Week 16 of 32 • Page 4
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Information Technology
Another important section of the U.S. economy is information technology. Information technology is the study and development of computer systems to store, retrieve, and send information. Millions of people work for thousands of U.S.-based information technology companies. The largest information technology companies in the United States include Apple Inc., Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco Systems Inc., and Adobe Inc. Inventors and entrepreneurs Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak founded Apple
Computers in Silicon Valley, California. In 1975, the first build-your-own computer kit came out. Wozniak and Jobs built their first personal computer in the Jobs’ family garage. Today, Apple is one of the richest companies in the world and employs over two million people. It designs, manufactures, and sells personal computers, mobile devices, and computer software programs. In 1975, software engineers Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. They developed software for some of the early personal
computers on the market. In 1980, Microsoft partnered with the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). Together, they developed software for personal computers. The development and distribution of personal computers skyrocketed following this partnership. Today, Microsoft is still one of the leading producers of computer software and employs over 181,000 people. These companies employ thousands of people in the United States and add billions of dollars to the country’s economy each year.
From Farm to Table: Agricultural Interdependence
The food grown on farms is transported to urban and suburban markets. The system of highways, seaports, and airports create the routes from farms to markets. Consumers purchase products from producers all over the world. This great system or network of producers and consumers is called interdependence . Each depends on the other for success. Sometimes, this is also called a supply chain. We will be learning about interdependence using corn, which is widely grown in many areas of the United States. Corn is grown across the United States, but thrives in an area known as the Corn Belt. The Corn Belt extends from Pennsylvania across the Great Plains to Colorado. Corn is grown in this region and shipped to markets across the world. Corn is used to make many products, including flour, fuel, corn syrup, and animal feed. It is also a staple crop that is sold in almost
every grocery store and market in the United States. Corn seeds are planted in the early spring. The seeds grow into stalks and the ears of corn are harvested by hand or machine between 60 to 100 days after planting. Sweet corn, which is sold in stores for consumption, is harvested in the summer, while field corn is harvested in the fall. Corn is harvested by machines. Sweet corn is harvested by a machine called a corn harvester or corn picker . The machine pulls the whole ear of corn off the stalk and collects it into a large bin. Field corn is harvested by a machine called a combine . This machine combines multiple steps in the harvesting process. It pulls the stalks from the ground, separates the ears from the rest of the plant, and discards materials that cannot be used. An average-sized combine can harvest about 300,000 ears of field corn
per hour. The farmers and laborers who operate the machinery are the human resources. The tools and machinery used to process a product are called capital resources. Large trucks transport the corn to a distribution center. Here, the corn containers are placed in shipping containers to go to airports, seaports, or trucking centers. The shipping containers are then transported to cities and towns around the world. The cost of shipping increases the farther away from the farm the corn is shipped. At the final destination, the shipping containers are unpacked. The corn is then transported to markets for consumers to purchase. All costs associated with picking, packing, transporting, and delivery are considered in determining the price. Corn is then transported in a grocery bag to homes for a delicious treat or to be used to make other goods.
A corn harvester
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