Lesson Plan - 5 Big Questions About Rising Prices

Activate Prior Knowledge

Ask: Have you noticed an increase in prices for food and other things? Do you know the word for what has occurred?

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• consumers 
• production

Set a Purpose for Reading

As students read, have them note three facts about inflation they might share with family or friends.

1. Why does the author discuss the Covid-19 pandemic?
The author discusses the pandemic because it helped lead to high inflation. Early in the pandemic, many factories made fewer goods. Now the supply of many goods is low, but demand is high. That has led prices to rise.

^{(RI.4.8 AUTHOR’S PURPOSE)}

2. Based on the article, why can the price of gasoline affect the prices of food items in a grocery store?
The article explains that higher gas prices make it more expensive to ship goods. Stores often raise their prices to cover the increase in shipping costs.

^{(RI.4.5 CAUSE/EFFECT)}

3. Look at the cartoon. What message do you think the cartoonist is sending?
The cartoonist shows three “expensive trips”: a trip to Maui, to Europe, and to the grocery store. He is suggesting that buying food is growing too costly for many Americans—just as travel is.

^{(RI.4.7 USING VISUALS)}

FEATURED SKILL: Build Vocabulary

Use the Skill Builder “Money Talk” to help students build financial literacy. 

^{(RI.4.4 VOCABULARY)}