JA Global Marketplace®
Through hands-on activities, JA Global Marketplace provides practical information about the key aspects of the global economy, what makes world trade work, and how trade affects students’ daily lives. JA Global Marketplace consists of six 45 minute volunteer led sessions and is recommended for grades 6 through 8.
Following participation in this program, students will be able to identity imports and exports, gather information utilizing globes, maps and charts, understand the importance of domestic and international trade, and highlight cultural differences that can affect business practices.
Session One: “X” Marks the Spot
Working in groups to identify import items found throughout the classroom, students begin to recognize that trade with other countries affects their daily lives. Students understand that international trade occurs when nations want or need resources or services from other countries because they themselves cannot satisfy those needs and wants at reasonable costs.
The students will be able to:
- Define trade.
- Explain why countries trade with one another.
- List at least five products or items imported from other countries and locate those countries on a world map.
Session Two: You Be the Judge
Students learn that nations use several methods to increase their trade benefits. Agreements with one or more countries often are made to facilitate trade and avoid conflict.
The students will be able to:
- Identify quotas, tariffs, subsidies, embargoes, and standards as trade barriers governments use to control trade and increase benefits for their countries.
- Describe how multilateral agreements can facilitate trade.
- Describe how the World Trade Organization (WTO) functions as a court to help nations settle trade disagreements.
Session Three: Let’s Make a Deal
Students work in groups to identify and understand the business practices used in other countries. Students discover that business practices vary from country to country and that understanding these practices can have a positive impact on trade.
The students will be able to:
- Explain how cultural aspects of business vary from country to country.
- Develop group plans to create a food franchise by learning about the business practices of select countries.
Session Four: People Power
Students discover how the movement and settlement of people facilitates international trade. They discuss examples of immigration and, through creative activities, gain insight into the lives of immigrants. They learn that economic opportunity often is the driving force behind immigration and global trade.
The students will be able to:
- Describe reasons why people move from one country to another, particularly those seeking economic opportunity.
- Give examples of contributions immigrants bring to the new countries and the hardships newcomers often endure.
- Identify global trade and immigration as a means of international exchange of human resources.
Session Five: World of Words
Students discover how advances in communication and transportation have improved productivity and facilitated world trade. From moveable type to the Internet, students trace the international flow of information and its impact on world economies.
The students will be able to:
- Describe how improvements in technology and transportation and the sharing of ideas have impacted the flow of information and increased productivity.
- Calculate productivity.
- List examples of technological developments throughout history.
Session Six: World of Money
Students will learn that countries have different currencies with different values. To purchase goods from another country, it usually is necessary to use that country’s currency. Some European countries have facilitated the exchange process by adopting the euro as a common currency.
The students will be able to:
- Explain why international trade requires an exchange of currency.
- Convert U.S. dollars into another currency using an exchange rate.