Bad Kitty Gets “Good” Goods and Services

In this economics lesson, students will use real world examples to learn about goods and services.

Warm-Up

Show the cover of the book, Bad Kitty. A copy of Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel is made available in various print and digital formats. Introduce the book to the class. Ask students the following questions:

1. Why might this book be called bad kitty?
2. What is the opposite of a bad kitty? (good kitty)

Write the word “good” on the board. Now tell students they are going to learn about a similar word with a different meaning. Add an “s” to the word and ask students what the word says. Explain that goods are things people can hold or touch and services are things people do for you. Project the Goods and Services matching activity. Complete the activity as class to help students distinguish between goods and services. Ask students the following questions:

1. Which of these are goods?
2. Which are services?

Modeling

Before reading the book, show students the YouTube Video Bad Kitty series by Nick Bruel — Book Trailer on the projection screen. State the following,”Your task is to look for examples of goods and services as we read Bad Kitty together.” During the reading, the following are recommended stopping points for read aloud/think aloud discussions:

1. After you get through the first set A-Z food, ask: Are these goods or services (goods because they are all food items that you can touch or hold). Then ask: Did Bad Kitty think they were “good” goods.
2. After the set of alphabet activities that Bad Kitty performs after she wasn’t happy, ask if she is providing goods or services. Were those good services or bad services?
3. Next, stop on the page when the owner is back from the grocery store and says there is good food for kitty. Predict what some “good” goods would be for kitty. After the new goods, kitty was very happy. What do you think she did?
4. After reading the next set of A-Z activities, ask students whether kitty was providing goods or services. Note: Some students may be confused by a couple of the examples that could be both goods and services (Bought me new toys, Gave to Unicef, or was Nice to my Mommy (by providing a rose). Discuss how some workers provide both goods and services.

Group Activity

Place students in groups of 4-6. Each group will choose one pet and find goods and services for that pet. Hand out a large poster-sided sheet of paper folded in half to each group. On one side students write “goods” and on the other side they write “services.” Each group will search and brainstorm for goods and services for pets. To help students consider some of the goods and services needed to care for pets, create “pet centers” using the resources below:

1. Set-up a computer displaying the YouTube video Taking Care of Pets by Miami Dade Public Schools and Miami Dade Animal Services Department
2. Make copies of Pet Care Sheets from Pets in the Classroom
3. Make copies of Responsible Pet Ownership from American Veterinary Medical Association.

Each group should present their work with the rest of the class.

Individual Activity

Distribute copies of What is a Good and a Service? worksheet. Have students complete the worksheet. Once the students have completed their task, they should share their answers with a friend. Discuss the answers as a class. Collect the What is a Good and a Service? worksheet.

Distribute one copy of the Goods and Services Quiz to each student. Have students complete the quiz and submit their sheet. Use the Goods and Services Quiz Answer Sheet to review answers.

Activity 1

Using 1-1 devices or in a group activity, assign students the Goods and Services matching activity 2. Have the students drag the picture of the service each one provides to the good that is made or grown. Students can then write one sentence describing the the difference between a good and a service.

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

GOODS AND SERVICE matching ACTIVITY

YouTube – Bad Kitty series by Nick Bruel — Book Trailer

YouTube- Taking Care of Pets

Pet Care Sheets

Responsible Pet Ownership

What is a Good and a Service?

Goods and Services Quiz

Goods and Services Quiz Answer Sheet

Goods and Services Matching activity 2