Lesson 5: Lesson 5: International Trade, Barriers & Tariffs
Duration of Days: 3
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to evaluate the systemic benefits and costs of free trade agreements versus economic protectionism models.
Students will be able to model the domestic price effects of import tariffs, quotas, and export subsidies on consumers and businesses.
Does protectionist policy genuinely guard domestic manufacturing labor force jobs, or does it merely penalize regular consumers?
How do trade blockades, global tariffs, and protectionist walls alter international diplomatic partnerships?
Protectionism
Tariff
Import Quota
Free Trade
Trade Barrier
CT Social Studies Standard: 7.Eco.14.a — Explain how a trade barrier has shaped global or regional trade in historical and contemporary contexts (e.g., tariff barrier, non-tariff barrier, embargo). CT Social Studies Standard: 7.Eco.4.b — Describe the role of competition in a market economy (e.g., prices, wages, tariffs, trade agreements, international trade organizations).
Synthesizing Textual Claims with Graphic Models: Students parse an academic policy text regarding trade dependency while cross-examining export/import surplus line graphs. They must identify statements where graphic data directly updates or conflicts with global economic assertions.
This lesson connects domestic economic health to international markets. Students explore why nations trade, trace comparative advantage dynamics, and model trade barriers. The unit finishes with a structured mock trade negotiation simulation where students represent competing nations balancing domestic industrial health against global market access.
This lesson synthesizes all preceding units (output, price indices, and public policy rules) by showing how national economies interact globally.
Estimated DOK Level: 4 (Extended Thinking / Complex Synthesis)
Students examine the electronic supply dependencies behind everyday personal smartphones, computers, and athletic apparel brands, checking how modern tariff trade standoffs affect local retail prices and tech accessibility.
Students often hold the view that tariffs are taxes collected directly from foreign governments, rather than duties paid by domestic importers inside their own country.
Role Modeling Assignation: For the final trade simulation debate, pair complex analytical research portfolios with clear team delivery roles (e.g., Data Visualizer, Policy Speaker, or Scribe) to optimize varying student skill sets.
Create a comparative summary matrix assessing the structural outcomes of an import tariff on domestic steel. The brief must explicitly state separate outcomes for domestic mill workers, auto manufacturers, and everyday car buyers.