Title – Economics – International Markets

By – Dane Little

Primary Subject – Social Studies

Grade Level – 9-12

Content:

Many students don’t realize how small the world has
become in regards to the exchange of many material goods. Most
teens are very concerned with clothes and this is a great way
to incorporate economics with something that is of interest to them. The purpose of this activity is to show that students are daily involved in the world of international trade and the world economic picture.

Benchmarks:

Economics Standard 1.1.1. – Explain how scarcity, choice, opportunity costs affect decisions that households, businesses, and governments make in the market place and explain how comparative advantage creates gains from trade.

Learning Resources and Materials:

1. Students will use their own clothes and shoes.
   
2. Each student will need a blank world map with political
   boundaries drawn in.
   
3. World atlas or a text with maps.
   
4. Colored pencils.

Development of Lesson:

Introduction:
Prepare students for learning by discussing their favorite brands of clothing and why they like them so much. Also, ask the students where they think those clothes are made. I believe that by talking about something that most high school students are interested in, such as clothes, it will not be difficult to gain their attention or interest. In order to connect to their past experiences, ask them to think about times when they went into a store and saw the price of a particular clothing item and thought, “why does this cost so much?” or “how can this cost so much and this cost so little if they both look the same?” Hopefully, these questions will spark discussions amongst the students and prepare them for the lesson.

Methods:


For this lesson, students are able to work independently. Try to keep a very relaxed atmosphere in the classroom, allowing students to have fun while exploring this topic.

Procedures:

1. Have the students read the labels in their clothing and write down where they were made (include shoes).
   
2. Once they have made their list, give students a blank world map.
   
3. Have them locate the country, label it, and color it on the map. (They should have several different countries on their maps.)
   
4. After they have completed their maps, tell them to go home and look through their clothing and shoes and make another list of all the different countries they find.
   
5. The next day have them add them to their map.
   
   Facilitate learning by giving them direct instructions based on the procedures, and then let them go at their own pace. Also, encourage comparing amongst the students.

Accommodations/Adaptations:

Depending on the students’ individual needs, allow certain students to work in pairs in order for the students to assist each other in completing the assignment. For those students who may be at a lower learning level, make sure to either pair them up with a student who is at a higher learning level, or personally read over the procedures in order to make sure that they understand what is expected of them. Also, give them extra time to complete the assignment as needed.

Assessment/Evaluation:

Check for understanding by first checking to see if they listened to the instructions and if they understood what was expected of them. After this, walk around and check to see if students are adequately finding where their clothes are made. Another evaluation that will be made would be to see if the students are able to accurately find countries on the map where their clothes were made.

For a post lesson evaluation, have the students complete a journal entry recording how many different countries their clothes were made in and their reaction to this number. If students communicate that they were surprised about how much they as individuals can affect the global economy and market, then the student will have met the benchmark for the lesson.

Closure:

After completing this assignment, students should be able to see right away that they are an important part of the international world community. A class wide discussion can take place involving the students’ reactions to the assignment, as well as what they have learned. Also, make sure to leave students with a thought about being conscious of what they are buying, and how it just may be affecting the very economy that we live in.

Teacher Reflection:

I believe that this lesson plan will support the benchmarks that it is set out to meet. By having the students complete an activity involving an area that many students are interested in, clothing in this case, they will be more likely to be stay focused and really learn what they are expected to learn in this activity. There are not too many problems that I foresee throughout this lesson plan, except students possibly not being able to locate where their clothes were made. Hopefully, students will ask either the teacher or other fellow students for assistance in trying to find the appropriate country.

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Dane Little

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