You will learn
- Define import, export, trade balance, tariff.
- Interpret a trade table.
- Describe kinds of Sierra Leone exports and imports in general terms.
- Explain opportunities and risks of raw material exports.
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
Words to know
the difference between the value of a country’s exports and imports
a tax on imported goods
a natural resource used to make other goods
a product made from raw materials using machines or skills
1. Discover: The trade table of Isla Verde
Ms Smith shows a table for the made-up country Isla Verde. Exports: coffee, fish and copper ore. Imports: machines, fuel, wheat and medicines. “Exports earn money from other countries,” she says. “Imports bring what is hard to make at home. If the value of exports is greater than imports, the trade balance is positive.” She adds that many countries sell raw materials, such as ore, cocoa or fish. “Processing them at home can add value and create jobs. But prices on world markets can rise or fall.”
Think: Why might a country want to export more than raw materials?
2. Understand: Imports and exports
Idea 1: Imports and exports
An export is a good or service sold to another country; an import is bought from another country. Countries trade because they lack some resources, because others produce more cheaply, and because people want variety. A trade balance compares the value of exports and imports. A tariff is a tax on imports and a quota limits their quantity.
Idea 2: Sierra Leone in general terms
Sierra Leone’s exports have included minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, rutile and diamonds, as well as cocoa, coffee and fish. Imports have included fuel, food, machinery, vehicles and medicines. Exact figures change every year, so students should use current statistics from approved sources such as national statistics offices and the World Bank.
Idea 3: Opportunities and risks
Selling raw materials can earn income, but world prices can change quickly. Processing raw materials into manufactured goods can add value, create jobs and spread risk. Diversifying exports, building skills and improving transport can help. We explain these ideas without blaming any country or company.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Export.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Sold to another country.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Tariff.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Tax on imports.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A raw material.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Iron ore.
Did you know?
The World Trade Organization (WTO), founded in 1995, sets rules that help countries trade fairly.
Why this matters
Trade links our everyday lives to people in other places.
4. Explore: Read a trade table
Study the Isla Verde table of exports and imports. Calculate the trade balance, name two raw materials and two manufactured goods, and suggest one way to add value at home.
- Read.
- Calculate.
- Classify.
- Suggest.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Adding value can change a country’s income.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- An export is ___.
- An import is ___.
- A tariff is ___.
- Trade balance is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is an export?
Sold abroad.
Question 2. What is an import?
Bought from abroad.
Question 3. What is a tariff?
Tax on imports.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is an export?
- What is an import?
- What is a tariff?
- What is a trade balance?
- Name a raw material.
Level 2: Grow
- Why trade?
- Why add value?
- Why diversify?
Level 3: Stretch
- Read the table.
- Calculate balance.
- Suggest value added.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain one opportunity and one risk of exporting raw materials.
Show a sample answer
Income; price changes.
Another one. Look at a product label and find where it was made.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It uses much at home.
Fix: They bring needed goods.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define import, export, trade balance, tariff.
- I can interpret a trade table.
- I can describe kinds of Sierra Leone exports and imports in general terms.
- I can explain opportunities and risks of raw material exports.
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
- Exports leave a country; imports enter it.
- Trade balance compares exports and imports.
- Raw materials have lower value added than manufactured goods.
- Diversifying exports reduces risk.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Public goods and services. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
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 export and import. [2 marks]
- Name three Sierra Leone exports or imports in general terms. [3 marks]
- Explain one risk of raw material exports. [3 marks]
- Explain how adding value can help. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Export [1]; import [1]
- Three [3]
- Risk [1]; reason [1]; example [1]
- Meaning [1]; benefit [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 export?
- What is an import?
- What is a tariff?
- What is a trade balance?
- Name a raw material.
- Why trade?
- Why add value?
- Why diversify?
- Read the table.
- Calculate balance.
Homework
Draw a trade map.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is an export? | Sold abroad. | 1 |
| 2. What is an import? | Bought from abroad. | 1 |
| 3. What is a tariff? | Tax on imports. | 1 |
| 4. What is a trade balance? | Exports minus imports. | 1 |
| 5. Name a raw material. | Cocoa. | 1 |
| 6. Why trade? | Variety. | 1 |
| 7. Why add value? | More income. | 1 |
| 8. Why diversify? | Spread risk. | 1 |
| 9. Read the table. | Read. | 1 |
| 10. Calculate balance. | Calculate. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Sold abroad.; 2 Bought from abroad.; 3 Tax on imports.; 4 Exports minus imports.; 5 Cocoa.. Level 2: 1 Variety.; 2 More income.; 3 Spread risk.. Level 3: 1 Read.; 2 Calculate.; 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, export, trade balance, tariff | 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 Interpret a trade table | 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 kinds of Sierra Leone exports and imports in general terms | 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 opportunities and risks of raw material exports | 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: “A country must export everything it makes.” It uses much at home.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a trade 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 trade using a made-up country. Please look at product labels together. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Check labels.
- Discuss trade.
- Avoid blame.
- 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, export, trade balance, tariff; interpret a trade table; describe kinds of Sierra Leone exports and imports in general terms; explain opportunities and risks of raw material exports.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: scarcity, opportunity cost, production and consumption, markets and prices, specialisation and trade.
Materials. Trade table. 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 trade tables.
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 Isla Verde story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach imports and exports.
Guided activity (10 min). Read a trade table.
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. What do countries import and export?
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. “A country must export everything it makes.” It uses much at home.
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 a trade 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 6 Unit 7, topic 6; NCSS C3 Framework, economic decision making, exchange and markets, the national economy and global economy; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, economic ideas; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet and how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.