Download Patrick Costa – Bethel High School, Hampton, VA Mercantilism: The

Patrick Costa – Bethel High School, Hampton, VA
Mercantilism: The Atlantic Dash for Cash
Abstract
A. This entry is for use within a 90 minute, 9-12, World History II class. It can be
used as a stand-alone lesson or it can be divided-up into smaller lessons as part of
each individual SOL. Students will examine content related to Mercantilism. The
skills students will practice include identifying political boundaries, analyzing
primary and secondary sources, and analyzing the impact of economic forces. The
student outcome will be demonstrating knowledge by describing and evaluating
mercantilism.
B. This entry is an effective approach to teaching economic concepts because it
relies on student engagement, cooperative learning, and group interaction.
Economic Content and Key Concepts:
A. Economic Terms: Mercantilism.
B. Definitions
*Mercantilism-An economic practice adopted by European colonial powers in an
effort to become self-sufficient; based on the theory that the colonies existed for the
benefit of the mother country.
Source: Definitions come from WHII SOL 5e or from a district-approved textbook
such as: Ellis, Elisabeth and Anthony Esler. Virginia World History: The Modern Era.
Pearson Education. Boston, MA: 2011.
C. This unit will teach and reinforce the concepts by using Blooms Taxonomy, notes,
direct instruction, maps, a manipulative/hands-on activity, and primary source
readings.
Economic Standards and Student Learning Outcomes
A. Learning outcomes:
* WHII-1a: The student will improve skills in historical research and geographical
analysis by identifying, analyzing, and interpreting primary and secondary source
sources to make generalizations about events and life in world history.
*WHII-1c: The student will improve skills in historical research and geographical
analysis by identifying geographic features important to the study of world history
*WHII-1d: The student will improve skills in historical research and geographical
analysis by identifying and compare contemporary political boundaries with the
locations of civilizations, empires, and kingdoms.
*WHII-1e: The student will improve skills in historical research and geographical
analysis by analyzing trends in human migration and cultural interaction.
*WHII-1f: The student will improve skills in historical research and geographical
analysis by analyzing the impact of economic forces, including taxation, government
spending, trade, resources, and monetary systems, on events from 1500 A.D. (C.E.)
*WHII-5e: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the status and impact of
global trade on regional civilizations of the world after 1500 A.D. (C.E.) by
describing the growth of European nations, including the Commercial Revolution
and mercantilism.
B. Teaching Strategy and activity standard alignment
*WHII-1a:
The student will read excerpts from Nine Principle Rules of National Economy.
*WHII-1c:
The student will create and label features on a map relevant to mercantilism.
*WHII-1d:
The student will create and label features on a map relevant to mercantilism.
*WHII-1e
The student will create and label features on a map relevant to mercantilism.
*WHII-1f:
The student will define key terms.
*WHII-5e:
The student will participate in a mercantilism learning activity.
Instructional Process: WHII-5e: Mercantilism Lesson
1.
A. Materials list: String or yarn, notecards, paperclips, a sign that reads
“Colonies” and a sign that reads “Mother Country”
B. Material Assembly: Cut a piece a string at least 14 feet, and then tie the ends
together. Make enough string so each group has one. Write “Gold” on a card, write
“Resources” on a different card and, write, “Finished Goods” on a different card.
Make sure each group has 15 of each. Make sure each group has at least 30
paperclips (add more if needed).
C. Materials note: For ease of passing out, collecting-up, and re-using I give the
students a manila envelope with a name of a country. Inside the envelope it has
everything in it. After the activity is over, I instruct the students to take the
paperclips off the string and have them wrap the string around the included ruler.
Picture shows layout of materials for
classes. I use playing cards to draw groups,
hence, there is no group “1”.
Picture shows layout of each
group’s materials and string
wrapped around a ruler for easy
clean-up and storage.
Note: FG=Finished Goods Cards
2. Time: This lesson is designed for a 90-minute class; however, this lesson plan can
be used as a stand-alone activity on mercantilism or part of a larger unit on the
Commercial Revolution.
3. Prior knowledge: The student will have prior knowledge of WHII-4a-f and WHII5a-d.
4. Student will copy down notes from Power-point slide.
5. Map: The students will complete and label the Mercantilism Map that identifies
geographic features, colonies (land claims), and countries. Students will answer
questions based off the map.
Map is to be used with: Ellis, Elisabeth and Anthony Esler. Virginia World History:
The Modern Era. Pearson Education. Boston, MA: 2011.
Source of map used: Great Hall Games,
http://www.greathallgames.com/acards/mapAmerica.jpg ,accessed on 4/5/2014.
6. Mercantilism String-Relay Race:
A. Instruct students they will participate in a relay-race. They will be in competition
with other nations. Their goal will be to use the string to “sail” from the colonies,
notecards labeled “Gold” and “Resources” to the mother country. The mother
country will than un-clip the “Gold” and “Resource” cards and clip on “Finished
Goods”. The mother country will than “sail” the “Finished Goods” back to the
colonies. This cycle will repeat until all cards have been sailed back or after 1520minutes. The winner is the mother country with the most “Gold” and exported
“Finished Goods” cards to the colonies.
B. Rules
*If cards fall-off during the sailing they are considered to be sunk and you cannot
pick them-up.
*Each paperclip must contain one card.
*Colonies cannot trade with other colonies.
*No stealing is allowed (invariably a student will attempt to take the resources of
a nearby colony. Debrief question #7 touches upon this issue).
*Piracy: I tell my students that there is a pirate sailing the ocean. I normally act
as the pirate and attempt to take any nations cards. Though, you could select a
responsible student.
C. When students get into groups I have them each select a role:
-String Controller-Parent Country
--Controls the operation of the string for the parent country.
-Port Inspector-Parent Country
-Responsible for clipping and unclipping cards for the parent country.
-String Controller-Colony
-Controls the operation of the string for the colony.
-Port Inspector-Colony
-Responsible for clipping and unclipping cards for colony.
Role Note: If you have odd-groups, consider a deputy port inspector for either the
parent country or colony who can help with the clipping and unclipping.
D. Setting-up:
After roles are selected, I instruct the Colonies to stand at the side of the room
labeled “Colonies” and the mother countries to stand at the side of the room labeled
“Mother Country.” Have the respective colonies and mother countries face each
other and spread the string across the room so that each nation is connected (via)
the string to their colony. Ensure that the colonies have “Gold” and “Resource” cards
and that the mother country has “Finished Goods” cards.
Note: Have each group do a practice run first so they understand how to move
the string in unison. After a practice round begin the string relay-race.
E. Debrief: Mercantilism Questions
1. What were some of the problems faced with getting trade across the
Atlantic?
2. What did the colonies have that the parent countries wanted?
3. A. What did the parent country sell back to the colonies?
B. What did it result in?
4. A. Who benefits more by this system, the Colonies or the Parent country?
B. How so?
5. A. How might the colonies feel about this system?
B. What might they do about it?
6. What do you think is the parent countries biggest concern?
7. How might mercantilism and cross-Atlantic trade led to war?
8. How is the Commercial Revolution related to mercantilism?
Mercantilism Answers:
1. Accept any reasonable response
2. Gold and Resources
3. A. Finished Goods
B. The colonies getting flooded with finished goods. The parent country gets
richer
4. A. The parent country
B. The parent country got all the resources and made money selling items back to
the colonies
5. A. Bad
B. They are losing resources and are not profiting
6. Pirates, Storms, colonies seeking independence, colonies trading with other
colonies
7. Mother country could try to take over a different colony; nations might get
blamed for piracy.
8. The Commercial Revolution allowed for the creation of Mercantilism so parent
countries could get richer and try to out-compete their rivals.
8. Working independently: Have students complete the Nine Principal Rules of
National Economy handout and/or the Mercantilism Scenarios. For Nine Principal Rules
of National Economy and Mercantilism Scenarios source text see: Campbell, Melissa,
Christine Colihan, Cristina Kalesse, and Amy Vitcusky. Unit Title: Mercantilism and
Colonial America. University of Delaware, Historical Literacy Project. 5 March, 2009.
7. Independent Practice: Students will read the primary source document Nine Principle
Rules of National Economy and complete the summery chart. Teachers may want to
consider doing the first two readings as a class for guided practice and than have the
students complete the rest. To involve cross-literacy and historical text skills, students
might be instructed to highlight and define words that the do not know using a computer
or a dictionary.
8. Independent Practice: Students will apply what they know about mercantilism and
complete Mercantilism Scenarios. Teachers may want to consider doing the first two
scenarios as guided practice. To involve cross-literacy and historical text skills, students
might be instructed to highlight and define words that the do not know using a computer
or a dictionary.
9. Homework: Assign a relevant chapter in the textbook to read or instruct students to
finish independent work at home.
WHII-5e Evidence of Student Learning
During the 2013-2014 academic year, 130 mixed-ability students on the first 9
weeks Benchmark Test had a 75.8% pass-rate for questions related to WHII 5e:
Global Trade and Mercantilism.