The Cookie Express Assembly Line:  History Alive
Grade 4

 Melissa Spitzley
Amber AcMoody
Amanda Robinson
Chris Woodworth

Michigan Curriculum Framework for Social Studies

• Perspective: Economic
• Benchmark: Distinguish between natural resource, human capital, and capital equipment in the production of a good or service.

 Teacher introduces the lesson by getting background knowledge through the following questions:
1. Does anyone know somebody who builds cars?
2. Where do they work?
3. What is their job at work?

Then the teacher introduces the video:
Today class we are going to watch a video called On the Line. This video will show us some places where people work on cars, toys, candy, and even cookies. Today though we are only going to view the cookie factory, so just sit tight and enjoy the clip.

After the clip ask they following questions:

1. How many people do you think work in a factory?
2. Think of all those people in a factory what would be the fastest way to make a toy?

Hands-on Activity:

Cookie Assembly Line
1. Demonstrate how the cookie should look.
2.  Make a cookie by themselves (timed)
3. Arrange the class in a line.  (timed)

Students will be able to:

• Discuss the impact on an assembly line.
• Identify advantages of an assembly lin.

Key Concepts:

• Division of Labor - assigning one job to each person
• Specialization - when a person is assigned to do the same task over and over so that they perfect it
• Assembly Line -a method of production that requires the help of many specialized workers

• Timer
• Video On the Line
• Cookies
• Frosting
• Candy
• Sprinkles

Introduce the activity with some facts about an assembly line.

• Today class we are going to form an assembly line like the one in the film. We are going to see how one works, and how each and every one of your jobs are important for the finishing product. When people are good at one specific task that is called specialization and today we are going to see how specialization helps production and saves businesses money.
• Now give instructions on the activity: Today we are going to decorate cookies.
• First we get a cookie
• Then we frost it
• After that we put sprinkles on it
• Finally we put the candy on it.  (Teacher demonstrates this.)
• Now the first time we make our cookie we will be timed and we will be making them individually. (the students will be timed 5 seconds to complete the task) After they make their first cookie then compare them to the original to see how good they are and if a business would be able to sell them. Then have the class arrange themselves in a line and explain the assembly. Each task will have 5 seconds to complete each of their tasks.
• The first task will  grab the cookie.
• The second will frost.
• The third will sprinkle.
• The fourth will put the candy on it.
• Now compare the cookies the assembly line made to the ones that they made individually.  How are they different?

 The teacher asks the following questions to close the activity:

1. What did we just experience?
2. Would you rather work individually or by yourself?
3. What were the advantages of working together?
4. What were the disadvantages of working together?
5. What do you think it is called when just one person does a specific task? (specialization)
a. That is when a person is really good at a specific job and completes it efficiently.
6. When you think of many people doing separate tasks like we did today what is that called? (Division of labor)