Our City

In Class Programs

Capstone Program

Our City - 3rd Grade

Our City studies careers, the skills people need to work in specific careers, and how businesses contribute to a city. Five required, volunteer-led activities.

The key learning objectives listed beside each activity state the skills and knowledge students will gain.

A Correlation Between Pennsylvania Academic Standards and Junior Achievement's "Our City" Program

Description

Key Learning Objectives

Activity One: Inside Cities

Students recognize that a city is a place where people live, work, play, and go to school. They become aware of the importance of city planning to the economic development of a city.

Objectives: The students will:

-define a city as a place where people live, work, play, and go to school

-learn about the different zones used in city planning

-identify the job of city planner

Concepts: business, city, city planner, economic development, jobs, zones

Skills: applying information, drawing, following directions, making observations, mapping information, teamwork

Activity Two: Building a City

Students examine the role of a builder and become aware of how that job is interconnected with the job of the city planner.

Objectives: The students will:

-understand the importance of the construction business to a city’s economy

-recognize the skills a builder needs

-identify how the builder's job relates to the job of city planner

Concepts: careers, jobs, skills, quality

Skills: decision making, interpreting directions, mathematical interpretation and computation, teamwork, understanding and using scales

Activity Three: Dining Out

Students work in groups to make decisions about operating a restaurant while exploring the role of restaurant owner. They define the terms consumer, producer, and entrepreneur. Through discussion they are able to identify the difference between consumer and producer.

Objectives: The students will:

-make group decisions necessary to start a restaurant

-decide on a type of restaurant

-discuss and select the best location for a restaurant

-decide what to charge for meals

-select an employee

-promote the restaurant

Concepts: consumer, producer, entrepreneur, interdependence

Skills: compiling data, conducting research, following directions, developing ideas, decision making, reading and interpreting data, role playing

Activity Four: Making Headlines

Students examine the purpose of a newspaper as a communication tool for people in a city, as well as the role of the reporter. They generate and organize article outlines for a class newspaper.

Objectives: The students will:

-understand the importance of the newspaper as a communication tool

-recognize the skills a reporter needs

-generate article topics and develop article outlines

Concepts: city, communication

Skills: developing ideas, generating topics for writing, organizing writing, responding to oral and written presentations, teamwork

Activity Five: You Can Bank on It

Students become aware of why banks are important to a city as they role play simple bank transactions.

Objectives: The students will:

-understand that one purpose of a bank is to keep money

-complete a simple bank transaction

-balance a checkbook

Concepts: bank, check, checking account, deposit, money

Skills: listening responsively, mathematical interpretation and computation, role playing, teamwork

Comments from Teachers about the program:

Our volunteer does an excellent job presenting the material. She always supports her lessons with additional tools that she provides. The students really enjoy her visits. I think that this program is outstanding. I appreciate the volunteer time and the materials provided. I would like to request the same volunteer for next year!
Superb Job! Our volunteer was knowledgeable and well prepared for each session. He interacted extremely well with all the students.
Our volunteer did an excellent job. She was well prepared for her lessons and held the interest of the students. She even had her husband come in and help her explain some of the construction end of the lessons! This is a fantastic program that fits in very well with our PA standards.
I am very pleased with the quality of our volunteer’s work. He showed an interest in the children, and he adapted his lessons according to the needs of the students. All of the students, regardless of their ability levels, benefited from his lessons, and they all walked away with more knowledge about their communities. The children looked forward to each visit. He went above and beyond his duty with this Junior Achievement experience.
Our volunteer is very knowledgeable about the subject matter and is able to add comments that enhance the teaching materials. Her preparation skills are excellent and her rapport with the students is wonderful! I believe JA is a valuable program that reinforces and enhances concepts taught through our Social Studies curriculum. Thank you!
Our volunteer was on time and never cancelled. She was well prepared and the children seemed to enjoy the activities that she had selected. Classroom management was well established on the first day.
We had an excellent volunteer. She was very energetic and motivating. She was on time and had closure to her lessons.

Comments from Volunteers about the program:

For my first time as a volunteer, I can’t think of anything that could have been done better. The class was wonderful! The students actively participated, and the teacher made my first volunteer experience a memorable one. What a great program!
JA was a real treat, we held a session each week for the last five weeks. I thought the kids were quite responsive and enthused.
This class was extremely bright and attentive. They were able to absorb the curriculum and more. They asked very perceptive questions, and discussion on the restaurant unit and the banking unit showed depth beyond the curriculum.
JA provided excellent materials. The children enjoyed the activities and asked if I could come back with more lessons.
I thought the supplies and manual were easy to use and very helpful in preparing for each lesson.
Third year and I’ll do it again!
I think the program runs very well as it is. . . I was impressed with the materials and the lessons received from JA.