Ox-cart Man
The ox-cart man made his annual trip to the market in Portsmouth to sell the goods that he and his family had produced but had not consumed during that year. Also, he became a consumer as he purchased capital goods to help the family with their future production. Then he sold his ox and cart and returned home.
Economic Concepts
- Producers
- Consumers
- Goods and Services
- Natural Resources
- Human Resources
- Markets
- Money/Exchange
- Barter
- Decision-making
- Demand
- Opportunity Cost
- Income
- Saving
- Investing
- Consumer Goods
- Capital Goods
Grade Levels
- Primary (K-3)
- Intermediate (4-6)
Related Subjects
- U. S. History
- Entrepreneurship
Teacher Tips for Using this Book
Lesson 15, Producing: In the Past and In the Present, From Adventures in Economics and U.S. History, Volume 1:
Students will read two books, Farming by Gail Gibbons, a book about contemporary farming, and Ox-Cart Man, a story about 18th century farming. They will compare the resources of the two time periods. They will see that the changes in technology and capital have increased the productivity on farms so that today more can be produced by fewer people. (Print publication – lesson not available online).
Gallagher, S., & Hopkins, M. C. (2001). Adventures in economics and U.S. history. Richmond, VA: EconFun.
Lesson 1, Exploring Economics: Then and Now, From Adventures in Economics and U.S. History, Volume 1:
Through brainstorming and guided discussion, students discover that the fundamental economic problem is scarcity: resources are limited while wants are unlimited. They have a hands-on experience with opportunity cost. Then by exploring this book about life on a colonial farm, they learn that this was true for people in the past as well. (Print publication – lesson not available online).
Gallagher, S., & Hopkins, M. C. (2001). Adventures in economics and U.S. history. Richmond, VA: EconFun.
In this lesson, students read the book and discuss economics concepts included in it. Then they participate in a circular flow activity. (Print publication – lesson not available online).
Flowers, B., Meszaros, B., & Suiter, M. C. (1994). Economics and
Children’s Literature 1994 Supplement. Coulson E. C. & McCorkle S.
(Eds.). SPEC Publishers, Inc. St. Louis, Missouri.
Online Lesson, Ox-Cart Man, from Kids Econ Books:
http://www.kidseconbooks.com/html/ox-cart_man.html
Students read the book and discuss the economics concepts through a set of questions and answers.
This book would go hand in hand with the unit on Pioneers. Students could create wares, much like the family in the story, and create a classroom store of objects that were made as the pioneers did. Objects could be bartered between different classrooms. Students would be learning on many levels, first that goods/services were based on the resources available at that time. Students would also have a better understanding of the process of making many items we take for granted. Lastly, students would have opportunity to see how bartering helped to provide families wants and needs when money wasn’t as available as today.
Many students have had opportunity to have a classroom store, so this would be a new twist to that experience. It would take extra time, resources to find what students could make, but could be a very powerful experience to extend students understanding of economics.
Lesson 9, The Ox-Cart Man Goes to Market, From Adventures in Economics and U.S. History, Volume 1:
Students read or review this book and explore the economics concepts found in it by answering questions, discussing the book, and participating in several activities. In this way they will review many of the basic concepts that were learned in earlier years. (Print publication – lesson not available online.)
Gallagher, S., & Hopkins, M. C. (2001). Adventures in economics and U.S. history. Richmond, VA: EconFun.