📖

Opportunity Cost: What We Give Up

Economics: Needs and Wants

Day 108of 180
Week 22of 36
25Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)

Learning Objectives

1

Understand the concept of opportunity cost

2

Learn that choosing one thing means giving up another

3

Recognize that resources are limited

Luke 14:28

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Luke 14:28 (WEB)

Jesus teaches about making wise choices and counting the cost before making decisions

📦 Materials Needed

  • Play money
  • Toy store items (small toys)
  • Sorting cards
  • Poster board

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather students in a circle and explain that today we'll learn about making choices and what we give up when we choose something.

💭 Review Question: What are some choices you made this morning?
2Teaching (8 min)

When we choose one thing, we always give up something else. This is called opportunity cost. It's like having $5 and having to choose between a toy car or an ice cream cone.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • We can't have everything we want
  • Choosing one thing means not choosing another
  • Resources like money are limited
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What would you choose: a toy or an ice cream?
  • Why can't we always have everything we want?
3Activity: Opportunity Cost Shopping (8 min)
game

Students will practice making choices with limited play money

📝 Instructions:
  1. Give each student $5 of play money
  2. Set up a 'store' with toys and treats
  3. Students must choose one item
  4. Discuss what they gave up
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Limit choices to 2-3 items

Challenge: Add more complex pricing and multiple rounds

4Closing (4 min)

Recap the lesson about making choices and understanding opportunity cost

📝 Review Questions:
  • What does opportunity cost mean?
  • Why can't we always have everything we want?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, help us be wise in how we use the resources You give us.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn how our choices can honor God

Proverbs 21:5

The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit, but everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Opportunity Cost Rhyme

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Opportunity cost is a fundamental economic concept about making choices

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use real-life examples
  • Be patient with understanding
  • Encourage reflection on choices
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children may find it difficult to understand they can't have everything

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Child's ability to explain giving something up to choose another

Extension Activities

  • Create a family budget game
  • Draw pictures of choices made
  • Keep a choice journal for a week

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

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