Goals & Objectives
- Understand the different types of unemployment.
- Work together to discover who is unemployed.
- Calculate unemployment rates and labor force.
California State Standards and Common Core Standards
California Content Standards
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2.e
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2.f
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.b
Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
- 12.5.2. Define, calculate, and explain the significance of an unemployment rate, the number of new jobs created monthly, inflation or deflation rate, and a rate of economic growth.
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2.e
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2.f
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.b
Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
Driving Historical Question
How does unemployment affect the economy and those who are employed?
Anticipatory Set
The day will start with a review of the upcoming goals objectives, and vocabulary. The teacher will read each as the class writes down the information in their notebooks
The teacher will begin content instruction by asking the students’ employment status. First as a whole class, then individually. When asking individual students about their employment status, s/he will identify those who are part-time employees, those who are unemployed, and those who are not a part of the labor force. This activity will come before content instruction, and will allow the students to be exposed to the terminology twice, before the PowerPoint presentation begins.
The teacher will begin content instruction by asking the students’ employment status. First as a whole class, then individually. When asking individual students about their employment status, s/he will identify those who are part-time employees, those who are unemployed, and those who are not a part of the labor force. This activity will come before content instruction, and will allow the students to be exposed to the terminology twice, before the PowerPoint presentation begins.
Vocabulary
Students will be introduced to vocabulary prior to actual content delivery. The teacher will define a second time prior to the reading. S/he will also define as the read is in progress. Students will be required to academically use these terms as they both read and write.
- Frictional Unemployment
- Cyclic Unemployment
- Seasonal Unemployment
- Structural Unemployment
- Under Employed
- Discouraged Worker
- Labor Force
- Unemployment Rate
Content Delivery
Students will listen to a short lecture on unemployment. They will learn to the four different types of unemployment and the two main individuals who represent the unemployment. They will have been provided a shell to complete notes. At the end of the PowerPoint presentation, students will have the opportunity to work with unemployment by calculating both the unemployment rate and labor force. This will be completed as an “I Do, You Do, We Do” activity. Once completed, and understanding is conveyed, students will put away their shell to transition to a group activity.
Next, the teacher will give students a green, yellow, or pink slip. This slip will indicate whether the student is employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force. Using these slips, they will form groups in different areas of the classroom based on the slip’s color. Once in their groups, students will then receive a bag. The bag will contain different slips that represent an individual’s employment situation. Students will read their situations allowed to their group and answer questions on their worksheet. Students will then chose an, “expert” and return to their seats. The three experts, (one from each group), will share their information, and determine the type of unemployment and whether the individual is underemployed or a discouraged worker. Students will then use the aggregate numbers to determine unemployment rate and labor force. This will completed individually and the information will be reviewed as a class before the closing activity is conducted.
Next, the teacher will give students a green, yellow, or pink slip. This slip will indicate whether the student is employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force. Using these slips, they will form groups in different areas of the classroom based on the slip’s color. Once in their groups, students will then receive a bag. The bag will contain different slips that represent an individual’s employment situation. Students will read their situations allowed to their group and answer questions on their worksheet. Students will then chose an, “expert” and return to their seats. The three experts, (one from each group), will share their information, and determine the type of unemployment and whether the individual is underemployed or a discouraged worker. Students will then use the aggregate numbers to determine unemployment rate and labor force. This will completed individually and the information will be reviewed as a class before the closing activity is conducted.
Student Engagement
Students will come in the classroom and prepare for the lesson by listening to the teacher present the daily goals, objectives, and vocabulary. The following anticipatory activity involves students talking about their employment status. In this way they bridge the gap between content and their daily lives. They will discuss this as a class.
Students will then listen to a PowerPoint on unemployment. During this activity, students will use a shell to write down notes. They will also implement the content by using scenarios that allow them to apply the information by calculating unemployment rate, and the labor force. This will prepare them for the following simulation.
Before the simulation, students will receive a slip of paper; this slip will either be green, yellow, or pink. Although they will not understand the significance of the color, students will form groups using these slips, the green group (or employed group) will be the largest group consisting of 20 students, the yellow and pink will have 10 and 8 students respectively. Students will receive a bag containing scenarios that require them to determine their employment status. They will read these as a group and then answer questions on a work sheet.
When all questions are answered, students will then chose an “expert” student. The three “expert” students, (one from each group, will discuss their group’s findings. Next, students will be required to individually figure out the unemployment rate, and labor force. This will be conducted before the closing activity.
Students will then listen to a PowerPoint on unemployment. During this activity, students will use a shell to write down notes. They will also implement the content by using scenarios that allow them to apply the information by calculating unemployment rate, and the labor force. This will prepare them for the following simulation.
Before the simulation, students will receive a slip of paper; this slip will either be green, yellow, or pink. Although they will not understand the significance of the color, students will form groups using these slips, the green group (or employed group) will be the largest group consisting of 20 students, the yellow and pink will have 10 and 8 students respectively. Students will receive a bag containing scenarios that require them to determine their employment status. They will read these as a group and then answer questions on a work sheet.
When all questions are answered, students will then chose an “expert” student. The three “expert” students, (one from each group, will discuss their group’s findings. Next, students will be required to individually figure out the unemployment rate, and labor force. This will be conducted before the closing activity.
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Lesson Closure
The closure part of the lesson allows students to work together on a worksheet. This worksheet gives individual scenarios. Each scenario conveys a type of unemployment. Students are to identify which type of unemployment the situation represents. They will review this assignment as a class once they have completed the activity. This will not be collected until the notebooks are collected.
An alternative summative assessment is to conduct a story board of unemployment. (Directions below and in PowerPoint)
An alternative summative assessment is to conduct a story board of unemployment. (Directions below and in PowerPoint)
Assessment
There are several assessments. Students are assess as a class, in groups, and individually. As a class, students discuss the content, and share how calculations are conducted. This is a very broad way of determining content retention, so the teacher also uses the group, and individual method of assessing. As a less broad assessment, the teacher visits students in the green, yellow, and pink groups. S/he will speak with them as a whole asking some individuals to read their slip to her and asking those students what they think, considering the day’s lesson what type of person they are employment-wise.
Finally, the teacher will visit individual students while they are working independently; this is conducted during the mathematic portions of the lesson, as well as during the closing activity. By conducting assessments in several formats, the teacher can assess vocal students (during group discussions), students who are willing to share, but not in large groups (small group discussions), and those who are typically quiet (individual work) giving him/her a better understanding of class wide content retention.
An alternative summative assessment is to conduct a story board of unemployment. (Directions above and in PowerPoint)
Finally, the teacher will visit individual students while they are working independently; this is conducted during the mathematic portions of the lesson, as well as during the closing activity. By conducting assessments in several formats, the teacher can assess vocal students (during group discussions), students who are willing to share, but not in large groups (small group discussions), and those who are typically quiet (individual work) giving him/her a better understanding of class wide content retention.
An alternative summative assessment is to conduct a story board of unemployment. (Directions above and in PowerPoint)
Accommodations for Students with Other Needs
English learners, striving readers, and students with other needs are accommodated in different ways that are also beneficial to the class as a whole. In this lesson, the teacher uses a shell that visually correlates with the PowerPoint. Because today’s notes are more than usual, I have included an additional set of notes for those who struggle with reading, writing quickly, or who are English learners.
This lesson also uses differentiated teaching. Not only are students hearing, and writing down the information but they are also working with the information. In this lesson students not only calculate aspects of unemployment, they also work in groups, as partners, and participate in a simulation. This gives all, including striving readers, English learners, and students with other needs an opportunity to grasp the material.
This lesson also uses differentiated teaching. Not only are students hearing, and writing down the information but they are also working with the information. In this lesson students not only calculate aspects of unemployment, they also work in groups, as partners, and participate in a simulation. This gives all, including striving readers, English learners, and students with other needs an opportunity to grasp the material.
Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)
- Shell: “Unemployment”
- Worksheet: “Unemployment”
- Worksheet: “Classifying Unemployment”
- Green, Yellow, and Pink slips
- Unemployment status slips
- PowerPoint: Unemployment
- Paper
- Pen/Pencil