. Objectives
The students will comprehend the meaning of economics and how the Mississippi River is an economical resource for many different materials. Understanding the many resources that use the river as transportation the students will research the price of material over a number of years.
5. Procedures
A. Introductory Experiences:
1. Using the list that was generated about what resources use the river for transportation at the end of class yesterday, collaborate and add a few more ideas to the list on the board. Possible ideas students might list:
-coal -flour -grain -gas
-people (dinner boats) -cars
(5 minutes)
B. Developmental Experiences: (number steps along with time for each step)
2. In table groups students brainstorm ideas how these material travel the river. Once the table group has their ideas have them write it on the board. From this list ask the students why they chose their form of transportation and explain. (5 minutes)
3. Define economics. (2 minutes)
-the science that deals with production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services (dictionary.com)
4. Brainstorm one product. With that product create a “timeline” of where it began and the steps it had to reach before it is the final product. Students should choose the product that is interesting to them and they use in their daily life. (5 minutes)
5. Explain the barge industry and barge industry on the Mississippi River (15 minutes)
-25,000 miles of navigable waterways in the United States
-Comparing 25,000 miles to something they would know, 24,901 is the circumference of the earth at the equator
-Mississippi River is 2,320 miles long
-30,000 barges at work on the river
-Barges transport $1 billion in products annually (bag of rice with around 1 billion to physically show what 1 billion would look like)
-One-half of all exports are grain (oats, barley…bread and cereal-blue)
-20% coal (pie chart to go along with numbers-purple)
-20% oil/petro chemicals (pie chart to go along with numbers-beige)
-Transport wood for paper products, cement and asphalt for bridges
-Read articles found on the Winona State library catalog.
-Average barge tow today consists of 15 barges (equally the carrying capacity of a three mile long freight train-make a reference to the distance in reference to your school, or a line of semi trucks 35 miles long)
6. Grain one of the largest exports. Create a “timeline” for grain on the board with the students filling in the events. (5 minutes)
C. Culminating Experiences:
7. Using the library or computer lab students will choose one resource and research the cost of that resource from the past decades. With the information they collect they will graph the costs and write a small presentation for the class. The students can work in partners when doing their research and presentation. (10 minutes-next day also)
6. Assessments
A. When the students create their “timeline” of a product, I am checking for understanding. They will explain why they placed the events in the certain area.
B. Following the students research, if they can show you written documents the prices differences.
7. Resources
http://www.orn.usace.army.mil/pao/kylock/Background/barge1.htm
dictionary.com