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LESSON: HOW A HOUSE IS BUILT
Lesson Summary
Follow the work of all the special
workers as they build a house from start to finish - from designing the
plans to landscaping the yard. What a lot of special skills are
needed! This colorful book also shows pictures of houses from
different places and eras.
Concept: Specialization
Definition: People specialize when they produce
only some of the goods and services they consume, then trade with others
to get more of the things they want.
Specialization
increases the amount of goods and services that people produce and
consume.
Comprehension Questions
What are some of the kinds of natural resources that are needed to
build the many kinds of houses pictured at the beginning and end of
the book?
Wood, stone, clay, tree bark, water/ice, animal
skins, grass, stone caves, bamboo
What worker is in charge of building the house?
general contractor
What special types of workers does the general contractor hire to
build the house?
See table below.
What special skills do these workers need to have?
See table
below.
What kinds of capital resources do the workers use?
See table
below.
|
Worker |
Special Skills |
Capital
Resources |
|
General
Contractor |
Planning, organization,
overall knowledge of house building |
Computer, pencil, books,
plans |
|
Surveyor |
Using a transit, drawing,
geometry |
Transit, pens/pencils,
paper |
|
Heavy Equipment
Operators |
Operating heavy
machinery |
Bulldozer, dump truck,
payloader |
|
Foundation
Builders |
Digging, form building,
concrete pouring |
Concrete trucks, shovels,
forms |
|
Septic Tank
Crew |
Installing septic tank,
drains |
Bull float, pails
plumbing and digging tools |
|
Carpenter
Crew |
Many kinds of carpentry
skills |
Saw, hammer, level,
etc. |
|
Mason |
Skill with laying
bricks/stone |
Trowel, pail, ladder
device |
|
Electrician |
Electrical wiring
skills |
Wire cutters, various
kinds of tools |
|
Plumber |
Plumbing
skills |
Wrench, pipe cutter,
various tools |
|
Insulation/drywall |
Installing insulation and
drywall |
Hammer, cutter, pail,
trowel |
|
Painters |
Skill in
painting |
Paintbrushes,
pails, rollers |
|
Heating
specialist |
Installing furnace and
ducts |
Various
tools |
|
Landscapers |
Gardening skills,
landscape design |
Garden/landscape tools
such as shovel, level,
diggers | |
Why is it better to specialize when you make a product such
as a house?
You are able to produce more products since each
worker only has to learn one skill a skill he likes and has
mastered. Also, since each worker specializes, the workmanship
should be better. How does using specialized workers create
interdependence?
All the workers depend on the other workers to
accomplish their specific tasks.
Other Concepts: Natural
Resources, Human
Resources, Capital
Resources, Productive
Resources |
