LESSON: IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Lesson Summary

Yemi watches her little brother during the market day in a small village in Benin. At the end of the day, she realizes the role of each specialized member of the village in raising a child.

Concept: Interdependence

Definition: Interdependence occurs when people or countries depend on someone else to provide the goods and services they consume.

Comprehension Questions

Identify the goods sold by Yemi's mother at the market.
Mangoes

Describe the other fruit vendors.
One woman sold pineapples; another oranges; another bananas. Each person sold one fruit he or she had gathered.

What other goods could the people of the village purchase at the market?
Peanuts, baskets, soup, fabrics, clay pots, canned goods, livestock, straw mats, etc.

Explain what would happen if everyone in the village sold only fruit.
The people could not satisfy their economic wants at the market. They would have to produce a wider variety of goods, thus becoming more independent and self-sufficient.

How is the village market similar to and different from a supermarket in your neighborhood?
Similar - the people can buy a variety of things they want;
different - in the village there are many specialized producers.

Other Concepts:  Economic Wants, Goods and Services, Producers, Consumers, Trade, Specialization, Market

  Interdependence 

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