"Card" Specialty

Students will make a greeting card for their pen pals or book buddies while studying specialization and division of labor in Social Studies.

A lesson plan for grades 3–5 Social Studies

By Pat Pennino

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Related topics

• Learn more about community, division of labor, experiential learning, social studies, and specialization.

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Learning outcomes

Students will learn firsthand the terms “specialization” and “division of labor.” They will also experience how to make a product on an assembly line.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 hour

Materials/resources

• colored construction paper
• umbrella, butterfly, and flower cut-outs
• sample completed greeting card
• glue
• crayons, pens
• instructions for each station of the assembly line

Technology resources

Option: Print Shop Deluxe: This activity could be done on the computer with 3 children responsible for making one card. One child would make the front, another child would make the inside, and the last child would make the back of the card. Students would have to be instructed previously on how to use the Print Shop Deluxe. Each group of 3 students could make 3 cards with each child switching places until each child had created a front, inside, and back of a card.

Pre-activities

Students will need to study specialization and division of labor. Teacher should read books such as Let’s Visit A Toy Factory that explain division of labor and show pictures illustrating the process.

Activities

1. The teacher will explain to the class that they will be making greeting cards for either their pen pals or book buddies.
2. The teacher should show the final product and briefly explain how the students will make the card.
3. The teacher should divide the class into 3 groups of approximately 8 students each. This allows each child to have a part on the assembly line. (Teacher may have to add or take away stations, depending on how many students are in the class.)
4. Desks or tables should be arranged in a long rectangular shape so that students can be placed on both sides facing each other. There would then be 3 rectangular tables, with 4 students on each side (8 students per table).
5. The teacher will set up approximately 8 stations with instructions at each station for the task to be completed.
6. The teacher will have all of the materials ready at each station.
7. One student on each team will be chosen as the “inspector.” He/she will “inspect” the final product and reject any card that was not made properly.
8. The teacher will give the signal to begin. The teacher will help one table while the assistant helps the other.
9. The teacher or assistant will go from station to station explaining what each person will do. By the time this is done, the cards will be coming down the line.

• Station 1: Fold the construction paper in half to make the greeting card. Pass on.
• Station 2: Glue the umbrella on the right top corner of the front of the card. Pass on.
• Station 3: On the front of the card, write in cursive: “Happy Spring.” Pass on.
• Station 4: Open the card and glue 3 flower cutouts at the top of the card on the right hand side of the open card. Pass on.
• Station 5: Write in cursive at the bottom on the right hand side of the open card: “From your pen pal (or book buddy).” Pass on.
• Station 6: Glue a butterfly on the left side of the open card.
• Station 7: Print on the back of the card at the bottom: “This card was made just for you by _____’s class. April 20__
• Station 8: The “inspector” inspects the card and either saves or rejects.

The teacher calls time and has class discussion concerning the success of the project.

Assessment

The teacher will check with the inspectors and see how many cards were made correctly.

The teacher will observe what kind of mistakes were made and give feedback.

Comments

Any kind of card could be made, such as get well cards, holiday cards, thank you cards, etc.