TITLE: The World on a String
LEVEL: Grades 4-8
PREPARED BY: Shirley Lomax
Hayesville School
Salem, Oregon
(503) 581-9930
DESCRIPTION: This is a total group lesson using the themes of
geography to illustrate the interdependence of
countries. Group discussion and an activity are
used to teach the objective.
RELATED
SUBJECTS: Social Studies
Geography (Movement-Human/Environment Interaction)
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES: The student will be able to define the terms,
import and export.
The student will be able to consider the problems
that environmental issues have on the exporting of
goods and products from one country to another.
RESOURCES: String, atlases, almanacs
PROCEDURE: Anticipatory set - Ask the students to check the
labels on their shirts/blouses to see where they
are from. Discuss the definitions of exporting
and importing.
Explanation of the lesson - This lesson is day 3
of a 3 day lesson. This an overview of the
previous days' activities.
DAY 1 Assign the students a country. Students
research and select 5 goods produced
there.
DAY 2 Trade Market Day - Each student must
find 2 countries to import from and 2
countries to export to. At day's end
students must register their trade
partners and goods with the teacher.
DAY 3 World web is created.
Day 3 lesson - Give students paper strip naming an
exported product and country it goes to, as they
form a circle in the middle of the room. Give a
student a ball of yarn. While holding onto one
end of the string, the student tosses the ball to
a trading partner. This continues until all
students are holding a spot on the string.
PROCEDURE: Discussion - Ask students to think of some type of
environmental/physical problem that would affect
the exporting or importing of goods from one place
to another. Use one of their examples and ask one
student to step 2 steps back while still holding
on to the string. (This will represent a break in
trade relations.) Ask students to raise hands if
they can feel the tension in the string. Ask them
what the tension represents. Guide discussions to
reinforce the interdependence of trading
countries.
EVALUATION: Ask students what import and export means. Share
with partners. Ask them to think of an example of
a country that imports and exports and what goods
are used. Tell them to think of a reason why
trade would break down. Share with partners.
While students are sharing, walk around and listen
to the discussions going on to evaluate the
class's understanding.
***NOTE: PLACE THE FOLLOWING ON A SEPARATE PAGE FOR USE IN THE
ACTIVITY
The World On a String
COUNTRY FROM: EXPORT COUNTRY TO:
1. USA Corn England
2. England Sugar beets Malaysia
3. Malaysia Rubber France
4. France Wine South Africa
5. South Africa Diamonds Canada
6. Canada Flax Brazil
7. Brazil Coffee West Germany
8. West Germany Coal Italy
9. Italy Shoes-Leathers Australia
10. Australia Bauxite China
11. China Pork bellies Mexico
12. Mexico Pineapples Saudi Arabia
13. Saudi Arabia Petroleum Japan
14. Japan Televisions Denmark
15. Denmark Furniture Ireland
16. Ireland Lace Spain
17. Spain Olive oil Panama
18. Panama Hats Poland
19. Poland Oats India
20. India Rope New Zealand
21. New Zealand Lamb Turkey
22. Turkey Cigars Afghanistan
23. Afghanistan Clothing Mongolia
24. Mongolia Copper Korea
25. Korea Sport shoes Haiti
26. Haiti Jewelry Portugal
27. Portugal Sardines Czechoslovakia
28. Czechoslovakia Bauxite Burma
29. Burma Peanuts Egypt
30. Egypt Pottery USA
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