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A Busy Day at the Factory by Philippe Dupasquier
Candlewick Press
20 pages
ISBN 1-56402-836-4
Summary:
Mabel, the quality inspector, keeps a lookout to make sure that
everything is running smoothly in the candy factory. The workers
work on assigned jobs. The machine they use can wrap 278 toffees
in a minute. The specialization of labor and the machinery lead
to higher productivity. However, there are times when the production
process does not work as smoothly as desired.
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Concept: Productivity
Definition:
Labor productivity measures how many goods or services are produced
per worker. Greater productivity leads to higher standards of living.
Comprehension
Questions:
Producing candy
takes a lot of human resources who specialize in their work. Who
are the people working in the factory and what are their specific
jobs? (Sid, the night watchman; Tom and Pete, the cooks; Jack and
Alf, the bench hands; Florence, who loads the candy wrappers; Winnie,
who stacks the boxes; Jim, the floor manager; Louise, who is in
charge of the weighing machine.)
What is the
toffee productivity of the factory? (278 toffees can be produced
every minute.)
Why is there
high productivity in the production of toffee in the factory? (Each
worker has a special job and does it well. Workers also have many
capital resources.)
What capital
resources are used in the factory? (Capital resources include the
factory, the cooling bench, the weighing machine, the machine for
wrapping candies, etc.)
What may be
a problem in a factory which uses many machines for the production
process? (The machines could break down, slowing down or stopping
production.)
What are some
ways the candy factory could have even better productivity? (Answers
will vary. Examples: better training of workers, better capital
goods/machines, working harder, etc.)
Would you like
to work in a factory? Why or why not? (Answers will vary.)
Other Concepts:
Capital Resources, Specialization, Human Resources
(From KidsEcon Posters©: www.kidseconposters.com)
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