Submitted by Martha Johnson
Objectives:
Content:
Students will...
- recognize the variety of products that come to the US from many different countires
- develop a basic understanding that certain types of products come from certain countries
- identify some of the different complex factors that impact world trade
- identify two ways global interdependence impacts each of the following themes: globalization of the economy, conflict and cooperation, population growth and sustainability of the environment, migration and diaspora, and colonialism/imperialism
- develop a basic understanding of how complicated the global economy is and how susceptible it is to things like embargos, tarifs, and civil war
Cultural:
Students will...
- understand that the products we buy were made by people who may be very different but who have hopes and dreams just like we do and often just the same as we do (to live a life of happiness)
Language: Content Obligatory
Students will...
- be able to give an example or a definition of the terms: el embargo, la guerra civil, la tarifa, el conflicto global, la cooperación, la demanda, el consumo, los bienes during the discussion of the string trade simulation
- use the present tense to describe their maps to their classmates using words like: nouns of products, producto, viene de, name of country
- use words like tan(to) como, mas que, menos que to compare and contrast what kinds of products come from what kinds of countries using words like países industrializados y países en vías de desarrollo and productos textiles, electrónicos, comestibles, productos agrícolas etc.
- use the present tense of the verbs exporta and importa to communicate with classmates to complete the string trade simulation
- write short phrases to describe ways we are interdependent in relation to the five categories: globalization of the economy, conflict and cooperation, population growth and sustainability of the environment, migration and diaspora, and colonialism/imperialism
Language: Content Compatible
Students will...
- use the present tense to decribe their maps using words like importa/exporta
- use comparative adjectives to compare and contrast products and countries using words like: similar, semejante, diferente, distinto, etc.
- use the present tense of various expressions to say "seems like" : parece que... se me hace que, etc. when they share their analysis of their maps and where their products come from
Learning Strategies / Social and Skills Development:
Students will...
- work cooperatively in small groups and as a class
Time Frame:
This lesson will take one 84 minute class period.
Materials Needed:
- A class set of the map-walkabout handout for Activity #2 (see attachment #1).
- Items for string simulation activity #5: scissors, a large ball of string and one copy of the list of each country's imports and exports (see attachment #2 String trade).
- A soccer ball
- Some examples of the second description of the soccer ball activity (see handout: Ejemplos de la segunda descripción de la pelota de fútbol). I chose to have a few paper copies and an overhead transparency of the examples.
- You will also need the five butcher block papers with the headings from Lesson One and the word wall.
Description of Assessment (Performance Project):
Pre-Task
1. Quick review of the vocabulary on the word wall from yesterday. I would quickly assign a word or two to each student. Then in pairs they need to discuss a possible definition and/or an example. After a few minutes they share ideas with the whole class. Other students may add their ideas or disagree if they have a different meaning/example to present about that word. Ask students to take out their homework assignment (Mapa de Productos).
Language note: Review ways to say similar and different: similar, semejante, diferente, distinto, etc. You may also want to review seems like: parece que...These words could go on the word wall as well. I often have two word walls. One is divided into two sections for expressions and general vocabulary and the other is for specific social studies concepts and terms.
During Task
2. In small groups, students share with each other their maps and notice what is similar and what is different about their maps. After a few minutes, students post their maps on the walls around the classroom. Students do a "walk-about." Students will literally have the opportunity to "walk-about" the room comparing and contrasting each other's maps to complete the handout called "Map - walk about" (see attachment #1).
Post Task
3. Students share their finds with the class (quick debriefing) and turn in their walk-about worksheets. Encourage them to use the vocabulary on the word wall to share what they found was similar and different while they were analyzing and comparing each other's maps.
Pre-Task:
4. Language Note: Before the simulation, you may want to review some key terms: la exportación, la importación, los recursos naturales, los productos manufacturados, el embargo, la guerra civil, las tarifas, el intercambio internacional/global. You may also want to review ways students can ask each other questions about their respective countries (who imports/exports what products). While reviewing these terms, you may want to help students connect these terms with the maps they just finished analyzing as a way to transition from that activity to the string trade simulation.
During Task:
5. The simulation is adapted from "String Trade" found at http://www.frontiernet.net/~mikef/lessonplans/lesson1a.htm
While the instructions for this activity are all in English. It is very easy to modify the activity and have students carry it out in Spanish. Divide the class into five groups. Assign each group a country from the simulation. You may want to cut up and hand out one copy of the String Trade kit in Spanish (see attachment #2 String Trade). Each group gets only their country's information so students have to use more language to find their trade partners. Explain the directions in Spanish: Each county exports 2 products and imports 2 products. Their group's job is to find their trading partners. Encourage students to use vocabulary and phrases from activity #4 about how to ask each other who exports/imports specific products. For example: Yo soy de Colombia. ¿De dόnde es Usted? ¿Cuáles productos exportan Ustedes? Nosotros exportamos café y bananas e importamos granos y textiles. Once a group has found all their trade partners, they should gather in a circle in the middle of the room.6. After students have found their trading partners and joined the circle, using a large ball of string students will connect the groups/countries with their respective trade partners. For example, a piece of string will go between the group representing Colombia and the group representing the US because Colombia exports coffee to the US. (I have found it is helpful if I ask the groups who their trading partners are and then help them pass the string to this group). The string makes a wonderful web showing the interconnectedness of these 5 countries who import and export a total of 4 products each. Then I ask students to take a step backwards. What happens to the string? It becomes taut. What is something that could happen in the real world to make the relationship between these countries strained (tariffs, political tensions, etc.) Next, I cut all the strings around one country and ask, "Now what happened?" Often someone says, "An embargo." How does this effect all the countries? How does this effect the country who has an embargo against it? What countries either currently or historically have endured an embargo? How did they fare economically? Politically? How does an embargo impact global trade?
Language note: When we make the web together it is essentially a repeat of what they asked each other to find their trading partners. This time I ask the questions. What products do you import? What country exports this product? What products do you export? What country imports this product? I have found it to be too confusing to simply let students pass the string around. By asking the questions myself, I can also call on students who I noticed were not as actively involved in finding their trading partners and reinforce/model the present tense language structure using import/export.
Post task:
7. After the simulation, lead a brief discussion using the following questions: 1. Basada en esta actividad, ¿cómo podemos describir la interdependencia global? 2. Define los siguientes términos: tarifa, embargo, exportar, importar, bienes, intercambio. 3. ¿Si los EEUU decidiera subir la tarifa para los autos japoneses, cuáles serían algunas de las consequencias económicas para los EEUU, para Japón, o para el mundo? These questions could be part of an oral de-briefing or a written homework assignment or both.
Pre-task:
8. As a transition, briefly discuss how interdependence affects many aspects of our world (not just trade). Try and elicit examples how interdependence impacts population movement. They need to understand some of the reasons that cause people to move (economic, political, and to escape hunger, war or natural disasters). Discuss the meaning of the headings on the five butcherblock papers in more detail. Explain that these will be the 5 main units of the course.
Language note: Students will need to be able to refer to the new vocabulary on the word wall. More words may need to be added as they come up. My students added mano de obra as a new concept at this stage.
During Task:
9. Five groups of students (each group has a different colored marker) discuss and then write their ideas about how we are inter-connected under each sub-heading. Talking together, each group must list at least two items under each subheading. (see attachment #3 called "Interdependencia" to see what my class came up with!)
Language note: Students will need to be able to refer to the new vocabulary on the word wall. More words may need to be added as they come up. My students added many new words to the word wall at this stage.
Post Task:
10. Class dicussion of what is written on butcher block papers. Students took turns reading outloud what was written and we stopped to talk about each one and clarify meanings for anyone who had questions. Next, ask students to begin thinking about which of these topics/subtopics is of interest to them. Ask them to consider if there is a particular topic they already know something about and want to learn more. We will come back to this tomorrow.
11. Students can start homework in class. It may be necessary to share some examples to get them thinking. (see handout: Ejemplos de la segunda descripción).
Tarea:
Re-hacer la descripción del objeto original (de la pelota de fútbol). Puedes escribir desde la perspectiva de la pelota o puedes hacerle preguntas a la pelota. Quiero que piensen más profundamente en la descripción. No es solamente una pelota de fútbol. Una persona de otra cultura la hizo. ¿Quién era? ¿Cόmo era? ¿Cόmo se sentía elaborando la pelota? ¿Cόmo eran las condiciones laborales? Puede ser un poema, una canción, un lamento, un ensayo, etc. Debe ser algo muy creativo.
Assessment:
Formal Assessment:
The teacher will evaluate and provide feedback on the second description of the soccer ball and the written analysis of the maps. Again, there is no formal assessment as I am still getting to know the students and their writing style, level and ability. The Mapa de Productos itself can be assessed based on whether or not the students had a variety of products and whether or not they had 10 items. Also, their responses (oral or written) for Activity 7, the de-briefing of the string trade activity could be assessed. My class did this activity orally, so I gave students participation points for sharing (I have a student who keeps track of student responses during the class period).Informal Assessment:
Will be based on oral interaction and student responses during class discussion, map walk-about activity and string trade simulation.
References and Resources:
The soccer ball activity is adapted from "The Lives Behind the Labels: Teaching about the Global Sweatshop and the Race to the Bottom" by Bill Bigelow and published in Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World, 2002, page 128-145. The examples for the second description on page 1 (see handout) are adapted/translated from the article. This activity is used with permission of the author. Some of the articles in this book will be available in Spanish soon. Examples 5 and 6 of the handout of the second description of the soccer ball were written by two of my students and are also used with permission.
See also: www.rethinkingschools.org (look especially for the section on Rethinking Globalization
"String Trade" can be found at http://frontiernet.net/~mikef/lessonplans/lesson1a.htm
Attachments:
NOTE: some attachments are in PDF form (get Acrobat Reader)1. Map - walk about (Activity #2)
2. String trade handout (Activity #5) This handout was translated and adapted from “String Trade” found at http://frontiernet.net/~mikef/lessonplans/lesson1a.htm
3. Interdependencia. This is an example of Activity # 9.
Ejemplos de la segunda descripción de la pelota de fútbol