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Subject: Global Interdependence
Grade: 9th
Procedure:
Overview: So far, the students have looked at how geography shapes culture and affects their lives. This lesson deals with economic and geographic themes to demonstrate the concept of global interdependence. This will enable students to understand the relationship between economics and geography. This point will be reiterated in a class demonstration that will illustrate just how connected we are with the rest of the world. This is an important theme throughout this course. Class discussion and a group activity will be the methods used to achieve the objectives. The skills learned in this lesson will be needed for their assessment tasks, the "archeological dig" and the "create your own culture project."
Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to illustrate the nature of global interdependence and it economic implications. This is an important concept in the Global Studies curriculum because it provides the student with a basic understanding of global relations.
Objectives: Students will be able to...
1. Define the terms import and export.
2. Describe the differences between "natural resources," "agricultural goods," "manufactured goods," and "technological goods."
3. Illustrate how global interdependence affects countries.
Materials: string, scissors.
1. Ask: Look at the tags on your clothes? Where were they made?
2. Transition: Note the different places their clothes come from. Use their clothing as an example of imports and exports.
3. Discuss Question: Define import and export from discussion.
4. Ask: Why do countries import and export?
5. Transition: Note that we import things based on needs and wants. One reason we import and export is because of scarcity.
6. Define: Scarcity.
1. Write: Four categories on board-"natural resources," "agricultural goods," "manufactured goods" and "technological goods."
2. Ask: What are some examples of the "natural resources" on the board?(Provide with examples if needed-coal, oil, iron ore)
3. List: Examples on board.
4. Repeat steps 3-4 for the other categories: "agricultural goods," "manufactured goods," and "technological goods."
5. Define: Students create definitions from examples on board for the terms "natural resources," "agricultural goods," "manufactured goods" and "technological goods."
1. Divide: Students into 5 groups and hand out group kits on imports and exports (refer to kit attached to end of lesson).
2. Instruct: From your list, find the country that has the good that you need.(1-3 minutes)-refer to kit.
3. Form a circle and use the string to connect the first pair of trading partners(Example: if Japan exports cars to the US, have the students who represent Japan pass the string to the US. The US then passes the string on to who they export to). Have students throw sting to next group of trading partner and so on.
4. Ask: Group A take two steps back. What physical change occurred. This illustrates tension between two countries(Tariffs).
5. Illustrate: How a civil war in country A might affect the other countries. Use scissors to cut string of the country engulfed in civil war.
6. Illustrate: Economic embargo by cutting all strings from country.
7. Ask: Can anyone name a country who is experiencing an economic embargo?(Bosnia, Iraq, China) Apply answer to demonstration as another example.
1. Write: Global Interdependence on board.
2. Ask: Can we create any statements or hypothesis from the activity to describe global interdependence?
3. Write: generalizations on board encouraging students to participate. Have them justify their conclusions.
1. Ask: Quickly define import and export?
2. Ask: What is a natural resource?
3. Ask: The United States under our new president Pat Buchanon raises the tariffs on Japanese cars. What might be some of the consequences of his actions on the global economy? Note if the students are able to apply what they learned in this lesson by predicting the consequences of this act, i.e.-increased economic and political tension.
Directions to teacher: Hand out 1 kit to each group. Have them find their trading partners based in the information below.
Country 1
Country: United States
Imports: cars, coffee
Exports: grain, computers
_______________________________________________________________________
Country 2
Country: Japan
Imports: metal, oil
Exports: cars, rice
_______________________________________________________________________
Country 3
Country: Columbia
Imports: grain, textiles
Exports: coffee, bananas
_______________________________________________________________________
Country 4
Country: Saudi Arabia
Imports: rice, airplanes
Exports: oil, textiles
_______________________________________________________________________
Country 5
Country: Great Britain
Imports: computers, bananas
Exports: metal, airplanes
Michael Fantauzzo/mikef@frontiernet.com
