Lesson Plan 10 – We are All in this Together - Ag in the Classroom

Human Graph” and have students make a human graph by standing in line by countryof shoe origin. Ask students if they were surprised by the results. Discuss withstudents other items they use daily and have the class predict where those items weremade. List items and predictions on board. Keep this list as a reference.2. Reproduce “Product Identification Tags,” using bright colors to represent eachproduct type. Assign students “Product Identification Tags" for homework. Explain tothe students that they will have to decide the product type of the article they aretagging. They will need to note the country of origin and write a brief description of thearticle. The completed tags are to be returned to class. Give the students examples ofeach category. Encourage the students to find as many different items from as manydifferent countries as possible.3. When students return their tags to class, create a class graph by placing tags on abulletin board by country. Discuss results with the students. If more than one class isdoing the activity, have students compare the results and draw conclusions.4. Have students identify the products that were made from agricultural commodities.5. Have students enter these in a class data base. Use “Sample Data Base” as anexample.6. Have the class use the class data base to graph the results by country.Compare the graphs. Discuss world trade agreements and how they affect each of us.Divide the class into teams and assign each team an item or class of items to researchusing “Where in the World ?”7. Have students use “Made in China/Asia/Africa” to create a map of their productsshowing a world trade map. Use different colors of string for each major class ofproducts. Discuss with students regional interdependence and identify goods the U.S.produces and trades. Locate major manufacturing centers in the U.S. Using “DirectionsFor Rally Robin,” have students describe how economic links make Americans andpeople from other countries more alike in the goods they use. An example would bemusic. There is a big Asian market for American music.8. Ask students to share what they know about the economies of the countriesidentified in the previous activities. Explain that one way countries increase theirexports is by arranging trade missions to other nations. Trade missions may be madeup of both business people and government officials interested in promoting trade.9. Discuss United States’ trade missions with the students. Explain to the students thatthey will be on simulated trade missions representing the countries they have beenworking with in the product mapping activities.10. Divide students into teams, one team for each country. Assign each team ofstudents a country. Explain that each team is to take part in a trade mission to promoteits country's products. Teams will use “Trade Mission” to complete the activity.11. After teams have presented their research projects to the class, use “Assessment”to determine the success of student endeavors.2