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Sectors? What Sectors?
Lesson 3:
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Lesson
Handouts
Academic Standards
Philanthropy Framework
6th-8th Grade
Subjects:

Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view
PHIL: Common Good; Environmental Stewardship; LEAGUE Wildcard Lesson: Environment; Stewardship
SOC: 10 genOn; 4 genOn; Adaptation; Analyze/Interpret; Economics; Environment; Natural Resources; Water

Purpose:

The purpose of this lesson is to assist students in identifying the different sectors in our society and the role each plays.

Duration:

Two to Three Sixty-Minute Class Periods

Objectives:

The learner will:

  • list reasons why water is an endangered resource.
  • identify four sectors in American society (government, private or business, nonprofit or independent, family).
  • describe the role and responsibilities each of the four sectors plays in water conservation.

Materials:

  • Pictures of wildlife affected by pollution
  • Sectors of American Society (Attachment One)
  • Poster board
  • Markers, colored pencils, crayons
Handout 1
Sectors of American Society

Instructional Procedure(s):

Anticipatory Set:
Give each student a picture that depicts the effects of pollution on various animals that live in or near water. (National Geographic Magazine often has such pictures.)

  • Ask students to study their pictures and hypothesize the reasons for the results of the picture. Brainstorm a class list of the ways that water is an endangered resource.

  • Ask students if they know the difference between the government, business/private, independent/nonprofit, and family sectors in American Society. (Note: Most will not know all four.) Provide a description of each using Sectors of American Society (Attachment One).

  • In cooperative groups, ask students to brainstorm, discuss, and compile a list of the responsibilities for water conservation for each of the four sectors defined. Each group will be responsible for one sector. It is advised that there be multiple groups for each sector to get the maximum number of suggestions.

  • Each group will construct a poster showing the name of the sector, what the sector typically does, and what its function is in our society. Then they will orally present their findings to the class.

  • Using the information presented, ask students to construct a Venn diagram of four intersecting circles showing how the four sectors' responsibilities and functions are interrelated.

  • Students will then write in learning logs what they believe the responsibility of each of the four sectors is regarding water as an endangered resource.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on their posters, Venn Diagrams, and on their entries in their learning logs.

Lesson Developed By:

Thomas Webb
Fulton Schools
Fulton Middle School
Middleton, MI 48856

Handouts:

Handout 1Print Handout 1

Sectors of American Society

The four sectors in American society are Government, For Profit or Business, the Nonprofit, and the Family. While we often think of these as separate entities, they are often inter-dependent. Following is a brief description of each of the four sectors in American Society.

The Government Sector:
The Government sector of American Society exists primarily for the purpose of providing structure to a society. This sector is responsible for making and enforcing the laws under which we live. Government is an integral part of our overall economy as well. Government regulates and serves as a watchdog over our environment. It makes the laws that everyone must follow. Economically, government can provide *public goods, regulate production of goods, use its power through taxes, fees, fines, etc., and influence pressure groups. Nonprofit, for-profit, and family groups often influence government as well.

The For-Profit or Business Sector:
The For-Profit or Business sector in our society has a distinct focus on making a profit. It is the primary function of this sector. Business provides private goods and services. It is market-oriented and relies on voluntary payment of the customer. This sector is efficient at meeting the demands of the consumer and emphasizes customer satisfaction. Business will not attempt any activity that it fears will be unprofitable.

The Nonprofit Sector:
The Nonprofit sector can provide public goods as well as private goods. The nonprofit sector focuses on client satisfaction, trust, and service. Nonprofit organizations are not interested in making a profit but merely breaking even in their endeavors.

The Family or Household Sector:
The Family or Household sector is primarily concerned with the well-being of the members of the household. Families take part in activities that benefit others as well as benefit themselves. This is the smallest of the four sectors but collectively, the most influential. It is the family sector that drives the business sector, pressures the governmental sector, and influences the nonprofit sector. Families/households are both for-profit and nonprofit. They are for-profit in an effort to support themselves and to "get ahead." They are nonprofit when they participate in activities that promote the welfare of the family and community.


*Note: Public goods are those goods which consumers cannot be prevented from using nor does one person's use reduce the amount available for use by others.

Philanthropy Framework:

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