This inquiry leads students through an investigation of economic systems by focusing on the context of trade among world communities. Trading is one of the oldest forms of economic interaction among humans, yet it is also among the most complex. In examining the reasons for international trade and the exports of world communities, students should be able to develop an argument supported by evidence to answer the compelling question “Why do countries need each other?”
Compelling Question:
Why Do Countries Need Each Other?
Staging the Question:
Watch an interactive video and discuss the construct of what it means to trade.
1
Supporting Question What do countries export?
Formative Task Choose three products and list the countries that produce and export them.
Sources Source A: Image bank: Highest valued export by country
Source B: Image bank: World political maps
2
Supporting Question Why do countries import goods?
Formative Task List three reasons why countries import goods.
Sources Source A: “On Valentine's Day, Many of the Flowers Come from Colombia”
Source B: “It’s a Hard Fight to End Child Labor Abuse on West Africa’s Cocoa Farms”
3
Supporting Question What factors influence trade?
Formative Task Make a claim supported with evidence about a factor that has influenced trade in the 21st century.
Sources Source A: “Most People in India Drink Tea, but Locally Grown Coffee Is Catching On”
Source B: “Who Will Sell the Most Avocados? Colombia Hopes It Will”
Summative Performance Task
Argument: Why do countries need each other? Construct an argument supported with evidence that addresses the question of how world communities trade with one another in order to meet their needs and wants.
Taking Informed Action
Understand: Accomplished through Performance Tasks 1 and 2
Assess: Accomplished through Performance Task 3
Act: Select one or more of the goods mentioned in the featured sources as items that the US imports from other countries and invite local restaurant and/or grocery store managers to class to talk about how and why they are involved in that form of trade.