Uncle Jed’s Barbershop
Despite serious obstacles and setbacks Sarah Jean’s Uncle Jed, the only black barber in the county, pursues his dream of saving enough money to open his own barbershop. Uncle Jed’s dream is to be an entrepreneur. Difficult circumstances force decisions delaying his dream including Depression-era bank failures and emergency surgery.
Economic Concepts
- Entrepreneurs
- Decision-making
- Opportunity Cost
- Saving
Grade Levels
- Primary (K-3)
- Intermediate (4-6)
Related Subjects
- Geography
- U.S. History
- Multicultural Focus
Teacher Tips for Using this Book
A lesson on saving for K-2 graders: Kid’s Econ Posters Literature Connections: Uncle Jed’s Barbershop
Curriculum Guide with a lesson for Uncle Jed’s Barbershop on resources, saving, and entrepreneurship, grades 1-3.
Flowers, B., Meszaros, B., & Suiter, M. C. (1998). Economics and Children’s Literature (Supplement 2). Coulson E. C. & McCorkle S. (Eds.). SPEC Publishers, Inc. St. Louis, Missouri.
Designed for students in fourth and fifth grade these lessons focus on The Great Depression and saving.
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-literature/ANDERSON.HTML/ANDERSON.HTML
Online lesson for Uncle Jed’s Barbershop from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank:
UncleJedsBarbershop.pdf
Curriculum Guide with a lesson for Uncle Jed’s Barbershop:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/teaching-economics-using-childrens-literature/oclc/173481639&referer=brief_results
For grades 2-5 a lesson on opportunity costs and production with a focus on the geography themes of relationships (humans and environments) and movement:
http://www.ltl.appstate.edu/reading_resources/Uncle_Jeds_Barbershop_social-studies.htm