Specialization [microform] / Pat Luna

Designed for middle school students, this award winning, six-day teaching unit helped students learn about the concepts of specialization, interdependence, efficiency, and profit. At the onset of the lesson the students were already familiar with the concepts of scarcity, goods, services, profits, supply, demand, and opportunity costs. The unit's activities involve students in discussing a case study entitled "The Coach's Dilemma," and deciding whether or not a one coach junior high school should drop some of the many sports in which it presently participates so that the coach and the students can focus on one or two sports and have more time to practice and improve. Students also survey 30 local businesses to determine if they specialize or not. They identify the main goods or services each business provides. Some local business persons are also interviewed. Using the results, students then discuss whether or not they believe it is more efficient to specialize or not to specialize. Students learn how to use scientific methodology in their research project. The lessons also incorporate a value analysis experience and a field trip. Specific teaching procedures, student handouts, tests, and the student reports of their interviews are included. (RM)