ED 305 Calvin College Lesson Planning Form (with comments)

Names: Kyla Swanson and Bri Westra Big Idea: How are we connected to the world? Thread/Crossover:
Geography/Economics

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?

Studying the interdependence between different countries using a trade simulation

How does this lesson tie in to your unit’s Big Idea?

How do we, as people living in the United States, depend on other countries for the goods we purchase?
What state standards are being addressed (list them)?

*unless noted, standards are from v. 12/7

4 - G1.0.3: Describe some of the movements of resources, goods, people, jobs, and information to, from, or within the United
States, and explain the reasons for the movements.

4 - E1.0.1: Identify questions economists ask in examining the United States (e.g., What is produced? How is it produced? How
much is produced? Who gets what is produced? What role does the government play in the economy?).

4 - E1.0.2: Describe some characteristics of a market economy (e.g., private property rights, voluntary exchange, competition,
consumer sovereignty, incentives, specialization).

4 - E1.0.6: Explain how competition among buyers results in higher prices and competition among sellers results in lower
prices (e.g., supply, demand).

4 - E1.0.7: (according to V.8/15): Describe the exchange of goods and services and the role of money (circular flow model).

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.C.5: Generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule. Identify apparent features
of the pattern that were not explicit in the rule itself. For example, given the rule "Add 3" and the starting number 1, generate
terms in the resulting sequence and observe that the terms appear to alternate between odd and even numbers. Explain
informally why the numbers will continue to alternate in this way.

What themes or core principles from the sub-disciplines (ex- themes of geography, core economic principles) are being
addressed in this lesson?

Human Systems: Understand how human activities help shape the Earth’s surface
Market Economy: Use fundamental principles and concepts of economics to understand economic activity in a market
economy.

II. Before you start

Prerequisite knowledge and skills. Students will have an understanding of regions and what defines a region.

Teacher monitors student interactions during the simulation (ex: Are students defining
Assessment trade successfully and incorporating supply and demand with their goods?), questions at
(formative and summative) the end of the simulation, journal entry, homework assignment

Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)

Multiple Means of Engagement Multiple Means of Representation Multiple Means of Expression

Self Regulation Comprehension Executive Functions
Students are motivated by classroom Asking students at the end of the
competition and having money. simulation: “What strategies did you
use?” “What worked well?” “What
Students talk about what they know didn’t?” “What would you do
about trade in the beginning of class, differently?” In order to get students
then at the end of class journal about thinking about their decision making
the knowledge of trade using new and reflect on how it was successful or
vocabulary words. not.

Sustaining Effort and Persistence Language and Symbols Expression and Communication

After introducing the concept, the

teacher will further define the
vocabulary terms for students. This
allows students to interact with the
concept before learning the vocabulary
term. Students will then interact with
the vocabulary terms in their personal
journal entry.

Recruiting Interest Perception Physical Action

Having students understand that their Students will be up and walking around
country needs a variety of goods--they the classroom. Tables will be set up in a
will see that as they observe their way so it is easy for wheelchairs to
products in their homework maneuver through the spaces. The
assignment. tables will be pushed towards the walls
and open space in the middle of the
classroom.

Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
Materials-what materials (books, Trading cards
handouts, etc) do you need for Computer
this lesson and do you have them? Homework assignment

Students (in a class of 20) are split into 5 table groups of 4 people.
Do you need to set up your
classroom in any special way for
this lesson? If so, describe it.

III. The Plan

The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher activities and student
Time
Parts
activities (indicate in parenthesis where you are addressing standards and themes)
Teacher Activity Student Activity
Motivation Teacher writes the word trade on the
(Opening/ whiteboard and says the following:
Introduction/ Students talk with their small groups about trade
Engagement) “Today, I want you to talk about trade with your Students are thinking about what they know
table group. See if you can come up with a about trade and maybe how they have seen it in
definition of trade.” their own lives

Teacher calls on different table groups and has Each group shares an answer.
productive discourse with the class. The teacher
will write their definitions on the board.
 Once checking in with all groups, teacher looks
at all answers and creates one definition of trade
that the class can acknowledge.
trade: exchange of goods and services

Teacher says: “What are some things that you Students are sharing examples of times they
trade with your family members and friends?” traded.
“Did you ever trade your lunch? How about
toys?”

Development Simulation explanation

Start simple: give each country their given good;

ask students what they could make/do with their
goods (3-5 responses)
Give each table group the rest of their goods:
● United Kingdom: gold (7), electronics
(1), oil (2) [total sum of goods 45]
● China: electronics (7), coffee (1),
lumber (1) [total sum of goods 18]
● Colombia: coffee (7), oil (1), lumber (1)
[total sum of goods 14]
● Saudi Arabia: oil (7), electronics (2),
coffee (1) [total sum of goods 33]
● Ghana: lumber (7), coffee (1),
electronics (1) [total sum of goods 24]

Students are listening to instructions

Introduce the objectives of the game: Tell
students that the objective is for each student to
get the most points by trading their country’s
goods for products from another country. Each
team will start with a set of trading cards that
represents their country’s worth. Students will
be able to trade with any country they want.
Explain to students that they can creatively
market their products or combine products to
end up with something more desirable.
● Gold—5 points per unit
● Oil—4 points per unit
● Lumber—3 points per unit
● Electronics—2 points per unit
● Coffee—1 point per unit
Hand out “Beginning” Chart and have students
count up their total points.

3. Conduct the first round of trading.

Allow for ten minutes of open trading. Then
Students are trading with each other and trying
announce the following:
to get the points amount of points.
● WORLD SITUATION: The world is
running out of oil, making oil extremely
rare and much more expensive.
● OUTCOME: The worth of oil increases Students must adjust their strategies in order to
accomodate to the increase of price for oil.
 by two points.

Students update the point system to reflect the

Simulation continues for 5 additional minutes
increase in points per unit for oil.
ends.

Hand out “End” Chart and have students count

up their total points.

Have students reflect on what they learned.

Discuss the following questions:
● Did any countries end the game richer
or poorer than they started? Which Students discuss with groups--each group gets an
ones? assigned question and then after 5 min will share
● What was it like to be a rich country? A with the class.
poor country?
● Was it easy or difficult to trade? Why?
● Did any countries feel especially
powerful or powerless?
● Which items were most popular?
Which were least popular? Why?

Teacher questions after simulation:

● “What strategies did you use?” “What
worked well?” “What didn’t?” “What
would you do differently?”
● “Why do you need more than your own
Students answer these questions as a class.
resources?”

Define terms during concept development

Have students try and figure out what these
terms mean and perhaps how they used/saw
them in the simulation.
competition
Students are working with each other to figure
supply
out the meaning of these words and where they
demand
used them.
goods
voluntary exchange?
consumers
producers
the role of money

Create an advertisement in your journal-- Students will take time to create their
“You are in charge of your own product and advertisements in their journals.
need to convince your boss that your idea is the
best. Incorporate the answers to the following
questions in your advertisement:
What is your good?
Closure
Who is your competition?
How much will it cost?
Who will buy your product?
What makes your good better than your
opponents?”
Why do people need your good?”
 Explain homework assignment & hand out Students place homework assignment in their
homework assignment. homework folders, putting their homework
folder inside their desk.

Documentation: What sources did you consult for this lesson?

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/the-trading-game/