Here’s a quick, open and go mini geography lesson to use today in your homeschool. Kids will learn about the geographical theme of movement with an Imports Scavenger Hunt! Be sure to download your freebie below.
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When I was a middle school social studies teacher, I loved to include some fun hands-on activities so kids could actually experience geography and see how it really does affect their daily lives. This activity does exactly that.
Introduce Imports
What are imports? What do they have to do with geography?
Imports are foreign goods and services bought by residents of a country.
Since geography is more than just, “where is this on the map?” the National Council for Geographic Education articulated the five themes of geography in 1984.
The five themes of geography are location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region.
Today’s mini lesson examines the theme of movement. This geographic theme examines how people, goods, and ideas move from one place to another.
Task 1: Data collection – scavenger hunt
Create a list of 20 items in your home and what country they were made in. You can check the label in your clothing or item to find the country of origin. Google the brand name to find out what country produced it if the “made in” designation is not readily available.
Your list of items can be all household goods – electronics, clothing, toys, and decor – or your list could be all completely food items! Your choice.
Download your Import Scavenger Hunt freebie below this post!
Task 2: Data Analysis
Take the information from the list of 20 imports and create a bar graph or pie chart showing the countries from which your household items came.
Task 3: Discussion
Find countries of origin for your household imports on a world map or globe.
Answer these questions out loud together:
- What would your household be like if international trade didn’t exist or was restricted?
- What effect does trade restriction have on a country?
- Why do countries impose trade restrictions?
- Are there any current events news stories regarding trade?
- What products are being made primarily in your country?
Download your Imports Scavenger Hunt freebies in my members-only resource library.
And if you enjoyed this mini geography lesson, you would love my Geography Bundles for upper grades.
