People Helping People: Services
Learn about services, which are jobs that people do to help others. Unlike goods, you cannot hold a service, like a haircut, a bus ride, or a dental check-up.
TL;DR:Explore the world of 'helping jobs' that keep our communities safe, healthy, and happy. This topic helps students see the value in work that doesn't result in a physical object.
About This Topic
This topic introduces Year 3 students to the fundamental economic concept of services, a key component of the HASS curriculum. It aligns with the Australian Curriculum's Economics and Business strand, particularly content descriptor ACHASSK068, which explores the types of resources and their use in producing goods and services. The lesson focuses on differentiating between tangible goods, which students can see and touch, and intangible services, which are actions performed by people to help others. By examining familiar examples like healthcare, education, and public transport, students will develop an understanding of their community's economic structure and the interdependence between people.
The inquiry moves from personal experiences, such as getting a haircut or riding a bus, to a broader community perspective, considering why services are essential for a society to function effectively. Students will explore the roles of various service providers and appreciate the human capital involved. This foundational knowledge prepares them for more complex economic concepts in later years, such as supply and demand, the role of government in providing services, and the distinction between private and public sectors.
Key Questions
- Compare a good, like a fire engine, with a service, like firefighting.
- Identify three services that your family uses each month.
- Explain why services like healthcare and education are important for a community.
Learning Objectives
- Distinguish between goods and services using relevant examples.
- Identify a range of services available in the local community.
- Explain how specific services meet the needs of community members.
- Describe the actions people undertake when providing a service.
Key Vocabulary
| Service | A job or a type of work that someone does to help another person. |
| Good | A physical item that you can buy and touch, like food, a toy, or clothes. |
| Community | A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. |
| Consumer | A person who buys goods or uses services. |
| Producer | A person, company, or country that makes, grows, or supplies goods or provides services. |
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionServices are free because you don't always see money being exchanged.
What to Teach Instead
Many important services, like public schools and parks, are paid for by the government using money collected from taxes. Other services, like a doctor's visit, might be paid for by a combination of government funds and a fee from the person using the service.
Common MisconceptionA job is only a 'real' job if it makes a physical thing you can hold.
What to Teach Instead
A job can involve making a good (like a baker making bread) or providing a service (like a teacher teaching a class). Both are important types of work that help people and contribute to the community.
Common MisconceptionThe person is the service (e.g., 'the firefighter is the service').
What to Teach Instead
The person is the service provider who performs the action. The service is the action itself, for example, the firefighter provides the service of 'firefighting' or 'rescuing people'.
Active Learning Ideas
See all activities→Think-Pair-Share
Goods vs. Services Picture Sort
Students work with a set of picture cards showing various items (e.g., an apple, a car) and actions (e.g., a doctor's visit, a lesson). They sort these cards into two categories: 'Goods' and 'Services', justifying their choices to a partner.
Think-Pair-Share
My Community Services Map
Students draw a map of their local area or neighbourhood. They then identify and label at least five places that provide services, such as the local library, medical centre, fire station, or post office.
Think-Pair-Share
Service Worker Charades
Write different service jobs on slips of paper (e.g., dentist, bus driver, teacher, chef). Students take turns acting out the job without speaking, while the rest of the class guesses the service being performed.
Real-World Connections
- Recognising and appreciating the work of community helpers they see every day, such as school crossing supervisors and paramedics.
- Understanding what their parents or carers do for work, especially if they are in service industries.
- Making connections between paying for things like a bus fare or movie ticket and receiving a service in return.
- Participating in community services like borrowing a book from the library or visiting a local swimming pool.
- Learning about emergency services and how to access them for help.
Assessment Ideas
Use an exit ticket where students must draw and label one example of a good and one example of a service they encountered that day.
Students create a 'Community Helpers' poster about a specific service. They must describe the service, explain how it helps people, and draw a picture of the service in action.
Students complete a 'two stars and a wish' reflection, identifying two things they now understand about services and one question they still have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a meal at a cafe a good or a service?
Why are services like rubbish collection so important?
Can a person provide both a good and a service at the same time?
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