You will learn
- Define import, customs duty, dependence, local substitute.
- Explain why countries import.
- Describe how imports arrive.
- Explain benefits and risks.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Imports come from other countries.
- Countries import what they cannot produce enough of.
- Imports arrive at ports and airports.
- Local production can reduce dependence.
Words to know
a good or service bought from another country
a tax charged on goods brought into a country
relying on something or someone
a product made at home that can replace an imported one
1. Discover: The ship at the quay
Ms Smith shows a photograph of a ship unloading containers at Freetown’s port. “Inside are goods bought from other countries: fuel, vehicles, machines, medicines, and some rice and cooking oil,” she says. “These are imports. The government charges customs duty on many of them. Imports give us things we cannot make, but depending on them can be risky if prices rise or supply stops.” Mei asks, “Could we grow more rice here?” “That is a local substitute,” says Ms Smith.
Think: Which imported item could be made locally?
2. Understand: Imports
Idea 1: What imports are
An import is a good or service bought from another country. Countries import things they do not produce at all (such as some machinery and fuel), or cannot produce enough of. Sierra Leone imports fuel, vehicles, machinery, medicines, textiles, and a share of its rice and cooking oil.
Idea 2: How they arrive
Imports come by sea through ports such as Freetown, by air through Lungi, and by road across borders. Customs officers check them and collect customs duty, which funds public services. Importers pay for transport, storage and taxes, and these costs affect the final price.
Idea 3: Benefits and risks
Imports give choice, new technology and goods that are not made at home. But dependence on imports can be risky: if world prices rise, a currency weakens or supply stops, families may pay more. Making a local substitute, like more local rice, can create jobs and reduce risk, if it is of good quality and fairly priced.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Import.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: A good from another country.
Example 2 (We do it together): Name
An import of Sierra Leone.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Fuel.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A local substitute.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Locally grown rice.
Did you know?
Most of the world’s oil is traded across seas in huge tanker ships.
Why this matters
Knowing about imports helps us understand prices and how to build a strong economy.
4. Explore: Import detectives
List ten items in your classroom. Check labels or ask the teacher to find which are imported. Make a table with item, imported or local, and possible local substitute. Discuss benefits and risks.
- List.
- Check.
- Sort.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Many everyday goods come from far away.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- An import is ___.
- A customs duty is ___.
- Dependence is ___.
- A local substitute is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is an import?
Bought from abroad.
Question 2. What is a customs duty?
Tax on imports.
Question 3. What is dependence?
Relying on.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is an import?
- What is a customs duty?
- What is dependence?
- What is a local substitute?
- Name an import.
Level 2: Grow
- Why import?
- Why duty?
- Why substitute?
Level 3: Stretch
- List items.
- Sort imported or local.
- Suggest substitutes.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name two imports and one risk of depending on imports.
Show a sample answer
Fuel, machinery; price rises.
Another one. Check where three items in your home were made and tell an adult.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They bring useful goods.
Fix: No country can.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define import, customs duty, dependence, local substitute.
- I can explain why countries import.
- I can describe how imports arrive.
- I can explain benefits and risks.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Imports come from other countries.
- Countries import what they cannot produce enough of.
- Imports arrive at ports and airports.
- Local production can reduce dependence.
11. Next lesson
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define import and customs duty. [2 marks]
- Name three imports of Sierra Leone. [3 marks]
- Explain one benefit and one risk of imports. [3 marks]
- Suggest one local substitute and why. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Import [1]; duty [1]
- Three [3]
- Benefit [1]; risk [1]; link [1]
- Substitute [1]; reason [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is an import?
- What is a customs duty?
- What is dependence?
- What is a local substitute?
- Name an import.
- Why import?
- Why duty?
- Why substitute?
- List items.
- Sort imported or local.
Homework
Draw an import chart.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is an import? | Bought from abroad. | 1 |
| 2. What is a customs duty? | Tax on imports. | 1 |
| 3. What is dependence? | Relying on. | 1 |
| 4. What is a local substitute? | Home-made replacement. | 1 |
| 5. Name an import. | Fuel. | 1 |
| 6. Why import? | Cannot make enough. | 1 |
| 7. Why duty? | Fund services. | 1 |
| 8. Why substitute? | Reduce dependence. | 1 |
| 9. List items. | List. | 1 |
| 10. Sort imported or local. | Sort. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Bought from abroad.; 2 Tax on imports.; 3 Relying on.; 4 Home-made replacement.; 5 Fuel.. Level 2: 1 Cannot make enough.; 2 Fund services.; 3 Reduce dependence.. Level 3: 1 List.; 2 Sort.; 3 Suggest..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Define import, customs duty, dependence, local substitute | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Explain why countries import | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Describe how imports arrive | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain benefits and risks | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Imports are always bad.” They bring useful goods.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make an imports chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child studies imports. Please check where things are made together. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Check labels.
- Talk about local goods.
- Support local producers.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: define import, customs duty, dependence, local substitute; explain why countries import; describe how imports arrive; explain benefits and risks.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 5 ideas: scarcity, choice, producers, consumers, supply, demand and prices.
Materials. Labels, charts. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare items with labels.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the ship at the quay story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach imports.
Guided activity (10 min). Import detectives.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Why do countries import goods and what are the benefits and risks?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Imports are always bad.” They bring useful goods.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make an imports chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 5 Unit 7, topic 4; NCSS C3 Framework, exchange and markets and the national economy; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, trade and interdependence; IB Primary Years Programme, how we organise ourselves. These sources informed the lesson.