Teacher page

1. Teacher page Objective: Students will be able to describe the basic forces that determine movement within a free enterprise and a communist systems. • Suggestions / Ideas: • This resources was designed as a simple, group activity that allows students to compare the life of a worker in a free enterprise system and in a communist system. • This assignment is very simple in its lesson: “There is little incentive for workers in a communist system”. • Though you may see an opportunity to expand on the practical application, this lesson is designed to help students understand a very basic difference between free enterprise and command economies: Control. • The basic instructions are as follows: • Split students into groups of five • Give Each group a set of the worker strips that they will pass out within their group in order to describe their character. • Students will then discuss each event with the group as their character as the teacher goes through the presentation. • When each section is finished, the students can write down or discuss their reactions to each event. • The wrap up questions at then end of each section and at the end of the presentation can be done as a group or individually as the teacher determines the need. • An optional template for gathering information and taking notes is also provided. Keep in mind as you begin your discussion, most students do not really like being equal. Use their clothes, phones, cars, etc as example to demonstrate to them how their individualism would be in danger in a communist system. It might help add a little interest in the lesson.

2. Free Enterprise Communism What is your reaction to the event later that day? What is your reaction to the event later that day? What is your reaction to the event two weeks later? What is your reaction to the event two weeks later? What is your reaction to the event six months later? What is your reaction to the event six months later? • Be ready to share your answers to the following questions. Remember, there is not a wrong answer, but you must at least attempt it. Use the back if necessary. • Do you think this company provides its people with the chance for advancement? • How does this scenario promote the idea of free enterprise? • Does this sound like a job you would like to keep? If you had your choice would you work somewhere else, or stay here? • Be ready to share your answers to the following questions. Remember, there is not a wrong answer, but you must at least attempt it. Use the back if necessary. • Do you think this company provides its people with the chance for advancement? • How does this scenario demonstrate a major problem with communism? • What do you think about being a worker in a communist system? Would the inability to own private property add to your concern in this system, or lead to less stress?

3. Worker A: You work in a shoe factory. You hope to move up to maybe be a manager one day, but you are staring as just a regular worker. You do not have a college degree, and you were hoping not to have to go to college to be a manager. Worker B: You work in a shoe factory, you are very happy to just come to work. You do not care about impressing anyone or moving up in the company. You do your job just fine, You are just a normal person, with normal opinions and issues. Worker C: Congratulations on your new Bachelors Degree in Business. You are starting at the factory tomorrow, but you hope to move up really soon. You think your degree will give you the edge over people with more experience. Worker D: You have been working at this factory for 25 years. You know your not moving any higher up. You do not have a degree, and your believe your boss hates you. You hope to retire next year if everything goes as planned. Worker E: You are working at the factory because your mom made you. You are only 18, but your still living at home. Your uncle works there, and he got you the job. You do not really want to work there, but you really need the money for a car. Worker F: You have so many design ideas for this company. You believe that your shoes could change the shoe business for ever. Your starting out at the bottom, but you know you could make these people rich if they would just listen.

4. SHOE FACTORY ECONOMICS

5. What if I could offer you a society where everyone is equal? The government of this new society will need to take a certain amount of control to guarantee that all of the people will get everything they need. Because of that, you will have to give up a little bit of control. So, you will loose some freedom, but you will gain equality. What do you think? Before you answer, I want you to think about that offer, and decide if you really want that. Are there any downsides to total equality?

6. Many of you were only thinking about race or ethnicity. Think about TOTAL equality in everything. • People make the same money • Wear similar clothes made by the same company • There is often only one choice on anything you buy • There is no real competition That last one is important for many reasons. There is no competition between business, but there is very little competition between people either. Why would competition between people be important?

7. FREE ENTERPRISE

8. Its Tuesday, 7:58 in the morning. I am your boss, congratulations, you made it to work without being late. Just get down to the assembly line before 8:00am. NO ACCIDENTS today! Be safe, but work hard.

9. Later that day . . . Hello everyone, I have news, Mr. Jones, my boss has decided to retire. I am moving up in the company. Therefore, my job as the manager of the factory floor is opening up. That could be a big raise, but more responsibility. Also, even though it is not any more money, we will need a new safety coordinator. If you are interested in any of these spots, let me know as soon as possible. So, what is your reaction to this event? Answer each of the questions provided on your paper in your own words.

10. Two Weeks Later . . . Hello everyone, I have decided that Worker C is the best choice for manager at this time. I know some of the rest of you have more experience, but we need to worry about supply cost and other issues that will soon be a problem. I think that Worker C has the educational experience and training that will lead us to the future. Also, I have decided that Worker A would make the best choice for safety manager. I think this position actually could include a raise in the next few months, but also I think that it will provide an opportunity to move up in the company. So, what is your reaction to this event?

11. Six Months Later . . . I know that this might surprise everyone, but I have decided to resign. I love the company, but I am moving several states away, so I really cannot keep the job. As such, the company has expressed that we need new managers and they would like to offer the job to the current workforce. If you are interested in moving up let me know ASAP. Also, a position has opened up in the research department. If you like to design products and want an opportunity to move up, I suggest you contact that department before that job is filled. So, what is your reaction to this event?

12. What Did You Notice? • Raise your hand if you felt like you were treated fairly. • Raise your hand if you felt like you were treated unfairly. • Raise your hand if you feel that you could have handled more responsibility than what your position offered. • Do you think this company provides its people with the chance for advancement? • Think about what you know about the free enterprise system. How does this scenario promote the idea of free enterprise? • Does this sound like a job you would like to keep? If you had your choice would you work somewhere else, or stay here?

13. COMMUNISM

14. Its Tuesday, 7:58 in the morning. I am your chosen leader at the people’s shoe factory. Just get down to the assembly line before 8:00am and get to work. You are expected to work as hard as everyone else today.

15. Later that day . . . Hello everyone, the government has decided I should go to another factory to work. You will have a new chosen leader that will be here by the end of the day today. I know some of you wanted to move up in the company, but you are very valuable in your current position. We have no need for more managers. It has been decided that no more money will be given for shoe workers and no new positions will be granted at this time. Everything will be steady and remain as it is now. So, what is your reaction to this event? Answer each of the questions provided on your paper in your own words.

16. Two weeks later . . . Hello everyone, the government has decided that we will now become a boot factory. We will be making a black boot that can be used by the military and possibly some other workers around the country. I know some of you wanted to be part of a design team, but we do not need help with that. We will only be making this one type of boot and its design is the same it has been for the past twenty years. Please be safe and continue to work hard. Everything else will remain as it has been. So, what is your reaction to this event? Answer each of the questions provided on your paper in your own words.

17. Six Months later . . . Hello everyone, we appear to have made enough boots. It seems that we now need to make children's shoes. Worker A and Worker D it has been decided that you are no longer needed at this factory. You will be needed at the bread making factory on the other side of the city. Do not worry about housing, there are apartments in that area of the city for you and your family. Everyone else continue to work hard and be safe. Everything will be the same. So, what is your reaction to this event? Answer each of the questions provided on your paper in your own words.

18. What Did You Notice? • Raise your hand if you felt like you were treated fairly. • Raise your hand if you felt like you were treated unfairly. • Raise your hand if you feel that you could have handled more responsibility than what your position offered. • Do you think this company provides its people with the chance for advancement? • Think about what you know about communism. How does this scenario demonstrate a major problem with communism? • What do you think about being a worker in a communist system? Would the inability to own private property add to your concern in this system, or lead to less stress?

19. Question: Think about your role and the role of others at these factories. How do you think someone that you might consider ambitious might have in either of these systems. What about a slacker? What about a “dreamer”?

20. Conclusions: Without economic freedom to buy and sell, there is little or no incentive for people to work harder or innovate new products. Command economies such as communist systems often become stagnate without at least some level of free enterprise. Simplify this statement in your own words. Can you put this information into one simple sentence?