Elementary Programs

Junior Achievement’s Elementary School Programs are the foundation of its k-12 curricula. Seven sequential themes, each with five hands-on activities, as well as two capstone experiences, work to change kids' lives by helping them understand business and economics.

Ourselves® explains personal economics through a collection of short stories read aloud by the volunteer.

Concepts and Skills
*Barter * Benefit * Buying * Choices * Consumer * Costs * Earning * Entrepreneurs * Giving * Goods * Incentives * Income * Money * Resources * Rewards * Saving * Scarcity * Selling * Spending * Voluntary exchange * Wants * Work * Abstract thinking * Coin recognition * Decision making * Drawing * Following directions * Interpreting information * Listening responsively * Matching * Responsibility * Sequencing * Teamwork

Our Families® emphasizes the roles people play in the local economy as well as how they work together to make the place they live a good place.

Concepts and Skills
* Business * Choices * Consumers * Economic institutions * Employment * Family * Incentives * Income * Interdependence * Jobs * Needs * Resources * Scarcity * Skills * Tools * Voluntary exchange * Wants * Work * Analyzing information * Decision making * Differentiating * Drawing * Following directions * Interpreting symbols * Listening responsively * Making observations * Map reading * Matching * Teamwork

Our Community® explores the interdependent roles of workers in a community and how communities work.

Concepts and Skills
* Banking * Business * Choices * Circular flow * Community * Division of labor * Economic institutions * Goods * Government * Incentives * Interdependence * Jobs * Money * Productivity * Taxes * Comparing * Critical thinking * Decision making * Identifying choices * Listening responsively * Making observations * Matching * Problem solving * Role playing * Teamwork

Our City® studies careers, the skills people need to work in those careers, and how businesses contribute to a city.

Concepts and Skills
* Banking * Business * Careers * City * Consumer * Economic institutions * Entrepreneur * Incentives * Income * Jobs * Money * Producer * Quality * Resources * Skills * Specialization * Zones * Applying information * Decision making * Filling out forms * Interpreting directions * Map reading * Math computations * News writing * Role playing * Teamwork * Using scale

Our Region® introduces the relationship between the natural, human, and capital resources found in different regions and explores regional businesses that produce goods and services for consumers.

Concepts and Skills
* Business * Choices * Economy * Exchange * Expenses * Goods * Incentives * Income * Investment * Products * Profit * Region * Resources * Risk * Scarcity * Services * Specialization * Taxes * Comparing * Compiling data * Conducting research * Decision making * Differentiating * Giving reports * Interpreting data * Math computations * Problem solving * Reading * Teamwork * Understanding symbols

Our Nation® examines how businesses operate in the United States and explores various economic issues that impact those businesses.

Concepts and Skills
* Advantages * Advertising * Careers * Corporations * Division of labor * Goods * Markets * Partnerships * Price * Products * Production * Productivity * Profit * Resources * Services * Specialization * Stock * Assembling products * Critical thinking * Drawing conclusions * Formulating a plan * Giving reports * Interviewing * Listening * Making observations * Role playing * Teamwork

JA Global Marketplace® provides practical information about the global economy and its effect on students’ lives.

Concepts and Skills
* Trade * Market * Domestic trade * International trade * Exports * Trade barrier * Quota * Subsidy * Embargo *Tariff * Standard * Business practices * Culture * Franchise * Global trade * Immigrate * Emigrate * Entrepreneurship * Human resources * Productivity * Technology * Exchange rates * Currency Interpreting maps * charts * and globes * Oral and written communication * Working in groups * Gathering and organizing information * Critical reading * Persuasion * Compromise and bargaining * Analyzing points of view * Brainstorming * Critical thinking * Math calculations

JA BizTown™. Simulated communities where students assume the roles of workers and consumers.

Concepts and Skills
* Banking * Business * Careers * Charitable giving * Citizenship * Competition * Conservation * Consumers * Demand * Division of labor * Employment * Exchange * Goods * Markets * Marketing * Money * Needs * Opportunity costs * Producers * Production * Quality * Resources * Saving * Scarcity * Services * Skills * Specialization * Supply * Want * Analysis * Applying information * Budgeting * Cause and effect * Critical thinking * Computation * Data collection * Decision making * Following directions * Graphing * Interpersonal communication * Listening * Negotiation * Observation * Planning * Predicting outcomes * Problem solving * Reading * Research * Role playing * Setting goals * Spending * Taking responsibility * Teamwork

Dollars and $ense® - teaches students about earning, spending, sharing, and saving money, and businesses they can start or jobs they can perform to earn money.

Concepts and Skills
Advertising · Banking · Business · Business plan · Consumer · Deceptive · Deposit · Earn · Employee · Entrepreneur · Estimate · Expense · Good · Income · Interest · Job skill · Market research · Mentor · Money · Money management · Profit · Role model · Save · Self-employed · Service · Share · Spend · Start-up cost · Withdrawal · Work ethic Active listening · Analysis · Applying information · Basic Math · Brainstorming · Chart data · Compare and contrast · Completing forms · Computation · Critical thinking · Deductive reasoning · Decision-making · Drawing · Evaluating data · Following written and verbal instructions · Group work · Matching and classifying · Mind-mapping · Problem-solving · Recording deposits and withdrawals · Role-playing · Self-assessment · Taking turns · Teamwork · Vocabulary building


Copyright © Junior Achievement of Central Indiana Inc., 2005