Patricia King Robeson
Beltsville Academic Center
Prince George's County, Maryland

Overview

This lesson was developed using The Goat in the Rug, by Charles L. Blood and Martin Link, with illustrations by Nancy Winslow Parker (Aladdin Books: New York, 1990 edition). The story is told by a goat named Geraldine who lives on a Navajo reservation with Glenmae, a Navajo weaver. Glenmae decides to make a rug, using wool taken from Geraldine. The story explains the steps Glenmae follows in order to make her rug. Geraldine explains how she gets into trouble because she does not understand what Glenmae is doing. Economic concepts of scarcity, production, consumption, and natural, capital, and human resources can be taught using this story and lesson.

Objectives

• Students explain how Glenmae used natural resources and capital resources to make a product.



• Students explain the relationship between the physical setting of Window Rock, Arizona, and its ability to satisfy the wants and needs of its people.



• Students explain that when products are made by artisans, the items are one of a kind.



• Students simulate ways of increasing productivity through specialization on an assembly line.

Time Required

Four days

Materials

• Book: The Goat in the Rug
• 7 sheets of construction paper (in various colors) for each student
• Handout 1: Assembly Line Place Mats
• Handout 2: Who Produces More?

Teaching Activity

• Explain to students that today you are going to read a book called The Goat in the Rug. The story is about a Native American weaver who combines her human resources with natural and capital resources to weave a rug. Define the words:
  
  Natural resources: those things found in or on the earth
  Capital resources: things made by people and used to produce other goods and services
  Human resources: people doing mental or physical work to produce goods or services



• Ask the students to name natural resources used to make items in their classroom—for example, trees for wooden items, sand for glass items, and perhaps aluminum, iron ore, petroleum, etc.



• Ask the students to name capital resources found in the classroom—for example, scissors, pencils, books, desks, clock, book bags, computers, etc. (Items that students or teachers use in order to perform a task or service.)



• Ask the students to name human resources needed in the school—for example teachers, principal, cafeteria workers, secretaries, building engineers, etc.



• Explain to the students that this story takes place on an Indian reservation near a place called Window Rock, Arizona.



• Ask a student to locate Arizona on a U.S. map.



• Explain that an Indian reservation is land the government has set aside for the Native Americans to live on and maintain their tribal way of life.



• Tell the students that, in the story, Glenmae uses many natural and capital resources from the Window Rock region to make a rug.



• Read and discuss the story with the students.

Artisan Activity

• Explain to the students that Glenmae was an artisan. Define an artisan as a skilled worker who makes a product from start to finish by herself or himself. Explain that artisan's items are one of a kind, and they often take a long time to produce. Thus, artisans produce relatively few items. Tell the students that they are going to become artisans.



• Give each student an 8" x 10" sheet of construction paper and instruct the students to watch as you demonstrate the steps they are going to use to weave a paper place mat. Demonstrate how to fold the paper in half lengthwise. Start about one inch from the top of the paper and tear a line from the fold line to a point about one inch from the edge of the paper. Make several tear lines about one inch apart. Stop one inch from the bottom of the paper.



• Instruct the students to fold their paper in half lengthwise and to make about seven tear lines.



• Give each student another 8" x 10" sheet of construction paper in a different color than the first piece. Demonstrate how to tear six strips of paper about one inch wide in a lengthwise direction.



• Instruct the students to watch as you demonstrate how to weave the strips of paper in and out of the first piece. Continue until the place mat is completed. Allow the students time to complete their place mats. Record the average amount of time students needed to finish.



• Ask students to explain why they would be called artisans, and why Glenmae was an artisan.

Assembly Line Activity

• Explain to the students that in the early days most items people needed for everyday life were made by artisans, but during the Industrial Revolution the idea of an assembly line took hold. Ask if anyone can define the term. Explain that, on an assembly line, each worker does one part of a job and everyone cooperates to make a product.



• Divide students into groups of six and give each group 18 pieces of 8" x 10" construction paper of various colors; also give each group three pairs of scissors and two rulers.



• Instruct the students to watch as you demonstrate how to make a place mat using tools.



1. Fold one sheet of construction paper in half lengthwise.



2. Place the ruler on the fold line; then, with a pencil, mark one-inch marks down the paper.



3. From the edge of the paper, measure over one inch and draw a line down the paper one inch from the edge.


This line will show where to stop cutting. Cut on the lines.


4. Take another sheet of construction paper and draw lines at one-inch intervals lengthwise down the paper.



5. Cut the paper on these lines.



6. Now weave the strips in and out of the other piece of construction paper.



7. Show the students the finished product.



• Tell the students they are now workers in a factory that produces place mats.



• Explain that the materials on the desks are their resources and only these resources can be used to make the product.



• Tell the students to decide among themselves who will do each job. For example, two people can do folding and measuring, two cutting, and two weaving. Allow five minutes for practice after the groups have assigned jobs.



• Instruct the students to begin their production. Allow 15 minutes for them to make as many place mats as possible. Say that you are looking for quality work.



• Ask each group to count how many place mats they successfully completed.



• Record the information on the chalkboard. Debrief (using handouts 1 and 2).

Patricia King Robeson teaches fifth grade at Beltsville Academic Center in Prince George's County, Maryland. In 1994, she received the National Council for the Social Studies Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award; in 1995 she received the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Educator Award. Her social studies lessons have been presented at local, state, and national conferences.