The Farm Girl Makes a Choice

Introduction: During the Civil War (1861-1865) in Virginia a young form girl discovers an unknown person hiding in the cornfield. What should she do? Whatever she does, her action (or inaction) will have consequences that will affect the life of another person.

Time Required: 25-30 minutes

Grade Level: 6-12

Objectives:

· The student will be introduced to the concepts of costs and benefits.

· The student will complete a group activity based on a class-created Cost-Benefit Analysis Chart.

· The student will make an independent decision based on the costs and benefits of a fictional situation.

Materials:

· Visual- Unspoken-Cost-Benefit Analysis

· Choice Cards- Printed on cardstock

· Copy of Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole [Scholastic, 2012]

Virginia Standards of Learning- Social Studies

3.9 The student will identify examples of making an economic choice and will explain the idea of opportunity cost (what is given up when making a choice).

CE.11(a) The student will demonstrate knowledge of how economic decisions are made in the marketplace by applying the concepts of scarcity, resources, choice, opportunity cost, price, incentives, supply and demand, production, and consumption.

Economic Concepts

· Alternatives- the different possibilities from which a choice may be made.

· Benefit – reward gained from an action or activity.

· Choice - takes place whenever someone makes a personal decision to use limited resources.

· Cost – the benefit given up when a choice is made

· Cost-benefit analysis –an analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs

· Incentive- an expected reward or penalty that motivates a person to take an action.

· Natural resources – “gifts of nature”; they are present without human intervention.

· Opportunity cost – that which is given up when a choice is made. When deciding how to spend a resource it is one’s second best alternative; the alternative given up.

· Scarcity – the condition of limited resources. Because resources are limited, people must make choices

Procedure:

1. Prepare and collect materials prior to class. Reproduce visual and statement cards.

2. Introduce the lesson by sharing the wordless book Unspoken by Henry Cole. Reading the Author’s note at the back of the book will give the students the background necessary to participate in this activity. (If time is a factor just read the two paragraphs on the last page under the “IF YOU WERE” section.

3. Tell the students that the main character, a farm girl living in Virginia during the Civil War had to make some choices. Should she help a fugitive or obey the law and turn this person over to the bounty hunters?

4. Display the visual and read the introduction and directions. Review the terms Cost, Benefit and Alternative. Solicit responses from the students concerning the possible costs and benefits of each alternative and record the answers.

5. Fill in the visual with suggestions from the student. Accept all feasible suggestions. Possible responses include:

Alternative 1
Help the Hidden Person / Alternative 2
Not Help the Hidden Person
Benefits
Advantages
or
Good Points / J This person may be running away from a horrible life.
J Helping someone in need is the right thing to do.
J If you help someone they may help you in the future.
J It’s best if you help. The adults in the house could get in big trouble if they know someone is hiding on the property. / J You won’t risk getting in trouble. (It’s against the law to help a slave.)
J There will be more food for you if you don’t share it with an unknown person.
J It’s easier not to get involved.
J It’s safer not to get involved. (This unknown person could be a criminal.)
Costs
Disadvantages
or
Bad Points / L Helping this unknown person could get you and your family in big trouble.
L You don’t know this person. This could be a criminal with evil intentions.
L Your family will have less food if you give some of it away.
L Sneaking around and being secretive is stressful. / L This person could be captured by the bounty hunters and severely punished.
L The fugitive could get weak from lack of food and die.
L You may need help someday, and this person would not return the favor.
L The adults in the farmhouse may help, and then get in big trouble.

6. Read the choice cards to the students, placing each card in a difference corner of the room.

7. Ask the students to vote with their feet, getting out of their seats and going to stand by the statement card they think would be the best choice the farm girl.

8. Allow the students in each group to quickly discuss why they selected this choice. Ask each group to share with the class why they choose that option and what were the incentives for that choice.

9. Conclude the lesson by asking the students if there could have been any other choices for the farm girl to make in this situation.

10. Remind students that all choices have costs and benefits.

Extension Activities:

· Challenge the students to create a list of some “real life” situations that require decision making. Possible topics could include: what book to check out at the library, to pack lunch or buy the school lunch, what activities to do over the weekend.

Visual-

Unspoken

Cost-Benefit Analysis

In the wordless book Unspoken, an unnamed farm girl living in Virginia during the Civil War discovers someone hidden in the cornfield. Soon the adults in the family are questioned by a pair of bounty hunters looking for a runaway slave. What should she do? Help her decide by filling in this chart with some of the advantages and disadvantages of their two possible alternatives (choices).

Alternative 1
Help the Hidden Person / Alternative 2
Not Help the Hidden Person
Benefits
Advantages
or
Good Points / J
J
J
J / J
J
J
J
Costs
Disadvantages
or
Bad Points / L
L
L
L / L
L
L
L

Choice Cards

Help the unknown person stay hidden.
(Even though it’s not legal and may not be safe.)
Ignore the unknown person.
(You can always pretend you did not know there was someone hiding in the cornfield.)
Call attention to the person hiding in the cornfield.
(It could be a runaway slave and you may get a reward.)
Quietly tell your mother and grandparents that there is someone hiding in the cornfield.
(They are adults. Let them figure out what to do.)