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Discovering the people who make goods or provide services for others.
Have you ever wondered how the bread in your sandwich or the shoes on your feet got to you? Imagine if you had to grow your own wheat and sew your own clothes every single day!
A producer is a person who makes goods or provides a service for other people. Think of a good as something you can touch and hold in your hand, like a yummy cupcake or a toy truck. A service is something someone does to help you, like giving you a haircut or teaching you how to add numbers. Producers are very important because they help us get the things we need and want! Without producers, we would have to make everything ourselves from scratch. Every time you buy something at a store, you are meeting the work of a producer.
Quick Check
If a person bakes a loaf of bread to sell to a neighbor, are they a producer?
Answer
Yes, they are a producer because they made a good (the bread) for someone else.
Producers are all around us! When you walk down the street, you might see a baker mixing dough. That baker is a producer of goods. If you visit a farm, you will see a farmer growing corn or caring for cows. They are producers too! But remember, producers don't just make objects. Your doctor is a producer because they provide the service of keeping you healthy. Even the person who drives the school bus is a producer because they provide the service of transportation. Every job you see someone doing is usually a producer at work.
Let's look at how a baker works: 1. The baker gets flour, sugar, and eggs. 2. The baker uses a big bowl to mix them together. 3. The baker puts the dough in the oven to bake. 4. The baker sells the fresh bread to hungry customers.
Quick Check
Is a teacher a producer of a good or a service?
Answer
A teacher provides a service because they are helping you learn rather than giving you a physical object they made.
To do their jobs, producers need special things called resources. First, they need tools, like a hammer for a builder or a tractor for a farmer. Second, they need materials, like wood for a chair or flour for a cake. Finally, they need skills, which is the 'know-how' to do the job correctly. Producers have to be very smart about how they use their resources. If a producer has dollars to buy supplies, they must choose the best materials to make sure their goods or services are high quality!
A farmer is a producer who needs to plan his crops. 1. He has rows in his garden. 2. He wants to plant seeds in each row. 3. He calculates the total seeds needed: seeds. 4. He uses his tools (a shovel) and materials (seeds and water) to produce corn for the town.
Imagine you want to be a producer of lemonade. You have to gather everything you need: 1. Materials: You buy lemons for dollars and sugar for dollar. Your total cost is dollars. 2. Tools: You find a pitcher, a long spoon, and some cups. 3. Skills: You practice mixing the water and sugar so it isn't too sour. 4. The Result: You have produced a cold drink (a good) to sell to your friends!
Which of these people is a producer of a SERVICE?
If a producer needs a hammer to build a house, the hammer is a:
True or False: A producer is someone who only buys things at the store.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to name three different producers you saw in your neighborhood or on your way to school.
Practice Activity
Draw a picture of a job you want to have when you grow up. List one tool and one material you would need to be a producer in that job!