Our Family    - 1st Grade   Our Families emphasizes the roles people play in the local economy and engages students with activities about needs, wants, jobs, tools and skills, and interdependence. 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 Family" Program               Description   Key Learning Objectives   Activity One: Our Families Students better understand what a family is by studying a poster. They discover how people in a family are alike and different and how they work together to make the place where they live a good place.       Objectives:  The students will: -identify what a family is -recognize how people live and work together in a family Concepts: family, interdependence, job, work Skills: analyzing information, drawing, following directions, listening responsively, matching, sequencing     Activity Two: Our Families' Needs and Wants Students become aware that all families must have food, clothing, and shelter to live, and they begin to understand the difference between a need and a want.     Objectives:  The students will: -explain the difference between a need and a want Concepts: economic incentives, family, scarcity, wants and needs Skills: decision making, differentiating, following directions, listening responsively     Activity Three: Our Families' Jobs Students learn how jobs provide for family members' needs and wants. They draw pictures of family members doing jobs.           Objectives:  The students will: -define a job as work that needs to be done -identify jobs people do Concepts: business, economic incentives, employment, family, human resources, income, jobs, skills Skills: analyzing information, drawing, following directions, making observations     Activity Four: Finding Our Families' Needs and Wants Students use a floor map to discover where members of a family would go to obtain their needs and wants.               Objectives:  The students will: -interpret map symbols -place various kinds of symbols for businesses and services on a map -recognize how family members depend on various businesses to provide their needs and wants Concepts: business, economic institutions, scarcity, wants and needs Skills: decision making, following directions, map reading, recognizing and interpreting symbols   Activity Five: Paying for Our Families' Needs and Wants Students learn about the importance of working to pay for needs and wants. Through role-play, they demonstrate working and paying for needs and wants.   Objectives:  The students will: -describe various jobs at which people earn money -recognize that families use money to satisfy their needs and wants Concepts: earning, job, money, spending, wants and needs, work Skills: analyzing information, following directions, listening responsively

Comments from Teachers about the program:             

• Our volunteer did a great job presenting the material and worked well with the students.  The students really enjoyed the lessons and learned a lot that they could connect to their own personal lives.  I thought the program was a good addition to the classroom curriculum.  The students enjoyed learning the material and were excited that someone was coming to visit the classroom.Our volunteer did a great job providing hand on activities for all of the students to succeed with.  She was kind and caring to the students and really made them think!  I really enjoy this program and like how it involved students thinking about their community. 
• Our volunteer was always prepared and enthusiastic when he came in.  My students enjoyed his lessons.  They really got the concept of needs and wants.  They will bring that up when we are just talking and someone says “I need . . . “, then they will say “No, you want it.”  I think that it was very worthwhile and relevant. 
• I was impressed with our volunteer’s interaction with the children in the class.  They were very interested in the program and enjoyed all the activities.  She involved all the children in the lessons.  My first experience with Junior Achievement was a positive one!  I look forward to working with Junior Achievement in the future.  I would love to have my volunteer work with my class again.  My children looked forward to her coming every week.  I would encourage other teachers in my school to take advantage of this program! 
• Our volunteer did a wonderful job.  He was prompt and well prepared for the lessons.  He did a great job speaking to the students on their level.  This program is a wonderful fit for our academic standards.  I would highly recommend it!
• This is the second year that - - - has presented JA lessons for my children.  We have definitely asked for him to come back to us next year!  What sums it up?  The children ask everyday when he is coming back to our class for JA, and they clap when he arrives for each of the five JA lessons! 
• Our volunteer did a very nice job.  She presented the material in a manner that was easily understood.  The materials and activities were fun and colorful.  My students were disappointed when they learned that the program was ending.

Comments from Volunteers about the program:  ·                           

• I felt as thought the material provided was quite thorough and adequate for each lesson.  The materials made it easy to follow and to teach.  I thought the opportunity was very rewarding.  I enjoyed my time in the classroom and felt as though I really made a difference.
• I received all the back-up and training needed to complete the course.  I’m looking forward to next year.
• The first graders loved it!  It was great fun and I think we all learned a lot.  Thanks for the opportunity and I look forward to working with my daughter's class next year.
•  The kids loved the program and really looked forward to each session   I would suggest that for the last lesson on being paid for work completed, that play money be given in the kit.  I also made each lesson a bit more challenging–this class was very bright.

• The lesson plans for my class could have been more advanced. The kids quickly completed each of the activities.  They found them very enjoyable.  This is my 3^rd year volunteering for Junior Achievement and each class has been a treat!  I really enjoy the opportunity.
• The kids made every minute spent with them rewarding and made you feel good to share your own experience with them.   I’ll plan on doing it every year.
• I would love to do this again!!! This experience was so much fun.  I can’t believe how much school has changed since I was in 1^st grade.  These kids are so smart!
• I love to see the excitement on the children’s faces when they know I am coming.  It gives me great satisfaction that during the beginning of each session when we do the review, they remember what we talked about.  And it is great to see the impact Junior Achievement has on the lives of these young children.

• Everything was explained to me before my lessons started.  The information provided in my packet also explained the goal I was trying to achieve for the students.  The information and ideas given were very easy to follow.  The teacher also went over the lessons with me and was a big help.  The students seemed to enjoy each lesson we did.  They especially enjoyed being so involved with the last two lessons, creating the map and picking a job and acting it out.  I kept them involved and asked questions with each lesson.  This teacher has smart students that pay attention, they always gave correct answers.
• I found that the students really enjoyed most of the material.  We were talking about families, how they are different, what the students do to help their families (maybe as their weekly job) and then we moved into discussing jobs and then needs and wants. I felt the flow would have been better if the last two lessons were switched (lesson 1-2-3-5-4)