Books to read:
A New Coat for Anna: During World War II,
Anna’s mother decides to trade for few valuables for the resources needed
to produce a new coat for her daughter. Anna visits the sheep that
provide wool. meets the woman who spins yearn, helps her mother dye yarn,
takes the yarn to the weaver, and goes to the tailor who makes the new
coat.
Abuela’s Weave: A young Guatemalan girl and her grandmother grow closer as they weave tapestries and clothing then travel to the market to sell their goods. Mass-produced items are also on sale, but people are willing to pay a higher price for the scarce hand-made item.
General Store: Illustrations offer an opportunity to compare the general store with the modern-day supermarket.
Good Lemonade: A young boy tries all types of gimmicks to sell his bad tasting lemonade. He finally decides that the best way to do it is to have a good product.
Hammers, Nails, Planks, and Paint: Illustrations and simple text explain the process of building a house.
How a Book is Made: Animals explain the steps of producing a book starting with the writing of the manuscript and the drawing of pictures. Explains all the technical processes leading to printed and bound copies.
I Want to be a Police Officer: Ramon's uncle explains to Ramon and friends how people become police officers. He also describes the various jobs officers are required to do.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie: A young man discovers that if you give a mouse a cookie, the mouse will probably then request a glass of milk, a straw, a napkin, a mirror, and more. The sequence of events provides many examples of goods and an opportunity to discuss needs and wants.
Make Four Million Dollar$ by Next Thurs$day: Jason Nozzle wants to be a millionaire. He discovers a book and thinks the instructions will make him rich.
Make Way for Ducklings: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard decide to move their eight ducklings to the Boston Public Garden. The trip becomes a challenge for Michael, the policeman, who oversees the adventure.
Market: Travel to six bustling outdoor markets of the world, where traders buy and sell regional products.
Miss Nelson Has a Field Day: Miss Viola Swamp, a substitute teacher, appears at Horace B. Smedley School to shape up the football team and help them win at least one game. This book describes many workers (specialists) that work at the school and provides illustrations of many durable and nondurable goods needed to run a school.
No Peas for Nellie: Nellie does not like peas so she thinks of substitutes - items she can eat instead.
On the Other Side of the River: Villagers on two sides of a river do not like each other very much but their attitudes change when the bridge connecting the villages is destroyed and they realize how much they depend on one another for goods and services.
Ox Cart Man: The ox cart man and his family grow crops on their land and trade their crops for other goods.
School Days: Follow a class through a day at school jam-packed with activities. Offers opportunities to identify specialists at school and to discuss the goods and services each produces. There are many examples of durable and nondurable goods that must be purchased to run a school.
Something for Sara: Sara learns how to make change and to manage her money as she visits a Laundromat and store. Her mother helps her to understand saving, spending and sharing. Some Spanish terms are used in the text.
Stores: The economic activities of 40 different stores found in a typical community including an ice cream store, kennel, and bank.
Strega Nona Meets Her Match: Strega Nona uses old-fashioned potions and magic to help villagers cure headaches and remove warts. When her friend comes to visit and sets up a competing shop using more modem methods, Strega Nona loses customers.
The Berenstein Bears and Mama's New Job: Each member of the Bear family has a job - they depend on each other. When Mama decides to go into business, the rest of the family learns about time scarcity and all the goods and services Mama Bear provided for them before she went back to work.
New Road!: A step-by-step description and illustrations of how a road is built with a look at the people involved in planning and construction, kinds of equipment used, and how roads have changed
Paddle-to-the-Sea: A young boy carves the figure of an Indian in a canoe and sets him off on a journey through the Great Lakes and down the Saint Lawrence River. Winds, currents and human hands help him as he journeys to the Atlantic. Along the way he observes a sawmill, fishermen, the Coast Guard busy docks, the factories of Detroit and peaceful farms.
The Big Green Pocketbook: A young girl and her mother make a bus trip to town. They visit shops and businesses including a stop for ice cream at the soda shop. Along the way, the little girl puts treasures into her big green pocketbook.