Economics: Products of South Louisiana

Economics: Products of South Louisiana: Students will learn how two products are part of South Louisiana's Economic Process.

Words to Know: Economics: Producers, consumer, goods, services

Time: 5 days

Day 1: Introduction to Producers and Consumer Topics.

•Discuss with students the roles of farmers, processors, and distributors in food production and consumption.

•Ask students to brainstorm the steps of in manufacturing corn, such as growing, removing the shucks, washing the corn, cutting the kernels off the cob, cooking the corn, putting the corn in a can, and sealing the can.

•Have students illustrate the process.

•Put students into several small groups to discuss the process of getting orange juice, potatoes, apple juice, canned tomatoes, grape jelly, canned carrots, etc. to their table?

•Have them number the steps in the process. Have them write sentences to represent each step using flow charts (interactive or blackline)

Day 2: Product 1: Steen’s Cane Syrup

1.The producers grow the peppers, harvest them, create the sauce, bottle it and then it is shipped to consumers who buy it.

2. Students will watch a powerpoint about Steen’s Cane Syrup made in south Louisiana. Explain that this product is produced in Louisiana, but shipped all over the world. (See LA Economics Links)

3. Students will complete flow charts and work with Steen’s Cane Syrup interactives (see link labeled LA Economy Links)

4. Have students illustrate the process and write about how Tabasco is made.

Day 3: Product 2: Tabasco (Louisiana Hot Pepper Sauce)

1. The producers grow the peppers, harvest them, create the sauce, bottle it and then it is shipped to consumers who buy it.

2. Students will watch a powerpoint about Tabasco hot sauce made in south Louisiana. Explain that this product is produced in Louisiana, but shipped all over the world.

3. Students will complete flow charts and work with Tabasco interactives (see link labeled LA Economy Links)

4. Have students illustrate the process and write about how Tabasco is made.

5. Do a comparison contrast chart or Venn diagram on the two products.

Day 4 and Day 5 “Reporting a Product"

1. Field Trip to a plant near your school to see “production” of any product. Bring a still camera and a flip camera to document the production of the product.

2. Using the flip camera, the students could be reporters and “narrate the segments if they are aware of the process of production before the field trip. Another option would be to film the process and edit the clip with programs such as Movie Maker, iMovie, etc.

3. Write a newspaper article about a certain product. ( (See LA Economics Links for newspaper interactives)

4. Students will report their findings of the field trip. (Either the report with the video or they will report their newspaper article information.

Closing: Review content learned