|
LESSON: How Did
Santa Get His Job?
Lesson Summary:
So how did Santa
Claus get his job? Learn how in this humorous story that recounts all
the jobs that Santa got – and then lost – that helped him acquire the
skills he needed to be the Santa Claus that we all know today.
Concept: Human Resources
Definition: Human Resources are the people
who work to produce goods and services.
Comprehension
Questions
Why do people have
jobs?
To earn money (income) by producing goods and services
What is the economic
name for people who work to produce goods and services?
Human
resources
What were some of the
jobs that Santa Claus had in the story?
Chimney cleaner, making
postal deliveries, cook, zoo worker, circus worker, toy deliverer
People who work to
produce goods and services (human resources) need special skills (human
capital) to do their jobs. What special skills did Santa have or
learn in the jobs above? How did they help him in his final job as
“Santa Claus”?
The ability to climb and work in tight places, make
speedy deliveries, work well with animals, enjoy flying through air at the
circus. All of these were skills that made him a better “real” Santa
Claus.
What are some skills
that a teacher must have? (What are some of the skills that
other workers need?)
Ability to communicate well, manage
students, create lessons. Also, a teacher must have good knowledge of
the subject matter.
On the cover of the
book is a picture of Help Wanted Ads. What are these? How are
they helpful for people?
Help Wanted ads are notices that show jobs
that are available. Help Wanted Ads help businesses (buyers of labor)
and job seekers (sellers of labor) to “connect” with each other.
Does it cost money to
put a help wanted ad in the
newspaper? (Yes) Why?
Information is scarce. A
newspaper is a business that provides this scarce information to
people. The newspaper must buy productive resources – including human
resources - to run the business. These are costs of
production. To be successful, a newspaper has to earn enough money
through advertising and subscriptions to cover these costs, hopefully
earning a profit.
What are some of the
human resources it takes to produce a newspaper?
Possible
answers: reporters, delivery people, writers, editors, secretaries,
truck delivery people, etc.
In real life do
businesses give toys away?
No, in order to make a profit and stay
in business, businesses must sell their toys for a price. The money
toy businesses get from sales is used to pay for the productive resources
needed to produce the toys. | 
