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Fifth Grade - Language Arts
Activities
Bartering Game
Financial and Economic Concepts: Careers
Fifth Grade – Language Arts
Comprehension and Collaboration: Speaking and Listening Standard 1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Materials: Index cards, pencils
Time: One 45-minute class period
For this activity, students trade their resources for other goods and services. The purpose of the activity is for the class to understand the relative value of different community occupations.
Give each student a card with an occupation written on it. The occupations should be typical of what you would find in your community. - Next, have students create a set of "barter cards" for their occupation. They should list their professional and personal skills, hobbies, resources, etc., that can be traded, one per card.
- Ask students to create a set of "need" and "want" cards, listing desired one good or service on each card.
- After setting time limits, allow the class to trade cards among themselves, bartering their skills for goods and services. Remind students to consider the value of the trades both in money and time.
- At the conclusion of the activity, lead a class discussion summarizing the experience. Encourage students to draw conclusions about the relative value of skills and the bartering process and what careers are involved.
Discussion questions to consider asking students include:
- What occupation had the easiest time bartering? The hardest? Why do you think this was the case?
- What kinds of skills did you use when bartering?
- Students can choose their intended occupation for this game, rather than be assigned.
- Assign a value to the skills that will be bartered.
- Pair students as "couples," and have them barter in pairs.
Castaway
Financial and Economic Concepts: Scarcity and Choices Fifth Grade – Language Arts
Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Writing Standard 9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Range of Writing: Writing Standard 10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Materials: book, Robinson Crusoe or Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss, writing materials for each student.
Time: 45-60 Minutes
Read the beginning part of “Robinson Crusoe” or “Swiss Family Robinson,” in which the family’s circumstances are described.
Have the students make a list of all the things they would want if they found themselves in similar circumstances.
Working from this list make two additional lists, one for absolute needs and one for items that would make life nicer.
Relate this to the students’ lives by making lists of their needs and wants. Keep in mind that not all students will have exactly the same needs and wants.
Career Choices: Then, Now, and for the Future
Financial and Economic Concepts: Careers Fifth Grade – Language Arts
Comprehension and Collaboration: Speaking and Listening Standard 1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Speaking and Listening Standard 4: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
Materials: Questionnaire for students, list of possible careers in the community
Time: Two 45 minute classes (One to introduce assignment and expectations - one for students to be able to discuss their findings)
For this activity, students learn about the world of work and career planning from those actually out there: adults.
Have students interview an adult who has worked in the same type of job for at least 10 years using the following questions:
- What is your job?
- What skills did you need to get your job?
- What education did you need?
- How did you get your education and skills?
- Have you had to do additional training to keep current in your job?
- Do people being hired now have to have different skills and training?
- Where and how are they getting their training?
- How have job responsibilities changed since you first worked in the field?
- Why do you think your responsibilities have changed?
- Are there more people being hired in your field from diverse backgrounds?
- How do you see your job changing in 10 years? 20?
- Why do you think your job will change?
- What education and skills will be needed then?
With their information, have students write a short story about the person they interviewed (can be fiction or non-fiction). This can be first or third person, but should reflect how society has changed over the span of the person's life experience. Include cultural trends, societal changes, and differing family expectations.
Ad Notebook Activity
Financial and Economic Concepts: Career Management Fifth Grade – Language Arts
Text Types and Purposes: Writing Standard 1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
Production and Distribution of Writing: Writing Standard 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Materials: Wanted Worksheet, paper, markers
Time: 45 Minutes total - 20 Minutes for lesson and remaining time for students to create their own advertisement
You are an advertising executive who has been hired by an employment agency. You must create ads for four careers, using the propaganda techniques that follow. Ads must be creative, neat, and appealing. You must include the background skills needed, and positive aspects of this career.
Wanted Worksheet (pdf)
Career Writing Prompts
Financial and Economic Concepts: Careers Fifth Grade – Language Arts
Production and Distribution of Writing: Writing Standard 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Range of Writing: Writing Standard 10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Materials: Journal, pencil
Time: 5-10 Minutes (ongoing)
For this activity, students write responses to prompts that relate to skills applicable to both school and the workplace.
The following are writing prompts to be used as bell work or class starters. The responses need to be a minimum of three to five sentences.
- I usually solve problems by…
- The easiest way for me to learn something new is…
- When something is difficult for me, I...
- I can help my community by…
- Something I would like to change at school is…
- Something I would like to accomplish this month…
- I plan to be a life-long learner by…
- Something I admire in one of my family members is…
- I am proud of…
- I always feel successful when I…
- When a friend has a problem I…
- When I'm not prepared for class I…
- When I am upset I would like…
- The best way for me to study is…
- One of my favorite places is…
- I would like to save money for…
- In five years I would like to be…
- Someday I would like my children to…
- People say this about me…
- My ideal job is…
“The Wishing Fairy”
One day, as you were cleaning your room, a wishing fairy popped out from behind your bed. She promised to make you rich for the rest of your life, but to earn the money you would have to choose a job that would make you happy every day!- What job would you choose?
- What kinds of things would you do in this job?
- Why would you be happy?
