Activity 1
Tell the students that you are going to work as a team. They can only put each sticker on their poster after you have discussed why the community needs the job pictured on that sticker. This will prevent kids from working ahead and not paying attention.

Note: The “How does the Community Work” poster labeled Activity 3 is also for Activity 1. Be sure to collect or have the students save their posters for use again in Activities 3 & 4. They can take the posters home after that activity.

Activity 2
With unit production, each student makes one donut at a time, from start to finish. With mass production, each student does only their one part of the production process.

It is best to let each student get involved in one production process. You will have to watch your supply of materials, but there are usually enough supplies to have groups of five participate until everyone has had a turn. Give as much time to the production process as possible still allowing time for review of the outcome. Students enjoy competing with other groups to try to produce the largest number of donuts. Frequently unit production will produce the most donuts. You may consider adjusting the assembly line to cut down on wait time for the students at the end of the line. Either way, use the outcome to teach a lesson using the discussion questions under the “Summary and Review.”

Activity 3
You will have to watch the time carefully with this activity, since there is a lot to do in 45 minutes.

The concept of government is a difficult one that can be confusing for the students. Use the definition given in the book and keep it simple. Students basically just need to know that government is an organization that provides goods and services that everyone in the community needs. We can buy donuts, pizza or a certain kind of shoes if we need or want them; however, our government provides goods and services like police officers, fire protections, roads, bridges and public schools.

If time provides, emphasize the importance of voting. In the United States, the people are the “boss” of the government. By paying taxes we are “paying our “employees”. Tell the students they will have the chance to vote during the next lesson.

Activity 4
Be sure students understand that they need to make an important decision that is best for the whole community, and sometimes this means putting aside their personal preferences. Also, help the students see that they can use the same decision-making process to solve their personal problems, such as what to do on Saturday afternoon or how to spend their allowance. Show them that they make decisions everyday, (i.e. what to wear, when to do their homework).

Emphasize that their votes are a secret. Set up a “polling station” and allow the students to secretly cast their vote.

Activity 5
As the students role play how money moves through the community, have other class members take turns reading the story. When you play the tape, be sure that students know to start following the quarter in the upper left hand corner of their journal. The words of the tape are written on the pages. Tell them to follow the path of the words to keep track of the quarter. Students like the tape, so play it a second time if you can.