Employment and Unemployment: Meaning of Employment, Reasons for Employment, Unemployment and Causes of Unemployment | Primary 4 (Basic 4) Second Term Week 11 Social Studies

EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: MEANING OF ENVIRONMENT, REASONS FOR EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT AND CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT

SOCIAL STUDIES

PRIMARY 4 – SECOND TERM – WEEK 11

THEME – NATIONAL VALUES EDUCATION 

PREVIOUS LESSON – Savings: Meaning of Savings, Traditional and Modern Methods of Saving, Types of Banks and Opening a Bank Account | Primary 4 (Basic 4) Second Term Week 10 Social Studies

TOPIC – EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT 

LEARNING 

1. Introduction

2. Meaning and Reasons for Employment

3. Meaning, Causes and Effects of Employment

4. Ways of Reducing Unemployment

6. Weekly Assessment: Test Questions and Answers/Assignment

7. Summary

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

1. Explain the meaning of employment.

2. State at least five reasons why people work.

3. Explain the meaning of unemployment.

4. Mention at least five causes of unemployment.

5. State the effects of unemployment.

6. Suggest ways to reduce unemployment.

ENTRY BEHAVIOUR

Pupils have previously learned about occupations, division of labour, and the importance of agriculture.

This lesson builds on that knowledge by explaining employment, unemployment, their causes, and ways to reduce unemployment.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The teacher will teach the lesson with the aid of:

1. Pictures of people doing different jobs

2. Pictures of unemployed people looking for work

3. Flashcards

4. Charts showing different occupations

5. Pictures of farmers, teachers, doctors, traders, and artisans

METHOD OF TEACHING

Choose a suitable and appropriate methods for the lessons.

Note – Irrespective of choosing methods of teaching, always introduce an activities that will arouse pupil’s interest or lead them to the lessons. 

REFERENCE MATERIALS

1. Scheme of Work

2. 9 – Years Basic Education Curriculum

3. Course Book

4. All Relevant Material

5. Online Information

CONTENT OF THE LESSON

INTRODUCTION

People work in different places such as schools, hospitals, offices, farms, markets, and factories to earn money and meet their needs. Having a job is called employment. However, some people are willing to work but cannot find jobs. This situation is called unemployment.

In this lesson, pupils will learn the meaning of employment and unemployment, the reasons why people work, the causes of unemployment, and the ways to reduce unemployment.

LESSON 1 – MEANING OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment means having a job or work that earns money.

People who have jobs are called employed.

REASONS FOR EMPLOYMENT

People work to:

1. Earn money.

2. Provide food for their families.

3. Pay school fees.

4. Buy clothes and other needs.

5. Build or rent a house.

6. Improve their standard of living.

7. Support community development.

LESSON 2 – MEANING OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment means not having a job even though a person is willing and able to work.

People without jobs are called unemployed.

CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Some causes of unemployment are:

1. Lack of jobs.

2. Lack of education or skills.

3. Closure of businesses.

4. Poor economy.

5. Increase in population.

6. Lack of work experience.

7. Natural disasters or emergencies.

EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment can:

1. Cause poverty.

2. Increase hunger.

3. Lead to crime.

4. Reduce family income.

5. Lower the standard of living.

7. Slow the development of the country.

LESSON 3 – WAYS TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment can be reduced by:

1. Creating more jobs.

2. Learning vocational skills.

3. Starting small businesses.

4. Supporting agriculture.

5. Providing quality education.

6. Encouraging entrepreneurship.

7. Government supporting industries.

WEEKLY ASSESSMENT: TEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS/ASSIGNMENT 

A. Multiple Choice Questions

1. Employment means ______.

A. travelling without work

B. staying at home all day

C. playing football every day

D. having a job that earns money

2. A person who has a job is called ______.

A. visitor

B. unemployed

C. employed

D. customer

3. Which of these is a reason why people work?

A. To earn money

B. To waste time

C. To avoid school

D. To remain idle

4. Unemployment means ______.

A. going to school

B. not having a job

C. working on a farm

D. buying goods in the market

5. Which of these is a cause of unemployment?

A. Good education

B. Lack of jobs

C. Plenty of industries

D. Hard work

B. Fill in the Gaps

Use the following words to complete the sentences: jobs, employment, money, unemployment, skills

6. ______ means having a job.

7. People work to earn ______.

8. ______ means not having a job.

9. Lack of ______ can cause unemployment.

10. Learning vocational ______ can reduce unemployment.

C. True or False

11. Unemployment helps people earn money. ______

12. An unemployed person has a job. ______

13. Lack of education can cause unemployment. ______

14. Employment can lead to poverty. ______

15. Learning skills can help people get jobs. ______

D. Matching

16. Employment – A. No job

17. Unemployment – B. Earns income

18. Money – C. Payment for work

19. Poverty – D. Ability to do a job

20. Skills – E. Lack of enough money

ANSWER KEYS

1. D. 2. C 3. A 4. B 5. B

6. employment

7. money

8. unemployment

9. jobs

10. skills

11. False

12. False

13. True

14. False

15. True

16. B – Earns income

17. A – No job

18. C – Payment for work

19. E – Lack of enough money

20. D – Ability to do a job

SUMMARY

In this lesson, pupils learned that employment means having a job that provides income, while unemployment means not having a job even though a person is willing and able to work. They also learned that people work to earn money, provide for their families, pay school fees, and improve their standard of living.

Pupils identified the causes of unemployment, such as lack of jobs, lack of education or skills, business closure, poor economy, and population increase. They also discussed the effects of unemployment, including poverty, hunger, crime, and slow national development.

Finally, pupils learned that unemployment can be reduced through education, skill acquisition, job creation, entrepreneurship, and government suppor t.

PRESENTATION

To deliver the lesson, the teacher adopts the following steps:

Step 1: Introduction

The teacher displays pictures of teachers, farmers, doctors, traders, artisans, factory workers, and people searching for jobs.

The teacher asks:

• What are the people in the pictures doing?

• Why do people work?

• What happens when someone cannot find a job?

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils observe the pictures and answer the questions.

Step 2: Meaning of Employment

The teacher explains that employment means having a job or work that earns money. Also, the teacher gives examples of employed people such as teachers, farmers, nurses, traders, drivers, and police officers.

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils explain the meaning of employment and mention different occupations.

Step 3: Reasons for Employment

The teacher explains why people work:

• To earn money.

• To provide food for their families.

• To pay school fees.

• To buy clothes and other needs.

• To improve their standard of living.

• To support community development.

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils mention reasons why adults in their community work.

Step 4: Meaning and Causes of Unemployment

The teacher explains that unemployment means not having a job even though a person is willing and able to work.

The teacher discusses the causes of unemployment:

• Lack of jobs.

• Lack of education or skills.

• Closure of businesses.

• Poor economy.

• Increase in population.

• Lack of work experience.

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils identify causes of unemployment.

Step 5: Effects and Solutions to Unemployment

The teacher explains the effects of unemployment:

• Poverty.

• Hunger.

• Crime.

• Low standard of living.

• Slow national development.

The teacher also explains ways to reduce unemployment:

• Learning vocational skills.

• Creating more jobs.

• Starting small businesses.

• Supporting agriculture.

• Providing quality education.

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils suggest ways to reduce unemployment in their community.

Step 6: Group Activity

The teacher divides the class into four groups.

• Group 1: Explain the meaning of employment.

• Group 2: State the reasons why people work.

• Group 3: Explain the meaning and causes of unemployment.

• Group 4: State the effects of unemployment and suggest ways to reduce it.

Each group presents its work to the class.

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils discuss, write, and present their answers.

Step 7: Lesson Summary

The teacher reviews the meaning of employment, the reasons for employment, the meaning and causes of unemployment, the effects of unemployment, and the ways to reduce unemployment.

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils answer oral questions and summarise the lesson.

Step 8: Evaluation

The teacher gives pupils the practice exercise.

Pupils’ Activities: Pupils complete the Multiple Choice Questions, Fill in the Gaps, True or False, and Matching exercises.

CONCLUSION

To conclude the lesson for the week, the teacher revises the entire lesson and links it to the following week’s lesson.

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LESSON EVALUATION 

Teacher asks pupils to,

1. Explain the meaning of employment.

2. State at least five reasons why people work.

3. Explain the meaning of unemployment.

4. Mention at least five causes of unemployment.

5. State the effects of unemployment.

6. Suggest ways to reduce unemployment.