Sample Lesson

Our Nation® Activity Three: Production
Students are introduced to three methods of production and demonstrate two of them by constructing pens. They develop an understanding of how different production strategies affect productivity, product quality, and profit.

Key Learning Objectives

• compare advantages and disadvantages of unit, mass, and batch production methods
• simulate unit and mass production methods
• recognize the importance of high rates, productivity, and high quality standards to the success of a business

Before class, take pens apart, keeping the activity on page 19 in mind when organizing the pieces. You should have 5 groups of separated materials when you’re done.

Go over definitions (unit production, mass-production, batch production, and productivity). Arrange students in groups of 6. Lay out all the pen materials. To demonstrate unit production, each student will collect all the pieces to build a complete pen. Students will independently build as many pens as possible in 2 minutes. Remind them that as important as quantity is, one of their goals must be quality. To demonstrate mass-production, each student will do one part of the total job to produce the pen. Again, the students try to complete as many pens as possible in two minutes.

At the end of the activity, discuss the pros and cons of each method, where problems arose in the production, and can those problems be fixed. Have students give you examples of products that are best created using the production methods demonstrated. Leave a pen with each student as a gift.