Charlie Needs a Cloak
Charlie is a shepherd, and everyone says he needs a cloak. He shears his sheep, cards and spins the wool, weaves and dyes the cloth, and sews a beautiful new red cloak.
Interested in using this resource in your classroom? Check out the posters that go along with this book: Human Resources, Productive Resources, Capital Resources, Natural Resources.
Author: Tomie dePaola
Published: 1982
Accelerated Reader Level/Points: .5
Lexile Measure: AD500L
Publisher: Aladdin
Comprehension Questions
Identify the natural resources Charlie used.
Sheep, pokeweed berries.
List and describe the human resources used to make the cloak.
Charlie sheared his sheep, washed the wool, carded the wool, spun the wool, picked the berries, boiled the berries, dyed the yarn in berry juice, wove the yarn into cloth, cut the cloth, pinned the pieces, sewed the pieces together for the cloak.
What knowledge and skills do the human resources need to produce a cloak?
Workers must learn many skills, such as how to shear sheep; wash, card, spin, and dye the wool; and how to sew the cloth into a cloak.
How do workers get these skills?
Apprenticeship, on-the-job training, reading books, attending classes and training programs, etc.
Identify the capital resources Charlie used.
Shearing tool, washtub, carding tool, spinning wheel, pot, loom, scissors, pins, needle.
Explain how Charlie could have improved his productivity.
He could have divided the labor by asking others to help him.
Why don’t most people produce their own cloaks?
It’s cheaper to let others specialize in producing cloaks. Each person can specialize in what he or she does best.