Trading Activity

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This lesson is a simulation of trading at sea. It is to give the students an insight on what it was like for Nathaniel out at sea.

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Goals:


Resources/Materials:


Time:


Procedure:

  1. Introduction:   Talk about trading, brainstorm resources and skills that are needed to trade, review previous skills learned.
  2. Explain the basic concepts of the value of goods and exchange rates through examples. Explain that the value of goods depends on how much the item is needed.
  3. Give students exchange rate questions.(see examples)
  4. For added practice calculating exchange rates, there is a good lesson called "Currency Exchange and The Gang of Fifteen" by Eric Enholm from Walnut Junior High School in Grand Island, NE on the Internet: http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/gang1.htm
  5. Divide the class into groups of four or five.
  6. Each group will choose a country that they want to learn about.
  7. Have students find their country on a map or globe. They will research their country to find out what the flag looks like, what the currency is and what it looks like, and the country's imports and exports.
  8. The groups will make a flag representing their country, find the currency equivalent to $100, and draw their country on a large white sheet of paper to scale.
  9. The groups will give a short presentation of their findings.
  10. Using these findings, the groups will decide which countries they want to trade with and where they need to go to get the goods they need. They will map their route and come up with a list of three things that they will trade with other countries and a list of three things that they will get from other countries.
  11. The groups will have to decide who will go out on the ìboatî and who will stay in the country to trade with the people that come to them.
  12. The group will need to assign roles. They can come up with their own. Here are some suggestions: Leader, Spokesperson, Money Holder, Calculator, Navigator.
  13. They will also need to decide how much they want to sell their goods for and an estimate on how much they can spend on the goods they need.
  14. Place the sheets of paper on the floor and have the groups stand on their country.
  15. The groups will follow their planned route and trade. The teacher can make up scenarios (see examples).
  16. Their goal is to get everything on the list that they have constructed.
  17. Discussion of the activity:


    A.  How did you come to an agreement on the value of the goods bought and sold?
    B.  What are other factors that affect trade that were not included in this activity?
    C.  Were there any obstacles that you came across in trading? What were they?

  18. Students will do a self-evaluation and a group-evaluation using the provided rubrics.

Assessment:

  1. The students will hand in their calculations of exchange rates. Criteria for success: Each student will have 85% correct calculations.
  2. The groups will hand in their maps. Criteria for success: The map will be drawn accurately.
  3. The students will do a presentation in front of the class (see rubric). Criteria for success: The students will have an average of two.
  4. The students will hand in their evaluations. Criteria for success: The students will have a majority of ones.


Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:


Possible Extensions:

Sailing into the 19th Century - developed by Angela Hammerlind, Renee Kust, & Kevin Feyen


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This page submitted by St. Norbert Ocean Voyagers Program