Maine’s Goods and Services: Oh Goody! Goody!
Developed by: Maine Council for the Social Studies

Grade Level: K-2, 3-4

The MLR performance indicators listed below are for illustrative purposes. Depending on the focus of the lessons as developed by individual teachers, these indicators may or may not be addressed. Conversely this is not a definitive listing of all of the performance indicators which could be addressed in this lesson.

MLR: Economics: A-1; English/Language Arts: B-2; C-3; E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-6; F-2; G-1, G-6, G-7; H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4

Task Description

Students can discuss the meanings of the terms “goods” and “services”. After arriving at working definitions, students can brainstorm lists of each. With some magazines and newspapers, students could cut out illustrations of each and paste them on a big sheet of paper divided in half and each column headed “goods” and “services”. Another part of the discussion might include what kind of jobs their parents hold and whether those jobs are in the making of goods or the providing of services. Older students should be introduced to municipal services that are provided and begin to learn about the connection between those services and their tax contributions.

Student Product/Performance

Students will produce a large chart of identified goods and services.

Other students might make a schematic of the services provided by their municipality.

Resources

What Local Governments Do (Chapter Five of Local Government in Maine)

Magazines, newspapers

Criteria for Evaluation

Students should readily be able to identify goods and services from a list of new items. They should also identify the products made in their town, and the services that are provided.