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LESSON: AGATHAS FEATHER
BED
Lesson Summary:
Agatha is disrupted by six cranky,
cold, naked geese. They want to discuss the source of the feathers
that are keeping her warm in her brand newfeather bed. Agatha
arrives at a solution and finally understands that:
"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."
Concept:
Natural
Resources
Definition: Natural Resources are gifts of
nature that are used in the production of goods and services.
Comprehension
Questions:
What does Agatha do for a
living?
She owns a fabric store. She spins yarn and then
weaves the yarn into cloth that she sells to people who come from all over
Manhattan to purchase her beautiful fabrics.
What kinds of cloth goods does
Agatha sell in her business?
She sells cloth made from silk,
cotton, linen, and wool.
What does Agatha mean when she says
that everything comes from something?
She means that every good
is made from some kind of raw material. (Examples from the
book: silk comes from worms, cotton yarn comes from cotton plants,
wool comes from sheep, linen comes from flax, feathers comes from geese,
glass comes from sand, milk comes from cows, flour comes from wheat,
perfume comes from flowers, etc.)
What natural resources are
necessary to produce all the raw materials that Agatha used to produce her
cloth?
Sun, water, soil, grass, plants, sand, minerals,
etc.
Where do natural resources come
from?
They are found naturally in nature.
What other productive resources are
needed to produce a good or a service?
Capital resources (manmade
goods such as tools, equipment, machinery, and buildings that are used to
produce goods and services) and human resources (all the people who work
to provide goods and services)
What good did Agatha purchase from
a catalog that satisfied an economic want?
She purchased a new,
comfortable feather mattress, since her old mattress was lumpy and
bumpy. She worked hard and saved until she had enough money to buy a
feather bed.
Why were the geese upset with
Agatha?
The geese informed Agatha that the feathers in her feather
bed didn't grow on trees - because of her feather bed they are now naked
and cold! They insist that Agatha give them back their
feathers.
How does Agatha solve this
problem?
She cuts off her long gray hair and uses it to knit each
goose a white fleecy warm coat.
Agatha got a feather bed, and the
ducks got new wool coats. Was everyone happy with this
exchange?
Yes!
When people trade and exchange with
one another voluntarily, who benefits?
Both parties in a
trade (exchange) expect to benefit.
Extra Credit
Question!
Are animals a natural
resource?
Maybe! Wild animals are usually classified as
natural resources. However, domesticated animals are different, and
are often classified as a capital resource. For example, in
traditional economies cattle and horses pull plows and are beasts of
burden. Milk cows and hens are also considered capital
resources. Pets are not a productive resource, but are better
considered as a consumer good.
Other concepts: Goods
& Services, Economic
Wants, Productive
Resources, Capital
Resources, Human
Resources | 
