LESSON: A BUSY DAY AT THE FACTORY

Lesson Summary

Mabel, the quality inspector, keeps a lookout to make sure that everything is running smoothly in the candy factory. The workers work on assigned jobs. The machine they use can wrap 278 toffees in a minute. The specialization of labor and the machinery lead to higher productivity. However, there are times when the production process does not work as smoothly as desired.

Concept: Productivity

Definition: Labor productivity measures how many goods or services are produced per worker. Greater productivity leads to higher standards of living.

Comprehension Questions

Producing candy takes a lot of human resources who specialize in their work. Who are the people working in the factory and what are their specific jobs?
Sid, the night watchman;
Tom and Pete, the cooks;
Jack and Alf, the bench hands;
Florence, who loads the candy wrappers;
Winnie, who stacks the boxes;
Jim, the floor manager;
Louise, who is in charge of the weighing machine.

What is the toffee productivity of the factory?
278 toffees can be produced every minute.

Why is there high productivity in the production of toffee in the factory?
Each worker has a special job and does it well. Workers also have many capital resources.

What capital resources are used in the factory?
Capital resources include the factory, the cooling bench, the weighing machine, the machine for wrapping candies, etc.

What may be a problem in a factory which uses many machines for the production process?
The machines could break down, slowing down or stopping production.

What are some ways the candy factory could have even better productivity?
Answers will vary.
Examples: better training of workers, better capital goods/machines, working harder, etc.

Would you like to work in a factory? Why or why not?
Answers will vary.

Other Concepts: Capital Resources, Specialization, Human Resources

  Productivity 

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