Adding Depth and Complexity to Your Lessons
Grade Level(s): 6th
Content Area :
Social Studies – World Cultures
TEKS Objective: SS.6.8A, SS.6.8B, SS.6.10B
Language of the Discipline
Questions/Discussion Opportunities:
1. What are Economic Systems and how do they work?
2. What types of economic systems are there?
3. How do economic systems…
1. impact political systems they are associated with?
2. change, and what are the factors of those changes?
4. How are economic systems effected by…
1. production and distribution factors in a region?
2. the types and availability of goods and services in a region?
Student Activities/Products: Use the following Frayer model the students will develop the essential
characteristics of each type of economic system and identify examples of countries or regions that
exemplify this type of economy. Introduce the terms (types of economic systems) in the center oval:
Traditional, Command, Market, and Mixed-Market.
The students will take the information developed in their Frayer models of the markets and expand the
vocabulary to make the following connections:
Traditional Economies – Oligarchy and Barter
Command Economies – Socialism and Communism
Market Economies – Free Enterprise and Capitalism
Mixed-Market – Euro-socialism and Statist
Students will then write a short compare and contrast essay on two or more of the economic systems.
Adding Depth and Complexity to Your Lessons
Grade Level(s): 6th
Content Area :
Social Studies – World Cultures
TEKS Objective: SS.6.8A, SS.6.8B, SS.6.10B
Unanswered Questions
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: To expand on the understanding of products and services have
the students work cooperatively to answer the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do you differentiate Manufactured Goods into Consumer goods and Durable Goods?
What is a Service Industry and how does it differ from the manufactured goods industry?
How do literacy rates, birth rates, and death rates effect a region’s industries and vice-versa?
How can foreign investment improve and harm an economy?
Student Activities/Products: Have students work in small groups to answer the above questions using
the internet resources provided. Then have the students come together in whole group to discuss the
answers and across question implications.
Details
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: What are the implications to a region or country that institutes
change from one economic system to another either through political change (revolutionary) or
evolutionary change?
Patterns
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: What types of variables (i.e. birth rates, literacy rates, etc.)
impact all economic systems regardless of type? How do they do it?
Rules
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: Which political systems or environments fit best with each
economic system? Why?
Trends
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: How does a free market economic system evolve from a
manufacturing based system to a service industry based system? What are the implications of this
change?
Multiple Perspectives
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: How can different cultural perspectives impact the economic
system used in a region or country?
Adding Depth and Complexity to Your Lessons
Grade Level(s): 6th
Content Area :
Social Studies – World Cultures
TEKS Objective: SS.6.8A, SS.6.8B, SS.6.10B
Ethics
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: In which economic system are people more likely to be
charitable? How are they able to do this?
Big Ideas
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: Why are economic systems necessary?
Relate over Time & Parallel
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: How has politics in American History impacted the changes in the
American Economic System from Colonial-Mercantilism to the Modern-Mixed?
Student Activities/Products: Have students create an interactive-timeline showing the major changes
in economic and political systems and demonstrating their relationship.
Paradox
Questions/Discussion Opportunities: If Capitalism and Socialism are supposedly polar opposites how
can they cooperate in a mixed economic system. Look at a weak socialist-strong capitalist system such
as the United States or a reversed system of strong socialist-weak capitalist such as in China.