Lesson: Global Trade Links
Year: 6 | Subject: Geography | Time Allocation: 100%
Class/Set: ____________ Date/Term: ____________
LO (WALT): To explain how goods and services are traded globally and identify the UK’s key trade links.
Success Criteria (WILF):
- I can define 'import' and 'export' using geographical terminology.
- I can identify the origin of common products and map their journey to the UK.
- I can explain why the UK relies on global trade for specific goods and services.
1. Starter (15%)
- Examine: Ask students to work in pairs to check the labels on their school jumpers, shoes, pencil cases, or bags.
- Record: Students list the countries found on the labels on their mini-whiteboards.
- Discuss: Facilitate a brief class discussion on why so many of our everyday items are manufactured in other countries rather than the UK.
- Retrieve: Ask students if they remember the term 'Interdependence' from previous units on global citizenship.
2. Main Activity (70%)
Teacher Input:
- Define: Introduce the core vocabulary: Import (buying goods/services from another country) and Export (selling goods/services to another country).
- Explain: Use a digital map to show the 'Global Supply Chain' of a chocolate bar. Trace cocoa beans from Ghana, sugar from Brazil, and milk from the UK to the processing plant and finally the local shop.
- Contrast: Distinguish between 'Physical Trade' (tangible goods like bananas or cars) and 'Service Trade' (intangible things like banking, tourism, or software development).
- Model: Demonstrate how to use an atlas or digital map to identify the distance (in kilometres) and the transport method (sea freight, air, or road) for a specific UK import like seasonal strawberries from Spain.
Student Task:
- Distribute: Provide students with the 'Product Origin Table' and a blank world map.
- Task A (Data Mapping): Students use atlases to locate and mark five countries that export goods to the UK (e.g., China for electronics, Norway for gas, Spain for fruit).
- Task B (Categorisation): Students complete the Trade Classification Table below, categorising items as either 'Import' or 'Export' based on UK economic data.
- Task C (Reasoning): Students write a short paragraph explaining why the UK must import certain foods (like pineapples or cocoa) rather than growing them domestically, referencing climate and land use.
- Support: Provide a 'Word Bank' (Climate, Manufacturing, Economy, Logistics, Raw Materials) for students finding the written reasoning challenging.
Trade Classification Table
| Product/Service |
Import or Export? |
Reason for Trade |
| Bananas |
Import |
Climate too cold in UK |
| Financial Services |
Export |
High expertise in London |
| Petroleum/Gas |
Import |
High energy demand |
| Pharmaceuticals |
Export |
Strong UK research sector |
| Electronic Goods |
Import |
Lower manufacturing costs abroad |
3. Plenary (15%)
- Check: Conduct a 'Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down' quiz: "Is a car made in Sunderland and sold in France an import for the UK?" (Down), "Is the UK part of a global supply chain?" (Up).
- Consolidate: Ask students to identify one way global trade might be affected by environmental factors, such as a storm blocking a shipping route.
- Summarise: Select three students to define 'Trade' in exactly ten words.
4. Resources
- Atlases or digital mapping software.
- Mini-whiteboards and pens.
- Product Origin Table and blank A3 world maps.
- Sample products with 'Made in...' labels (optional physical prompts).
⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE
💡 Pedagogical Pulse
- Delivery Advice: For Year 6, ensure you emphasize that 'Trade' is not just about physical objects. The UK is one of the world's largest exporters of Services (specifically finance and education). This is a common misconception where students think we 'don't make or sell anything' because they don't see factories in their local area.
- Misconception Alert: Students often think 'Import' means 'to make' and 'Export' means 'to buy'. Use the mnemonic: Import = Bring In. Export = Exit the country.
- Geography Link: This lesson provides an excellent opportunity to discuss 'Carbon Footprint' and 'Food Miles', which can lead into a follow-up lesson on sustainability and Fairtrade.
✅ Answer Key & Solutions
- Task A Answer (Mapping): Verify that students have correctly located:
- China (East Asia)
- Norway (Northern Europe)
- Spain (Southern Europe)
- Brazil (South America)
- Ghana (West Africa)
- Task B Answer (Trade Classification Table):
- Bananas: Import (UK climate is unsuitable for commercial growth).
- Financial Services: Export (The UK, specifically London, is a global hub for banking).
- Petroleum/Gas: Import (The UK requires more energy than it currently produces from the North Sea).
- Pharmaceuticals: Export (Large UK companies like GSK and AstraZeneca sell medicines globally).
- Electronic Goods: Import (Large-scale manufacturing is concentrated in countries with lower labour costs like China or Vietnam).
- Task C Answer (Reasoning): A successful response should mention that the UK climate is 'temperate' and lacks the consistent heat and humidity required for tropical crops. High-ability students should mention 'Comparative Advantage'—the idea that each country benefits by producing what it can make at a lower relative cost than other nations, and trading for the rest.
