When the market competes, you win!
Song and Poem
Practice our song, I’m Gonna Mail Myself to You
We’re starting off the year with a challenging, yet inspiring poem. How often have you said, “I can’t!” when something felt difficult? That very statement can serve as a prophecy, if we aren’t careful. Indeed, as soon as you think you can’t do a thing, the truth is that you stop trying. How much can you really do? The only way to find out is to dig in a try! In fact, this poem may look daunting but if you’ll give it your best, consistent effort, you will be amazed at just how much you CAN memorize!
Here are a few suggestions:
- Print a copy of the poem and post it where you will see it often.
- Look up the definitions to words you don’t know. For this week, circle three words that are unfamiliar and define them (from any stanza).
- Before each meal, read the stanza that you are working on. (There is nothing magic about reading it before you eat. 😁 That is simply an easy way to remember to do multiple times a day it since you aren’t likely to miss a meal. 🍳🍔🍝)
- Read the poem out loud.
- Notice rhyming words and which lines are similar in length. Length refers not to the number of letters (some lines look much longer than others) but in the number of syllables. We’ll talk more about this in class.
And, remember to review the poems you have previously learned. How many can you still recite? (Ingenious Little Old Man, Ooey Gooey, the Vulture and If You Were Busy Being Kind.) Have a family member read along and prompt you if you get stuck. You can find them all listed on this document.
Can’t
Edgar Albert Guest
Can’t is the worst word that’s written or spoken;
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning
And robs us of courage we need through the day:
It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.
Can’t is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half-hearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.
Can’t is a word none should speak without blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man’s purpose and shortens his aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you some day shall gain.
Economics
So far we have touched on the concepts of needs vs. wants, scarcity and opportunity cost, and the importance of choice. To review, scarcity means that there is never enough of a given thing to fully satisfy everyone who wants it. Deciding how to use the limited resources, that have alternative (or other uses), is at the heart of making economic decisions.
In other words, all these ideas compete for you attention and, ultimately, your money. Competition is a key component of economics. What is competition? Take a moment and write your own definition.
We often think of competition in sporting events where two or more individuals or teams go up against each other to see who is the best. Have you ever watched a football game or a basketball game? How about a track meet? How does a sense of competition impact the athletes? Who decides the winner of athletic competitions?
Read this article with a parent. What did a sense of competition do for the boy?
On your checklist, write down three scenarios in your life where you compete or where competition might spur you to greater effort. (whether against another person or against yourself). Has your desire to excel helped you improve? How?
In economics, you, the consumer (or purchaser) gets to decide who wins! As businesses compete for your dollar, you cast the vote by choosing where to shop. And sometimes you are the competitor, bidding against another buyer for a desired product or service.
Watch these two videos to learn more about competition in the market place.
https://youtu.be/MK2yoMG282A?si=RXqHFNgIR_zOmsuP
https://youtu.be/J9OO9lSQnG8?si=YIBWqrUKjrPZk2B2
https://youtu.be/5hL66Xl6W6M?si=2QVdxlPH_VqNX5HI
The Tuttle Twins
Read the Tuttle Twins and the Golden Rule and the Tuttle Twins and the Food Truck Fiasco. Pay attention to the role of competition in each story. Come to class prepared to discuss what they learned. (If you don’t have access to the book, please reach out to me and we’ll figure it out!)
Field Trip
During class we will visit the campus of BYU and tour the Student Athlete Building to learn more about how competitors work out and otherwise prepare for physical contests.
Book Club
Our next book is the True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Our book club February 19th.
Coach Hyrum’s Corner
Coming soon…..
In the meantime, please continue to practice dribbling and shooting the basketball!
