My Co-operative Adventure

To the Teacher

Lesson Two introduces students to many types of co-operatives, and how each meets social and economic needs for their members and their communities. Through either teacher lecture or student research, students will learn about each type of co-operative and discover real-life examples of each type. This lesson can be done as an individual or group assignment.

Knowing the types of co-operatives illustrates the versatility of the co-operative business model. This knowledge will be particularly useful to the students when challenged to consider a co-operative venture for their community in Lesson Five.

Co-operatives Provincially

• In Saskatchewan, there are 1,280 co-operatives, employing 15,000 people.
• Over half of Saskatchewan’s citizens are a member of at least one co-operative.

Co-operatives Nationally

• In Canada, there are about 18,000,000 individual memberships held in co-operatives.
• About 4 out of every 10 Canadians is a member of at least one cooperative.
• About 150,000 people work in co-operatives in Canada.

Co-operatives Globally

• The United Nations estimates that the livelihood of over 3 billion people, or half of the world’s population, is made secure by co-operative enterprise.
• It is estimated that co-ops around the world employ 250 million people in or within co-operatives.

Pre-Assignment Discussion
1. Review the definition and principles of co-operatives from Lesson One.

2. To set the stage for learning about the types of co-operatives, you may
choose to illustrate the scope of co-operatives by sharing some global,
national and provincial examples and statistics.

3. Explain that co-operatives are often categorized depending upon the function they serve for their members, then review the definition for each type of co-operative. Provide students with a copy of the Types of Co-operatives student worksheet, and a case study worksheet.

Student Assignment
1. Students are assigned one of the case studies found in this lesson and are instructed to:
a. Identify which type of co-operative is profiled in the case study and why they think it is the type of co-op they identified.
b. Determine whether the co-operative in their case study could also be one of the other types. Students should be able to give a reason for this determination.
c. Explain how the co-operative featured in their case study benefits the members and the community.

Bridging
1. To broaden their understanding of co-operatives, students are asked to research other co-operatives that exist locally, provincially, nationally or internationally. Students could create a poster, webpage, or pamphlet that profiles one of these co-operatives, including:
a. The type of co-operative.
b. The geographical area the co-operative serves.
c. The co-op’s incorporation date.
d. A brief description of its membership and the function it serves for its members.
e. Its current status. Students may choose to profile a now defunct co-operative, explaining why it ceased operations.