World Geography
Social Studies
Unit: 06
Lesson: 04
Suggested Duration: 2 days
Economic Systems and Influences
Lesson Synopsis:
This lesson focuses primarily on the categorizing of European countries on the economic spectrum. Students read the
economic status and overview for European countries and use the spectrum to classify them. A review of the spectrum is
included in this lesson.
TEKS:
WG.10
WG.10B
Economics. The student understands the distribution, characteristics, and interactions of the economic systems
in the world. The student is expected to:
Classify where specific countries fall along the economic spectrum between free enterprise and communism.
Supporting Standard
WG.11
Economics. The student understands how geography influences economic activities. The student is expected to:
WG.11A
Understand the connections between levels of development and economic activities (primary, secondary, tertiary,
and quaternary). Supporting Standard
WG.14
WG.14A
Government. The student understands the processes that influence political divisions, relationships, and policies.
The student is expected to:
Analyze current events to infer the physical and human processes that lead to the formation of boundaries and
other political divisions.
Social Studies Skills TEKS:
WG.22
WG.22A
WG.22B
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
Design and draw appropriate graphics such as maps, diagrams, tables, and graphs to communicate geographic
features, and relationships.
Generate summaries, generalizations, and thesis statements supported by evidence.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicator(s):
•
Create a continuum (an array) to illustrate the three main economic systems of the world: Free Enterprise
(capitalism), socialism, and communism. Categorize European nations on the continuum and summarize, orally or
in writing, why the nations fit where they are placed. (WG.10B; WG.14A; WG.22A, WG.22B)
1C
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:
•
The organization of a county’s or region’s economic system influences its political and social environment as well.
— Where do European countries fall along the economic spectrum between free enterprise and communism?
— How does an economic system influence a country’s political and social environment?
Vocabulary of Instruction:
•
Free enterprise (market
economy)
•
Communism (command
economy)
•
Socialism (mixed
economy)
Materials:
•
Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials
Attachments:
•
•
Teacher Resource PowerPoint: The Economic Spectrum
Teacher Resource: European Economies
©2013, TESCCC
05/01/13
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World Geography
Social Studies
Unit: 06 Lesson: 04
Resources and References:
•
Economic Data: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
Advance Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson, including geography terminology.
Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson.
Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines.
Prepare materials and handouts as needed.
Add or change terminology as needed.
Add or change PowerPoint as needed.
Background Information:
This information was first introduced in Unit 3, Lesson 4. It is now being applied to the European nations.
Economic systems and economic activities share a relationship with the region’s or nation’s government. Economic
systems include traditional, free enterprise, command, and mixed economies. Traditional economies are based on
agriculture or hunter-gather societies which are small in nature and usually based on a family structure (e.g., clan, tribe).
This system is usually found in regions within a country which can be a large or small part of the country’s economy.
Although most examples are found in developing countries, there are some examples within developed nations that
usually involve indigenous groups. A free enterprise economy is also often referred to as capitalism or free market. It is
important for students to know that these terms are used interchangeably but essentially have the same meaning.
Free market societies usually have limited government involvement (regulations) and businesses are privately owned.
The United States is an example of a free market economy. Command economies are on the opposite side of the
economic spectrum. Command economies (also referred to as controlled economies) consist of limited to no private
ownership of businesses and the government controls most if not all of the economy. Even individual jobs are decided
and sometimes dictated by the government. China is an example of a command economy. Although it should be noted,
China has “free economic zones” where foreign investment and market economic activities are encouraged.
In a mixed economy there is a combination of ownership between the state (government) and private ownership. In some
instances, both the state and privately owned businesses work together. Many countries have mixed economies.
Economic activities include primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary sectors. The primary sector includes the
production of raw materials with activities including farming, hunting, or grazing. The secondary sector manufactures
goods with activities such as automobile production, energy production, construction, etc. The tertiary sector is the service
industry with activities such as retail sales, restaurants, healthcare, etc. The quaternary sector is the sector that is
associated with research, education, libraries, etc.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT
Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.
The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus
Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page.
All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
ENGAGE – The Economic Spectrum: Predictions
1. Review economics terminology that was first introduced in Unit 3,
Lesson 4 by showing the Teacher Resource PowerPoint: The
Economic Spectrum (Note: The PowerPoint has been adjusted
by reducing the number of slides so that it addresses this lesson.)
2. Students sketch the economic spectrum (Slide 2) on their paper.
NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 – 10 minutes
Attachments:
• Teacher Resource PowerPoint: The
Economic Spectrum
TEKS: WG.10B; WG.11A; WG.14A
Instructional Note:
©2013, TESCCC
05/01/13
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World Geography
Social Studies
Unit: 06 Lesson: 04
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
3. Write the names of the European countries on the board. These
are the same countries that students researched from the prior
lesson. Ask: Where do European countries fall along the
economic spectrum between free enterprise and
communism?
• United Kingdom
• France
• Spain
• Portugal
• Italy
• Germany
• Belgium
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Greece
• Austria
• Romania
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
This is a prediction activity based on student
prior knowledge.
4. With a partner, students categorize the countries by writing them
under the appropriate category based on the economic spectrum
they sketched.
5. Explain to students that they are going to read about the
economies for each of the countries and check to see if their initial
prediction was correct. Also provide a brief explanation of the
European Union of which they will be reading about more in depth
in the next lesson.
EXPLORE/EXPLAIN – Where in the spectrum?
1. Group students by pairs or groups of three (depending on the
class size).
Suggested Day 1 – 30 minutes
Attachments:
• Teacher Resource: European Economies
2. Each student sketches an economic spectrum just like the one
they sketched in the ENGAGE piece.
TEKS: WG.10B; WG.14A; WG.22A
3. Each group reads about a European country’s economy. Use the
Teacher Resource: European Economies and distribute a
different country to each group.
4. After reading the underlined (most important information) on the
card, group members decide where to categorize the country on
the economic spectrum that they sketched.
• Where do European countries fall along the economic
spectrum between free enterprise and communism?
Instructional Note:
• Sections for each of the countries have
been underlined to help students focus on
that particular data.
• Students are likely to categorize most, if not
all the countries as capitalist/free enterprise.
5. After a few minutes, groups exchange countries (card/handout)
and repeat the process. The country card/handout is rotated so
that each group is provided with the opportunity to read about
each country’s economy.
6. After all groups complete the reading and categorizing, each group
shares with one other group the categorization of the European
©2013, TESCCC
05/01/13
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World Geography
Social Studies
Unit: 06 Lesson: 04
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
countries on the economic spectrum.
ELABORATE – Rank and Justify
1. Groups review the economic spectrum and decide which countries
have the most favorable economy.
Suggested Day 1 – 10 minutes
TEKS: WG.10B; WG.14A; WG.22A; WG.22B
2. Groups select the top five countries with the most favorable
economies and justify their selections.
3. Ask:
How does an economic system influence a country’s political
and social environment? Students justify what makes a
favorable economy by writing a sentence on the back of their
spectrum describing political and social factors that play a role in
economic activities.
EVALUATE
•
Suggested Day 2 – 50 minutes
Create a continuum (an array) to illustrate the three main
economic systems of the world: Free Enterprise (capitalism),
socialism, and communism. Categorize European nations on the
continuum and summarize, orally or in writing, why the nations fit
where they are placed. (WG.10B; WG.14A; WG.22A, WG.22B)
1C
©2013, TESCCC
05/01/13
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