Lesson Number: 8

Maine Song and Story Sampler

Curriculum Connections Series

Lesson Number: 8

Standards Connection: Social Studies Maine Learning Results – Parameters of Essential Instruction (standard C-2).  C. Economics.  2. Individual, Cultural, International, and Global Connections in Economics.

Geographic Region: Statewide

Grade Level: 5-12

Instructional Time: Approximately one to one and one-half hours

Introduction: Citizens participate in markets in formal and informal ways.  Public commercial transactions and private economic exchanges have historically been important to Maine’s economic viability.  Students should be aware of the diversity of economic activity in Maine.

Materials: The following materials are required for this lesson:

  • Digital and sound projection equipment, e.g. a MLTI laptop in one-to-one computing environments OR a teacher-directed LCD/sound projection system in traditional classrooms.
  • Access to the Maine Song and Story Sampler website.

Pre-Teaching: Students should be familiar with the diversity of Maine’s resource-based economy and the geography of Maine.  At a minimum, they should understand where Maine’s seafood, agricultural, dairy and lumber industries have traditionally been based.

Activity: Students and teachers should survey their community for examples of public and private economic exchanges.  For example, a public economic exchange in historic Lewiston, Maine was the economy of textile mills; while a private economic exchange in the same region and era may have involved childcare among female mill workers.  Using the MS&SS website students should identify documents that describe economic exchanges.  Using these historic examples each student should create a help-wanted advertisement, employment poster, or job description.  Students should submit their creative document along with a copy of the archival document that inspired their work.

Assessment:  Teachers may choose to assess student writing based upon the rubrics or standards of their respective districts.  Mastery of PEI C-2 may be assessed through a review of the content of the student’s written work and its relationship to the MS&SS artifact it references.

Download pdf:  MSSS C-2