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LESSON: KATY AND THE BIG
SNOW
Lesson Summary
Katy the
red crawler tractor could do a lot of tasks – in all types of
weather. Things were a bit slow one winter day in Geoppolis, when all
of a sudden the “big snow” hits town. Who will help all the people,
businesses, and government agencies in their distress? Katy, of
course! Follow her around the city as she digs a path in the deep
snow.
Concept: Goods and Services (focus on
public goods and services)
Definition: A good is an object people want
that they can touch or hold. A service is an action that a
person does for someone else.
A
public good or service is provided by government
using taxes collected from citizens. An example of a public
service provided by the federal government is national
defense. Public services often provided by local and state
governments are roads, police and fire protection, and
education. Certain services, such as water or electric power, can be
provided by government or by private companies.
Comprehension Questions
Katy
the tractor is an example of what kind of productive resource?
A
capital resource
What is
a public good or service?
A good or service provided by
government using taxes collected from citizens
Were
the services that Katy provided a public service or private
service?
Her services were public, since she was owned and operated
by the City of Geoppolis. Thus, her services must have been paid for
by taxes collected from citizens.
Why was
Katy so valuable to the city?
She could do difficult work that
people alone couldn’t do very efficiently – pushing big piles of rubble on
road construction; puling equipment out of difficult places – like a pond,
and pushing big mounds of snow. Capital goods, like Katy, help
increase productivity.
On the
map of Geoppolis (pages 6-7) we see all the places Katy visited throughout
the book as she helped people stranded and in trouble by the big
snow. Which of the places represent public services that can
be provided by government.
An asterisk (*) indicates a service
that can also be provided by private companies/organizations. Indeed,
sometimes such a service is more likely to be provided by private
companies, e.g. electric power.
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Highway
Department |
Fire
Department |
Fire
Tower |
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Grammar
School* |
Library |
High
School* |
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Post Office |
Auto Bus* |
Electric
Company* |
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Telephone
Company* |
Water
Deparment* |
Hospital* |
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In your
community, are the services above provided by government, or are they
provided by private businesses?
Answers will vary. If you’re
not sure, it may take some sleuthing to find out!
Other
Concepts: Capital
Resources, Productivity | 
