Open Wide, Look Inside

Summary:

“Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed. He was a farmer, but he didn’t farm like my daddy did. He farmed a genuine, U.S. Government Inspected Balloon Farm.” Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm was written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Mark Buehner and the opening paragraph says it all. Told from the point of view of a small, curious farm girl, this book tells the story of a mysterious farmer who grows balloons instead of traditional farm crops like fruits and vegetables. The farmer doesn’t say much and looks like your normal, average farmer but for the little farm girl, curiosity kills the cat. She sneaks out to find out how he grows his balloons and once she discovers his secret, she is nothing short of amazed and frightened. But Harvey Potter’s winning personality doesn’t change the narrator’s opinion of him and after a visit from the government, Harvey Potter is allowed to continue growing balloons. This story is a wonderful story for young children to discover what a little bit of creativity can do to a person.

Curriculum Connections:

With this book, children learn what being a farmer is like. They aren’t the richest people in the world, but by using the resources that they have and the “can-do” spirit inside of them, they realize that even with a scarce number of resources laid out in front of them, they can make anything happen (SOL 2.9).  Also in this book, children understand how important it is to respect the personal property of others. Both the narrator and an irritable, older farmer trespassed on Harvey Potter’s farm to discover his secret about growing balloons. But unlike the farmer, the narrator always respected Harvey Potter and made multiple attempts to befriend him, which she did and also painted the picture of what it means to be a good neighbor/citizen as well (SOL 2.10, K8).

Additional Resources:

Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm Lesson Plan:  This website provides a fantastic lesson plan for teachers to use in their classroom and also contains a wonderful and fun activity that students will enjoy.

Balloon Crafts for Kids:  Have you ever wondered what kinds of things you can make with balloons? With this website, children will receive an enjoyable experience of making different kinds of arts & crafts while using balloons.

Balloon People:  Have you ever wanted your very own balloon person? With this website, you can create just that: a magical person using a balloon and other different crafts. Perfect for the small child who loves balloons or playing imagination.

General Information:

Book: Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm

Author: Jerdine Nolen 

Illustrator: Mark Buehner

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 1998

Pages: 32

Grade Range: K-2

ISBN: 0-590-63095-4

 “Everything comes from something,
Nothing comes from nothing.
Just like paper comes from trees,
And glass comes from sand,
An answer comes from a question.
All you have to do is ask.”

In Agatha’s Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story written by Carmen Agra Deedy, pictures by Laura L. Seeley this was Agatha’s verse she would recite to the children of Manhattan when they came into her weaving shop wanting to know where her beautiful fabrics came from. Perhaps, little old Agatha forgets her own advice when one cold night she gets a loud bang at her window during her sleep by six angry, cold, naked geese. They want their feathers back that are inside Agatha’s brand new feather bed that are keeping her so warm. Agatha had worked hard to earn that bed, and wasn’t willing to give it up. Instead, Agatha tells the geese to come back to her in three days, and for the next three days Agatha didn’t waste one minute. She closed her shop to the public and starting working. On the third night the geese showed up just as they had agreed, and as they came into Agatha’s bedroom they saw six white, fleecy coats. They were so surprised and thankful. They then looked at Agatha and saw what their coats were made of, Agatha’s hair. They all giggled and on their way out the geese reminded Agatha, “lucky for you and me, hair grows back…just like feathers.”

Curriculum Connections

Agatha’s Feather Bed is a great book to use to introduce many of the economic sections of the Virginia Standards of Learning. It explains that everything comes from something, how people are producers of goods and services, and encourages children to ask questions. It also is a great way to introduce the use of barter in the exchange for goods and services (VA Standards of Learning 2.8). Agatha uses her hair to make the fleecy coats, and the geese gave up their feather for the feather bed. They both decided it was a good trade in the end, because they both got something they wanted. This story teaches a good lesson to students, while telling a humorous story. I would recommend using this book as a read aloud in the lower elementary grade levels.

Additional Resources
Ten Little Pennies– Here is a website with a catchy song that will get children to sing about trade and money. There are other great song options on the main page of this website that will go along with any economic theme.

Lemonade for Sale– The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has a website with economic lesson plans, and I found this Lemonade for Sale lesson plan that goes along with the theme of my book. It is a lesson plan teaching children the concepts of producer, consumer, and productive resources. This lesson plan is very interactive with the children and allows them to decide on their own to classify their resources as natural, capital resources, or human resources.

Kids learn market trade– “Pittsburg-area fourth graders present their product at SIFE’s Just Imagine Nation.” A fourth grade class learns about the market economy of four regions of the U.S. Students are divided into teams representing the four regions of the U.S. and work together to come up with a product that is unique to their region. I am very happy I found this website, because this is a great idea that I hope to use in my classroom one day.

Book: Agatha’s Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story
Author: Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrator: Laura L. Seeley
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers, LTD.
Publication Date: 1991
Pages: 28
Grade Range: 1-3
ISBN: 1-56145-096-0

Follow caveman Ump in his economic venture selling Fwats in Ump’s Fwat: An Annual Report for Young People by Marilyn Sadler. “In the beginning… the club was one of man’s most useful tools. He used it to settle arguments, to hunt the short- tempered wooly mammoth… and, most importantly, to play fwap.” These clubs, or fwats, were used to play a game called fwap which is the caveman version of baseball. One day, the players realize that Ump’s fwat seems to allow for a quicker, more accurate swing, and therefore hit the furthest. Ump realizes that his design for his fwat is what makes it the best and he realizes that he has created a product others want.

“Ump realized he had a MARKETABLE PRODUCT in his hands. For if he were to make fwats for fwap players all over the world, he would get, in return, many flinks.” (Flinks is a term for caveman money) Ump, with his friends and supports as investors, begins a business selling fwats. Ump bought tools, hired employees, and gained more investors which allowed him to expand his business and maximize his profits. “His shareholders, in turn, began to make huge DIVIDENDS from Ump’s growing PROFITS.”

Curriculum Connections
Filled with funny quotes and silly characters, Ump’s Fwat is the perfect book to introduce students to a unit on economics. Rich in economic vocabulary and with an easy to follow plot, this story is perfect for 3th to 4th graders. This story has a plot appropriate for any age but in terms of vocabulary this book works best with in upper elementary classrooms. Vocabulary such as savings, investment, product, employees, profit, dividends, demand, and stock are just some of the words that are bolded and defined throughout Umps journey into the business world. Teachers can use this story to introduce or enforce economic vocabulary, inform students about the process of building a business, or to discuss subjects such as supply and demand or the stock market.

Virginia Standards of Learning- 3.7 The student will explain how producers use natural resources (particularly wood), human resources (people at work), and capital resources (tools, machines, and buildings) to produce goods and services for consumers.

Additional Resources

• The Powell Center for Economic Literacy Publications– This website contains links to read Ump’s Fwat online or to watch the Ump’s Fwat video.
• The article: Elementary Students Understand Economics and Master the Woolly Mammoth Burger, from the Kentucky Teacher Newsletter describes how some classrooms have integrated Ump’s Fwat into their economics curriculum by creating their own production line.
• In many schools, fourth grade classrooms compete in a Stock Market Game online and use Ump’s Fwat as their introduction to the game.
• Econopolis is a great resource for kids to learn about economics. Join Mega Money, your host, in learning all about economic topics and definitions that go along with Ump’s Fwat.

Book: Ump’s Fwat: An Annual Report for Young People
Author: Marilyn Sadler
Illustrator: Roger Bollen
Publisher: Fieggie International Inc.
Publication Date: 1980
Pages: 22
Grade Range: 3rd- 4th grade
ASIN: BOOOGAQY18

Have you ever wondered if your dog or cat is smarter than he or she lets on?  Clever Cat, written and illustrated by Peter Collington, takes readers into the mind of the average household pet.  Quite fed up with waiting to be fed each and every day, Tibs (a cat) climbs up on the counter opens a can of cat food and feeds himself to the astonishment of the family who owns him.  Delighted with her very clever cat, Mrs. Ford gives him a key to the house and eventually her cash card. “‘I forgot to pick you up some cat food,’ she said. ‘Do you think you can take out some cash and buy yourself some dinner?'” Before long, Tibs is eating in restaurants, shopping, and going to the movies.  No longer willing to simply provide for the cat’s keep, Mr. and Mrs. Ford take back the cash card and tell Tibs to get a job. “‘We need to talk,’ said Mr. Ford. ‘You’re a very clever cat, but a very expensive one to keep.  You’re going to have to help out with the bills.'” It doesn’t take Tibs long to discover that earning his keep is hard work and not nearly as much fun as playing dumb and waiting to be fed.  Taking his cues from other cats on the street, Tibs forgets how to feed himself as quickly as he learned and eventually Mrs. Ford breaks down and feeds Tibs herself.  A satisfied Tibs curls up in the sun next to the other cats in the neighborhood who wink “at each other as if to say, ‘Finally, a clever cat.'”

Curriculum Connections

Clever Cat is a fantastic children’s book  for introducing a number of general principles of economics: economic choice, scarcity, opportunity cost, human resources, and the use of money.  Kindergartners through third graders will appreciate Tibs’ struggle to take control of his own life, his joy in spending money freely, and the painful lesson that nothing in life is free.  Cash cards can feel like magic to children (much the way that Mrs. Ford’s cash card feels to Tibs) but the lesson that the Fords ultimately teach, helps to explain that cash cards are just another form of money that has to be earned and used in exchange for goods and services (2.8).  Teachers can use the book to talk about the choices that Tibs has to make once the Ford’s force him to get a job and relate that to the choices that people make when resources are scarce (K.7, 1.8, 2.9, 3.9).  In addition, Tibs’ short time as a waiter provides an opportunity to talk about human resources and the role that workers play in bringing products and services to consumers (2.7).  The illustrations are a perfect counterpoint to the story and help to build students’ background knowledge about ATM machines, financial transactions for goods and services, and the work and effort involved with holding down a job. While the breadth of the book lends itself to all of the topics above, a lesson that includes all of the above topics would probably be overwhelming for an introductory lesson.  As a result, it is recommended that teachers select one or possibly two of the concepts listed to focus their lesson.

Additional Resources

• Teaching Ideas for Opportunity Costs– In addition to purchasing information for an opportunity cost poster and activity pages, this page of Kid’s Econ Posters includes a number of ideas for teaching the concept of opportunity costs to young elementary students.
• Scarcity and Choice – This site provides good background information for elementary age students about scarcity and choice and relates it to their lives.
• Opportunity Costs Game– This site provides directions for a very simple game that teachers could introduce to students to support the concept of opportunity costs.  Students win $150 and have to choose which prize or prizes out of a given list they would select with their prize money.  All prizes not selected are the opportunity cost.
• Reinforcing the Concepts of Scarcity and Choice – This lesson plan asks students to imagine they are boarding the Mayflower for the new world and can take one small suitcase.  What would they pack? Teachers in the upper elementary grades can use this lesson or a variation thereof to reinforce the concepts of scarcity and choice while teaching students about colonization of the United States.

Book: Clever Cat
Author: Peter Collington
Illustrator: Peter Collington
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2000
Pages: 32
Grade Range: PreK-3
ISBN: 0375804773