Type: Primary School

Recommended for 2^nd grade

Community is what children begin to know from a very young age. School, parents' workplaces, shops, parks start to become important landmarks in their world. In the Our Community module, learners discover the interdependence between people and public or private institutions.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

Part of JA's Life Skills Development national program, the Our Community module aims to tackle concepts of personal and family economics and include them in the wider context of local economy.

EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

The Our Community module provides classroom activities in the form of an optional or extracurricular subject, using a kit of educational materials which includes:

• teacher’s guide;
• student’s workbook;
• auxiliary materials.

There are five topics in the module, which students work through under the guidance of their teachers and volunteers from the banking sector.

SKILLS DEVELOPED

• Analytical thinking • Critical thinking • Decision-making • Teamwork • Accountability • Problem-solving • Observation

ACTIVITY LIST

1. The community
   Students discover the different jobs and activities people can do in a community.
2. What shop should we open?
   A new business is very important for a community. Students become decision-makers and practice the voting process to determine what type of shop best serves the needs and desires of their community.
3. Building a community
   Building a community requires careful planning of space as well as resources. With a limited budget, students must decide what buildings should their community have, how to position them and how to use the land nearby.
4. Employees and taxes
   Members of a community have different roles and occupations, some of which are managed by the administration for the smooth running of the community. In this context, students understand the interdependence between people of different occupations and the importance of paying taxes.
5. The money flow
   The flow of money within the local economy is essential, as it ensures the sustainability of entrepreneurs and employees in a community. By tracing the path of workers' wages from the factory to the bank and to the various shops in the community, students can better explain the interrelationships and possible events that would occur if money did not move through the community.

„"Implementing this program in my classroom was a starting point for applied economic education, allowing students to interact with elements of the local community. Students gained an understanding of how people, family, private and public institutions make decisions that affect people's daily lives and well-being. They also learned to assess the needs and wants of their communities and to take responsibility for the decisions they make in various situations. Students were fully involved in the activities, showing a keen interest in them." – Adriana Verzea, teacher, Nicolae Iorga School, Ploiesti