Grade 6 Social Studies: Economics and Global Interdependence
Free Grade 6 Social Studies unit on Economics and Global Interdependence: 10 lessons in order. Includes practice questions and answer keys.
10 lessons in this unit
Scarcity
Define scarcity, resources, needs, wants, choice and limited resources, explain that scarcity exists because resources are limited while wants are unlimited, name the factors of production (land, labour, capital, enterprise), explain that every society and person must make choices because of scarcity, and apply the idea to a pretend-money budgeting example.
Lesson 2Opportunity cost
Define opportunity cost, trade-off, decision and benefit, explain that opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative given up, apply it to personal, school, business and government choices, use a trade-off table to compare options, and explain that good decisions weigh benefits and opportunity costs.
Lesson 3Production and consumption
Define production, consumption, producer, consumer, primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, value added, supply chain and sustainable consumption, explain how goods and services are produced using the four factors, trace a supply chain from raw material to consumer (for example cocoa to chocolate or cassava to gari), explain that consumers also affect production through their choices, and discuss responsible consumption.
Lesson 4Markets and prices
Define market, demand, supply, price, equilibrium, competition, shortage and surplus, explain that prices tend to rise when demand is higher than supply and fall when supply is higher than demand, describe local markets and online markets, use a pretend market to see how prices change, and discuss fairness in markets (honest weights and prices, consumer protection).
Lesson 5Trade and specialisation
Define specialisation, division of labour, comparative advantage (simple form), productivity, self-sufficiency and exchange, explain that specialising in what one does best and trading allows more to be produced and shared, use a simple pretend-token example of two villages, describe the benefits (efficiency, variety, skills) and risks (dependence, job loss, uneven gains), and connect to West African examples such as cocoa and fish trade.
Lesson 6Imports and exports
Define import, export, trade balance, tariff, quota, raw material and manufactured good, explain what countries import and export and why, interpret a simple trade table for a made-up country, describe Sierra Leone’s main kinds of exports (minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, rutile and diamonds; cocoa, coffee and fish) and imports (fuel, food, machinery, vehicles) in general terms, and explain how dependence on raw material exports can bring opportunities and risks.
Lesson 7Public goods and services
Define public good, private good, public service, shared resource, free rider and common benefit, explain why some things are provided collectively (roads, street lighting, public health campaigns, defence, courts, schools), explain why markets alone may not provide enough, describe who provides them (local councils, national government, partnerships), and discuss how communities decide priorities fairly.
Lesson 8Taxation introduction
Define tax, revenue, public budget, direct and indirect tax, income tax and sales or goods tax at a basic level, explain that governments raise revenue through taxes and other sources to pay for public services, use pretend tokens to simulate a simple tax and budget, explain principles of fair taxation (fairness, clarity, ease of payment) and why transparency matters, and discuss how communities decide how funds are used.
Lesson 9Economic interdependence
Define interdependence, globalisation, global supply chain, remittance (introduced neutrally), currency and exchange rate, explain how countries and people rely on each other for goods, services, knowledge and finance, trace a global product through several countries, explain benefits (variety, jobs, innovation) and risks (shocks spreading, uneven gains, environmental pressure), and discuss responsible global economic behaviour.
Lesson 10Economic decision-making
Apply the unit’s ideas to a guided decision-making task, using steps: identify the problem, set goals, list options, gather evidence, weigh benefits, costs and opportunity costs, decide, and review, apply it to a fictional community choice (for example, how to use a community fund for a shared project), consider fairness and sustainability, communicate the decision, and reflect on what the decision leaves out.