Lesson Three Michigan’s Economy Today

1. Lesson ThreeMichigan’s Economy Today The Economy of Michigan Unit Two:

2. What is one important thing you’ve learned about economics so far in this unit? • People have to make choices because of scarcity. • People use resources to make goods and services. • You can’t have everything thing you want. • There are three kinds of resources.

3. The BIG Ideas • The economy of a state is based on the economic activities of a state. • Economic activities are the different ways people use resources to produce goods and services. • Important economic activities of Michigan include manufacturing, agriculture, mining and tourism. • Providing services like banking is also an important economic activity of Michigan. • One special kind of service is research and development. In this economic activity people produce ideas leading to new or improved goods and services. • The location of economic activities is often connected to the natural and human characteristics of an area.

13. Automation Alley

14. economic activities different ways people use resources and produce goods and services. Example: Farming and mining are economic activities.

15. Remove Celery, Furniture, Iron Ore, and Lumber • Celery • Farming, or agriculture • Furniture • Manufacturing • Iron Ore • Mining • Lumber • Logging What different economics activities would be needed to produced these four items?

16. manufacturing the making of goods in a factory Example: Manufacturing is an important economic activity of Michigan.

17. agriculture another word for farming Example: Agriculture is an important economic activity of Michigan

18. Manufacturing and agriculture are two of Michigan’s most important economic activities. Like all economic activities these ways of producing goods and services provide jobs and bring money into the state.

19. Take all the product cards from the file folder game. Remove all those that show manufactured goods. These include: cars, cereal, baby food, medicines, chemicals, metal products, paper, bowling alley equipment, household appliances and ships.

20. Information about Manufacturing in Michigan • Manufacturing makes more money in Michigan than any other economic activity. • Michigan leads the country in automobile manufacturing. In addition, more than 700 different companies make auto supplies in Michigan. • More than half the office furniture made in the United States is produced by Michigan companies. • Michigan companies are always looking for new goods to produce. Recently some have begun to make homeland security equipment like improved body armor.

21. Different economic activities often require different geographic locations. What kinds of natural or human characteristics would it be important for factories to be near? Manufacturing is often located near large cities where there are lots of potential workers and near good transportation networks that can be used to ship raw materials to factories and finished products to other places.

22. Remove all the product cards from the file folder game. Then remove all those that show agricultural goods. Note that these include: dairy products, Christmas trees, corn, apples, celery, beans, cherries, asparagus, blueberries, potatoes, mint, strawberries, soybeans, peaches, carrots, bedding plants and grapes.

23. Despite this wide variety of agricultural products, agriculture does not bring in as much money as manufacturing in Michigan. Explain that in the Michigan history unit later in the year students will learn that this was not always the case.

24. Despite this wide variety of agricultural products, agriculture does not bring in as much money as manufacturing in Michigan.

25. Information about Michigan Agriculture • Michigan has about 52,000 farms. • Michigan ranks third in the country in apple production • Michigan has the second highest production of carrots and celery. • Michigan grows 2.2 million acres of field corn, which is used for livestock feed, edible products, corn meal, oil, syrup and breakfast cereals. • 657 flower growers make Michigan fourth in the nation in value of wholesale flower products. • One third of all cultivated blueberries in the United States come from Michigan.

26. What kinds of natural or human characteristics would it be important for farms to be near? • Fertile soil is important for crops to grow. • Some crops need special kinds of soil. • Blueberries, for example, need soil that is quite acidic and celery needs a ‘heavy’ soil. • Crops can also require different kinds of climate. Some crops require more rain than others. Some require a longer growing season.

27. Michigan’s Mitten of Plenty

28. http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-2961_6860_7657-14874--,00.html. This shows the location of several agricultural products. If time permits you may also want students to visit the ‘Kids and the MDA” website located at this website: http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1566_1733_22582-71015--,00.html#. At this website there are several games and activities relating to Michigan agriculture.

29. Producing services is also an important economic activity of Michigan.Services include health care, banking, insurance and a wide variety of other things. Geographic location may influence the production of services.

30. tourism an economic activity in which tourists visit an area and spend money Example: Tourism is an important economic activity of Michigan.

31. tourist a person who goes sight-seeing and spends money in a place away from where they live Example: The tourist visited the park and bought a book about animals there.

32. Tourism, which is often referred to as a service industry, is a very important economic activity of Michigan. Check out the Virtual vacation’ like the one which can be found at the following website: http://www.michigan.gov/mikids/0,1607,7-163-15858_20584---,00.html. This short virtual tour will help students understand the types of locations tourists seek out.

33. What kinds of natural or human characteristics would attract tourists? • Scenic places like waterfalls • The coastlines of Michigan and inland lakes • Historic places like forts • Museums • Sand dunes

34. research and development an economic activity where people produce ideas that lead to new or improved goods and services Example: Research and development businesses often are located near universities and colleges.

35. Automation Alley

36. Information about Automations Alley, a special research and development region • This region is home to more than 311,000 technology workers. • It began as a small region in Oakland County. It has grown to include Genesee County, Livingston County, Macomb County, Monroe County, Oakland County, St. Clair County, Washtenaw County, Wayne County and the City of Detroit.  • It is a ‘technology cluster’ that promotes productivity, new ideas and new business growth. • It is made up of 1000 technology-driven companies, governments and educational institutions.

37. Research and development is an increasingly important economic activity of Michigan. In this case people are producing ideas. They are trying to invent new products, find new medicines and solve problems.

38. Another quickly growing research and development region is the “Life Sciences Corridor”. • This region was created out of a cooperative project between Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University. • This region specializes in research relating to areas such as medicine and health. • It stretches from Grand Rapids to Lansing to Ann Arbor. The Life Sciences Corridor is strongly tied to the location of Universities in Michigan.

39. Wrap-Up Questions • Why doesn’t Michigan just concentrate on one economic activity? Why does it need so many? • Do you think the economic activities of Michigan were different one hundred years ago? Why or why not? • Do you think the economic activities of Michigan will be different one hundred years from now? Why or why not?

40. Assessment Create a poster describing two important economic activities of Michigan, examples of their related products and factors influencing the location of these economic activities.

41. capital resources goods that are used to produce more goods and services Example: Factories and tools are capital resources.

42. human resources workers and their skills Example: Truck drivers, doctors, and teachers are human resources.

43. scarcity not enough of something so people have to make choices Example: Amy must choose how to use her scarce time. Should she ride her bike or do her homework.

44. natural resources things in nature that people find useful Example: Water, soil and trees are natural resources.

45. economy activities related to making, trading and selling goods and services Example: Making cars has been an important part of the economy of Michigan for a long time.

46. economics the study of how people use limited resources to produce goods and services that people want or need. Example: In economics you study topics such as economic systems, trade, and production