Introduction to Economics Play-Dough Project

Goals & Objectives

Students will create their own products using play-dough to represent a scarce
resource.
Students will create a 30 second commercial and a business plan for their product.
Students will present their product, commercial, and business plan to the class.
California State Content Standards
12.1.1 Examine the causal relationship between scarcity and the need for choices
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-
specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words)
in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) Time: 5 min.
I will do a brief review of the concepts we went over on the previous day and will connect
them with the main activity we will be doing today. I will explain that we cannot have
everything that we want because society does not have the resources to produce
everything people want. The problem of dealing with scarcity involves making choices.

Vocabulary (Content Language Development) Time: 5 min.
The vocabulary terms will be written into PowerPoint slides which will be projected on the
screen so all students can see them. I will also verbally explain their definitions and use
some examples to help students more clearly understand the concepts. The students will
write the vocabulary terms and formal/simplified definitions and examples in their notes.
Terms include: competition, scarcity, demographic, and availability of resources.

Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) Time: 5 10 min.
Day 1: In order to reinforce the concepts learned in the previous lesson, the students will
do a play-dough project. I will project the instructions for the project on the overheard
screen and I will verbally explain and elaborate on the instructions. The students will get
into groups of 3 or 4 and will receive a certain amount of play-dough (not all students will

receive equal amounts, in order to demonstrate the effects of scarcity and differences in the
availability of resources) and they will create an original product with their play-dough.
They must name their product and set a price for it, and they must also create a 30 second
commercial and a business plan for their product. In their business plans, the students
must create a clear mission statement of why their product is needed. They must also
include the following: what their product is, what idea they improved upon to create their
product, what they see happening to their product in the future, potential consumer
problems or issues with producing/selling their product, what market demographic they
are targeting with their product, what tools/resources they would need to produce their
product, and what potential competition they would face.

Day 2: I will tell the students to get back into their groups in order to finish creating their
products and writing their commercials and business plans. I will announce when it is time
for them to present what theyve created to the class.

Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) Time: 30 - 35 min.
Day 1: Students will form groups of 3 or 4 and will brainstorm, discuss, and record ideas for
their potential products. They will begin to create their business plans and commercial,
and will begin to create their product using the play-dough. Students will also begin to
prepare for presenting their creations the following day.

Day 2: The students will finish creating their play-dough products and finalize their
commercials and business plans. When instructed, the groups will begin presenting their
creations to the entire class. Each group member will be expected to contribute to the
presentation by saying something.

Lesson Closure Time: 2 3 min.
Day 1: I will remind students that they will be presenting tomorrow and begin assigning
the order the groups will present in.

Day 2: At the end of the presentations, the whole class will vote by applause as to which
group created the best product. The winning group will receive extra credit.
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Day 1: I will be roaming around the room and will check each groups progress on their
project and will answer any questions as needed. This will serve as an informal progress
monitoring assessment.

Day 2: The presentations, physical play-dough product, and the written commercials and
business plans will be graded and will serve as a formal summative assessment for this
lesson and as a formal progress monitoring assessment for the unit as a whole.



Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
I will strategically place these students in heterogeneous groups so they can fully benefit
from group learning and participation. The project instructions will be projected on the
overhead screen at all times so these students have a constant visual reference of what they
need to complete. If needed, these students will be able to present their products,
commercials, and business plans to me in a one-on-one setting.

Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)
Ch. 1 Sect. 1 of Prentice Hall Economics: Principles in Action, PowerPoint notes, play-dough.