The Big Idea Activity

How do people in a community meet their needs?

Class Job Fair

Students working on the Activity

Create a class job fair. List jobs that people in your community do. California Standard 3.5  Students demonstrate basic economic reasoning skills and an understanding of the economy of the local region.

Research RoadmapPrint the Research Roadmap. Use it to take notes and hand it in to your teacher when you make your presentation.

 

Topic Finder

Need help finding a topic? Explore these ideas for research...Occupations.

Case Study

Here's an example of a topic you could choose for the Big Idea Activity: The health care industry is growing quickly in California. Watch video clips about careers in health care. Look at some statistics for different health care jobs. Find out information about specific careers, such as a nurse or a doctor. Maybe you are more interested in what a pharmacist does.

Fun Facts Read some fun facts about U.S. Savings Bonds.

 
 

What kind of a job could you do today? In the past, many children went to work instead of going to school. They worked in factories, on farms, and in the cities. Look at the photos of children working in The Mill, Newsies, and Miners. Today it is illegal for children to do these kinds of jobs. The government knows it is important for children to stay in school. Find out how much you could earn later on.

Photographs of Child Laborers

Learning & Earning Calculator

 
 

People Use Money

Saving Money

Read about some reasons for saving money.

Spending Quiz

Take a quiz to find out how you can spend or save your money.

Occupation Explorer

How much money does a chef in your town earn? How about a veterinarian, or a seamstress? Type in an occupation, choose an area, and see how much money people earn.

Communities Produce Goods

What Do We Grow?

Use this interactive map to find out what kinds of crops are grown in your county.

Manufacturing in California

Read more about the manufacturing industry in California. What is manufactured most in California?

Port of Oakland

Learn more about the history of the Port of Oakland. Why would this port be important for trading goods?