Middle Childhood Education

Middle Childhood Education Lesson Plan Template v. 2

Teacher Candidate Name: Molly Smith
Lesson Title/#: Scarcity
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Essential Question: Is global trade good or bad for a country?

Lesson Foundations
Content Standards

History Standard 6.14: Scarcity- When regions and/or countries specialize, global trade occurs.

*Science and SS should also

include common core for
reading/writing

Writing Standard 6.2: Text Types and Purposes- write informative/explanatory texts to examine
a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and
analysis of relevant content.

Learning Objective(s)
Students will

Prior Academic
Knowledge and Skills

1. Students will identify the benefits of specialization by interpreting political cartoons.

(Apply)
2. Students will analyze maps, political cartoons, and data to see that when countries
specialize, global trade occurs.
(Analyze)
3. Students will develop written work from the supports and sources that were received in
the DBQ. (Evaluate)
-

What have you or your

mentor taught previously that
will inform what students are
learning today?

Materials & Resources

Students know that the choices people make have both present and future
consequences (economic decision making skills)
Students know the concepts of scarcity and the fundamental questions of economics
including what to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce.
Students know the concepts of when countries become scarce, this leads to
specialization in certain products. This will then lead to global trade.
Definitions of imports, exports, trade, specialization, interdependence, scarcity,
Station Sheets
PowerPoint Presentation
Post it notes
Econedlink Video & Quiz: http://www.econedlink.org/tool/196/Trade-ExchangeInterdependence-Video-Quiz
What is the message in this cartoon? (political cartoon in introduction)
http://www.slideshare.net/esample458/specialization-36682417

Middle Childhood Education

Imports and Export chart:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/10/global-trade-graphics
Silk Road Route https://mrcurzan.wikispaces.com/file/view/DBQ+Trade.pdf
Political cartoon presented in station 4:
https://edumenow.wikispaces.com/3rd+Quarter+Journals

Assessments

Describe the assessments that will be used in this lesson to monitor students mastery of the lesson objective(s). List assessments in order in which they
appear in the lesson.

Name and
number of
Assessment
A1: Bell Ringer

Description of assessment

Evaluation Criteria - What is the evidence (the answers) of student

learning? Specifically list evidence of learning and learning objectives.

Formative: Students will

be presented with a
political cartoon. With the
cartoon, they will
interpret the meaning.
Students will be directed
to write their answers on
a post it note, and place it
next to the photo on the
white board. This activity
will be review from
yesterday (specialization)
and a next step into the
DBQ activity.

LO1/LO2

What is the message in

the cartoon? (Analyze)

Businesses specialize in producing what they are really good at.

Specializing is good for being efficient in producing a product. If
they specialize only in that product, they are going to produce a
lot of it.

Middle Childhood Education

A2: Discussion

Formative: The teacher

will gather the students
into the living area for a
comfortable learning
environment for
discussion. The discussion
will be based off of the
bell ringer they answered
as they walked in the
door. The teacher will
read through their
responses and pick out
the ones that stuck out.
This will be good for the
teacher to see where the
students are at with the
topic. The following
questions will be:
Tell me what you see in
this cartoon that sticks
out to you. (Understand)
Do you see these signs in
our local town? (Analyze)

LO1/LO2

The buildings in the background are of signs for just salad, steak,
etc. There arent a variety of options that they can choose from. They
also seem like they have a concerned look on their faces.
Not necessarily. We dont see building that have just steak, or just
potatoes. We are able to get all of the things listed in that photo in a
grocery store.
That certain areas specialize in a product that they are able to
produce high quantities for.

Middle Childhood Education

What was the message of

this cartoon? (Analyze)
Is this good or bad?
(Apply)
A3: DBQ Stations

Formative: Students will

have a DBQ that they will
have to go through. They
will end up going through
each DBQ in stations.
Station 1: Students will
review the video and
answer the following
questions in their station
packets:
http://www.econedlink.org
/tool/196/Trade-ExchangeInterdependence-VideoQuiz
What are advantages and
disadvantages of
specialization? (Analyze)

Its good that they can produce high quantities of this product. It can
provide higher living standards for people if they are efficient in
production. It may be bad though if they have to have a high reliance
on others to provide them with the products they are lacking.
LO2/LO3

Advantages: Specialization allows for more and efficient production of

specific products
Disadvantages: If a country that produces sugar has a bad season, it
raises the prices of them. This will be a disadvantage for the countries
that want to purchase the sugar since it is more expensive.

Countries are interdependent of one another. If one country makes a

decision, it is going to effect the other countries that are dependent
Why do decisions that one on that decision as well. Since countries specialize, they rely on other
country makes not only
countries to produce the products they need.
affect them, but others as
well? (Apply)
Station 2: This chart takes
a look at the imports and
exports of countries
around the world. Some

Middle Childhood Education

countries have major

differences, and others
may be very similar. Some
countries may specialize
in more products than
others, causing a
difference in net import
The country that relies most on imports is the United States. The
and exports with global
country that relies most on exports is China.
trade.
What country above relies
most on imports? Which
one mostly relies on
exports? (Analyze)
Which country above has
the highest specialization
in products? (Analyze)
What does this say about
the net importers and net
exporters? (Analyze)

China would have the highest specialization in products since they are
exporting the most products.
The net importers such as the United States, Japan, and France may
not have as many desirable resources they can produce and
specialize in. Since China has the highest amount of exports, this may
mean that they have the most desirable resources. The United States
may be scarce in products that they rely on China for.

Station 3:
The map below shows the
routes of the Silk Road.
The Silk Road was an
ancient route that led to
much discovery of
different cultures,
traditions, and products.
https://mrcurzan.wikispac
es.com/file/view/DBQ+Tra

Based off of this map, regions were able to have access to many more
products than they did before they traded. With more access, it
helped other regions learn and grow from other cultures. Today, we

Middle Childhood Education

de.pdf

have a lot of more routes and access to help us develop at an even

faster rate.

Was relying on other

regions for trade in the
past as important as we
rely on other regions for
trade today? (Analyze)
It is important for regions to rely on one another because certain
places are more efficient in producing products than others. If we are
scarce in a product, we become interdependent and reliant on that
other region.
Why is it so important
that we rely on other
regions? (Apply)

Explain the meaning of

this cartoon? (Analyze)

This cartoon shows how much we rely on other countries for our
products. The United States (portrayed by Uncle Sam) is very reliant
on imports and the cheap prices they can get their products for. Since
we receive so many imports, the majority of products that we are in
possession of are from other countries. We are very interdependent
on other regions and global trade.

Do you agree or disagree

with this message? Why?
(Apply)

I agree with the message being portrayed because we saw that the
United States is highly reliant on imports. We want to get the best
deals, so we are going to purchase our products from the cheapest
resource. We need to rely on other regions that are efficient with
specializing in these products. Specialization in products leads to
global trade.

Station 4:

Middle Childhood Education

A4: Poll
Everywhere

Formative:

LO2/3

Is global trade good for

bad for a country? Why?

Global trade is good for a country because it provides us a wealth of

products that we might not be able to produce
Global trade may be bad for countries especially if prices from that
region increase for that product.

Instructional Procedures/Steps

Each portion of this section should be aligned with learning objectives. Note when you are addressing a learning objective and when enacting an assessment.

Opening
_____5_____
-

Minutes

Hook?
Activate prior
knowledge?
Communicate LOs?

Teacher will

Student will

Include instructional practices, questions you will ask, checks

for understanding, differentiation, evidence of culturally
responsive teaching practices.

What will students be doing?

What evidence of learning will students demonstrate?
Student-centered learning/opportunities for practice and
application.

Teacher will set up PowerPoint presentation,

write learning objectives/I can statements up
on board, and lay out post- it notes in the
middle of desks. Teacher will lay out station
sheets on each station tables, put
chromebooks on station ones table, and lay
out additional copies of the documents on
table for student to refer to.
A1: LO1/LO2-Students will be presented with
a political cartoon on the PowerPoint. With
the cartoon, they will interpret the meaning.
Students will be directed to write their
answers on a post it note, and place it next to
the photo on the white board. This activity
will be review from yesterday (specialization)
and a next step into the DBQ activity.
What is the message in the cartoon?
(Analyze)

As students are getting settled in the classroom,

they will answer the following questions presented
on the PowerPoint.

Businesses specialize in producing what they

are really good at.
Specializing is good for being efficient in
producing a product. If they specialize only
in that product, they are going to produce a

Middle Childhood Education

lot of it.

Record your answer on the same post-it

(make sure to put your initials): What do you
think our learning objectives will be for the
day? (Apply)
Transition: Once students are finished putting
up their responses to the question on the
board, they will have a seat in the living area.
While they are in the living area, students will
know (based off of directions on PowerPoint)
to look at the learning objectives/ I can
statements up on board, and to discuss their
answers with their peers.
Instruction
______45____
Minutes
Procedures and steps
to the lesson.
Strategies?
Assessments?
Q & A?
Evidence of
learning?
CRP?
Planned supports?
Transitions: Identify
when you are

A2: LO1/LO2The teacher will gather the students into the

living area for a comfortable learning
environment for discussion. The discussion
will be based off of the bell ringer they
answered as they walked in the door. The
teacher will read through their responses and
pick out the ones that stuck out. This will be
good for the teacher to see where the
students are at with the topic. The teacher
will pick out a couple of sticky notes that
were close to being the learning objectives. I
will then read off the answers, and show

Why do nations specialize?

Why is everyone specializing?
What is good about specializing?
Specialization leads to global trade?

Middle Childhood Education

transitioning and how
you will make that a
smooth transition?

them the word to word learning objectives for

the day. The following questions for
discussion will be:
Tell me what you see in this cartoon that
sticks out to you. (Understand)

The buildings in the background are of signs for

just steak, salad, etc. There arent a variety of
options that they can chose from. They also seem
like they have a concerned look on their faces.

Do you see these signs in our local town?

(Analyze)

Not necessarily. We dont see building that have

just steak, or just potatoes. We are able to get
all of the things listed in that photo in a grocery
store.
That certain areas specialize in a product that they
are able to produce high quantities for.

What was the message of this cartoon?

(Analyze)
Is this good or bad? (Evaluate)

Transition: Keeping what we have discussed

in mind, we are going to independently
complete document based questions. You will
receive a series of different
documents/sources and questions that will
help you develop your thought process to
complete a final essay question. Make sure
you read through the directions thoroughly
before you begin.
Teacher will present stations up on
PowerPoint with student names assigned

Its good that they can produce high quantities of

this product. It can provide higher living standards
for people if they are efficient in production. It may
be bad though if they have to have a high reliance
on others to provide them with the products they
are lacking.

Students will go to their assigned stations, pick up

a station packet, and begin.

Middle Childhood Education

under each station. Teacher will direct

students to get to their assigned tables, pick
up the station packet at their tables, and
begin (10 minutes per station). Teacher will
be around to monitor and ask enrichment
questions.
A3: LO2/LO3Station 1: Students will read through the
directions thoroughly before beginning.
Students will watch a video on
econedlink.org, answer quiz questions and
short answer that follow.
This video teaches the concept of Trade,
Exchange and Interdependence. People do
not make everything that they and their
family use: that is, they do not grow all their
own food, sew their own clothes, build their
own house and provide themselves
personally with health care and education.
Instead, people focus on a particular job and
then use the wages that they earn from that
job to purchase the goods and services they
desire. In this way, an economy forms an
interlinked network of trade, exchange and
interdependence.
http://www.econedlink.org/tool/196/TradeExchange-Interdependence-Video-Quiz
What are advantages and disadvantages of
specialization? (Analyze)

Advantages: Specialization allows for more and

efficient production of specific products
Disadvantages: If a country that produces sugar
has a bad season, it raises the prices of them. This
will be a disadvantage for the countries that want
to purchase the sugar since it is more expensive.
Countries are interdependent of one another. If
one country makes a decision, it is going to effect
the other countries that are dependent on that
decision as well. Since countries specialize, they
rely on other countries to produce the products
they need.

Middle Childhood Education

We see this through the rise and fall in gas prices.

We become very dependent on a country for this
limited resource.
Why do decisions that one country makes not
only affect them, but others as well? (Apply)

Enrichment question: In what ways has the

U.S.A been effected by trade from other
countries? (Analyze)
Station 2: This chart takes a look at the
imports and exports of countries around the
world. Some countries have major
differences, and others may be very similar.
Some countries may specialize in more
products than others, causing a difference in
net import and exports with global trade.
What country above relies most of imports?
Which one mostly relies on exports?
(Analyze)
Which country above has the highest
specialization in products? (Analyze)
What does this say about the net importers
and net exporters? (Analyze)

The country that relies most on imports is the

United States. The country that relies most on
exports is China.
China would have the highest specialization in
products since they are exporting the most
products.
The net importers such as the United States,
Japan, and France may not have as many desirable
resources they can produce and specialize in.
Since China has the highest amount of exports,
this may mean that they have the most desirable
resources. The United States may be scarce in
products that they rely on China for.
Some other countries may be more efficient in
producing the product than we are. We may not be
as efficient, and it may be cheaper just to import
all of the goods that other countries specialize in.

Middle Childhood Education

Enrichment question: Why do you think a

country as large as ours with plenty of
resources have to rely on so many imports?
(Analyze)
Station 3:

Based off of this map, regions were able to have

access to many more products than they did
The map below shows the routes of the Silk
before they traded. With more access, it helped
Road. The Silk Road was an ancient route that other regions learn and grow from other cultures.
led to much discovery of different cultures,
Today, we have a lot of more routes and access to
traditions, and products.
help us develop at an even faster rate.
https://mrcurzan.wikispaces.com/file/view/DB
Q+Trade.pdf
Was relying on other regions in the past as
important as we rely on other regions today?
(Analyze)

It is important for regions to rely on one another

because certain places are more efficient in
producing products than others. If we are scarce in
a product, we become interdependent and reliant
on that other region.
There wouldnt be as much progress and efficiency
in producing products. We would have to rely
solely on ourselves which wouldnt be beneficial if
we dont have resources that others do have.

Why is it so important that we rely on other

regions? (Apply)

Enrichment question: What would happen if

we werent exposed to other cultures and
products? (Apply)
Station 4:
Explain the meaning of this cartoon?
(Analyze)

This cartoon shows how much we rely on other

countries for our products. The United States
(portrayed by Uncle Sam) is very reliant on
imports and the cheap prices they can get their
products for. Since we receive so many imports,
the majority of products that we are in possession
of are from other countries. We are very
interdependent on other regions and global trade.
I agree with the message being portrayed because
we saw that the United States is highly reliant on

Middle Childhood Education

imports. We want to get the best deals, so we are

going to purchase our products from the cheapest
resource. We need to rely on other regions that are
efficient with specializing in these products.
Specialization in products leads to global trade.
Do you agree or disagree with this message?
Why? (Apply)

Enrichment question: Why are we importing

all of these cheap goods? What is making
them so cheap? (Apply)

Transition: Lets make sure to turn in our

packets in the bin off to the side, grab your
phone or chromebook so we can wrap up our
thoughts.
Closure
_____5_____
-

Assess?
Wrap up?
Set-up?

Whole Class Discussion:

Minutes

Lets look back on the learning objectives on

the board.
1. Students will identify the benefits of
specialization by interpreting political
cartoons. (Apply)
2. Students will analyze maps, political
cartoons, and data to see that when
countries specialize, global trade
occurs. (Analyze)

A large abundance and efficiency/specialization of

the product is making it cheap. A lot of times, we
are wanting things for the cheapest prices. If we
are able to get the same resource at a much lower
price out of country as compared to inside of the
country, we will import it.

Middle Childhood Education

3. Students will develop written work from

the supports and sources that were
received in the DBQ. (Evaluate)
In what ways have we interpreted the
political cartoons? How did this relate to
specialization and trade? (Evaluate)

Going off of your answers, how come some

countries import more than they export?
(Analyze)

A4: LO2/3
Teacher will have QR code on desks and the
PollEverywhere site presented up on the
PowerPoint. Teacher will discuss some of their
answers and remind them to keep their
answers in mind for tomorrows essay
question for the DBQ.
www.pollev.com/mollysmith512 or text
mollysmith512 to 22333 once to join.

We saw that some countries specialize in certain

materials or products. Some countries relay
heavily on certain areas of the world. We saw that
the U.S. relies a lot on other countries. It shows
that specialization in certain products does lead to
trade. Some countries specializations may be more
of a demand.
Some countries may be very rich in resources,
others may not be. If a country becomes scarce in
a product, they are going to have to rely on
another country to have that resource.

Global trade is good for a country because it

provides us a wealth of products that we might not
be able to produce
Global trade may be bad for countries especially if
prices from that region increase for that product.

Is global trade good or bad for a country?

Why? (Apply)

Middle Childhood Education

Modifications/Acc
ommodations/Enri
chment
Differentiation: How
will you provide
students with specific
learning needs
instructional support?
How will you provide
students access to
learning?

Academic
Language

If time runs out, students will still be able to

answer the questions on their way out the
door on their phones/ other technology.
IEP Students: Station worksheet with main points bolded and highlighted, directions listed for each
station on station worksheets, multiple ways to reach websites (QR codes and links)
Gifted/Talented: Enrichment questions provided for students as I walk around the room to monitor
stations. Discussion provided for them to be enabled in thinking deeper about the topic.
Struggling Students: For struggling readers/writers, pictures will be provided on station worksheet
next to key terms. Station worksheet with main points bolded and highlighted. Helpful hints will
be given on the short answer response questions.
Identify
Language Function: Analyze

What language function

do you want students to
develop in this lesson?
What vocabulary do
students need to
support learning of the
learning objective for
this lesson?

Vocabulary: Trade, Scarcity, Imports, Exports,

Specialization, interdependent.

What supports do you

have in place to assist
students with AL?

Syntax or Discourse?

Planned Supports
Language Function: Constructing written
responses from the documents they were required
to analyze. Analyzing of political cartoons, graphs,
and interactive videos.
Vocabulary: Constructing definitions of terms from
documents presented, opportunities to use the
terms in written work and discussion, and terms
included in on written prompts.

Syntax or Discourse? Guidelines for written work

provided on DBQ, Handouts reinforcing the use of
the terms, and having students analyze the terms
through documents.

After looking through all of the documents at the stations, we would end there and continue with the
essay question tomorrow (day 4). The question presented at the conclusion (poll everywhere) will

Middle Childhood Education

continue to gather their thoughts about the essay question that will be given to them the following
day.