Learning Activity – English Language Arts
Cycle 2
The Negotiator
Student Booklet
Name:
Date:
Part 1 – Getting Ready to Read
Check off the strategies that you think may be useful to you as you read the
text “Bartering, the Past and the Present”.
Consult this list and if you are having difficulties understanding the text.
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I read aloud to myself in a low, whispering voice.
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I highlight unknown words with a colored pencil or a highlighter.
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I use a dictionary to find unknown words.
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I ask my friend for help when s(he) has finished reading.
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I underling the sentences that I did not understand.
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I continue reading, using the words or phrases that I already know.
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I guess the meaning of a word or sentence using the words that I know.
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Part 2 – Reading the Story
Read the following text using your reading strategies
Bartering, the Past and the Present
Did you know that humans used to live without money?
Centuries ago, when money did not exist, people bartered. People would trade their
property or their services against other goods or services. Examples of bartering are; “If
you give me some bread, I will give you some wood” or “If you help me to collect wood, I
will give you a bowl of soup.”
Later on, people began to exchange goods or services for objects that had value. Salt,
tea and cattle were once used like money. Strings of beads made from shells, called
wampum, were used by North American Indians as money. However, it was not always
easy to carry these objects and sometimes people argued about the value of these
objects. How many bags of tea could you trade for a cow?
In other parts of the world people started to use
precious metals like silver and gold in exchange
for goods and services. A specific amount of the
metal would be weighed out and placed between
two stencils. Then a man would use a large
hammer to flatten out the metal. The stencils left
images on both sides of the coin to show how
much it was worth. This was the beginning of
“stamping coins”.
During the time of the Romans, a bronze coin
was called an “as” and a silver coin was called a
“denarius”. Ten bronze coins had the same value as one silver coin, like our dime and
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penny. Workers received one “denarius” for a day’s wage. Therefore, a man had to
work ten hours to receive his “denarius”, or in other words, he made one “as” per hour.
Today, money is the common medium of exchange in most societies on Earth. We use
money to pay for our food, clothing, housing, transportation and everything else we
need to live. We receive money for the work we do and we use it to pay for all the
services that we need.
Despite all the advantages of currency, bartering has never really disappeared. During
the Great Depression, people were very poor and bartering enabled them to obtain
goods or products that they needed for everyday life. Even today, bartering is used,
especially during economic crises.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, new trading networks have been created using
websites. Today, these “social networks” bring people together from all over the world
and allow them to easily exchange goods and services.
So what will the future bring? We can certainly see that bartering will always be present
in our societies. Indeed, it may become even more important, especially with the need
to recycle and to preserve our environment.
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Part 3 – Showing I Understand!
Refer to the text you have read and your own personal experiences to answer
the following questions.
1. In your own words, what is bartering?
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2. Why do you think that certain countries started “stamping coins” instead of using
objects like cows, salt or shells for trading?
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3. Do you think it is better to trade goods using money or by bartering? Explain.
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4. Since the early 2000s people have started bartering through websites. Why do you
think bartering is still used today?
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5. How can bartering help preserve the environment?
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6. Describe a personal experience you have had with bartering or trading.
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Part 4 – A Network like No Other
In teams, develop an idea for an exchange network in your school. Your
network must meet the following requirements.
Your exchange network:
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must be accessible to the greatest number of students possible;
should be managed by students;
must not use money.
Brainstorm your ideas.
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Draw a plan of your exchange network.
Describe how your exchange network will work.
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