This activity can be a very exciting one. Schools throughout the country can contact one another and "trade" locally produced items that are important products of the area. Students will need to research and learn about these important products so that selections can be indicative of the area. Differences in culture and geography can be noted if students include a video tape of their school, its students, and the surrounding landscape.

Teacher Goals

• Local Goods - This activity will help students to identify unique products that are produced in their area/state.

• Other Area Goods - By receiving information about products from other schools in various parts of the country, students will learn about diversity.

Required Resources

• The equipment required for this activity is determined by the teacher and students, as they decide what is to be sent.  The only standard pieces of equipment would be a video camera and shipping boxes to hold selected items.

Optional Resources

• Conducting a Community Citizen Interview

  This can be accessed so students can learn how to conduct interviews with people who have information about the area.

• How to Conduct Oral History Interviews in Video

  This would also be a helpful lesson to access.

• Checklists (Rubrics) - Let's Trade Performance Assessment Rubric
  This rubric is designed to be used as a student checklist or a teacher evaluation tool. It is based on a point grading system. To calculate a percentage grade, divide the points earned by the points possible. Total Points Possible: 21

  • Let's Trade Performance Assessment Rubric

Steps

1. Video

   Using a video camera, tape your school, classroom, fellow students and the surrounding countryside to show others your local geography and culture/customs.

2. Research

   Using various information gathering techniques (e.g., interviewing, reference books, newspapers) determine what unique products your area produces.

3. Selection

   Select several items that could be obtained rather inexpensively and are small enough to fit into a small to medium box for shipping to another school (or schools).  Remember that these products should help give other students an idea about your area. (For example, you could include a brochure; perhaps cotton or wheat, if they are grown in your area, beads for New Orleans, etc.)

4. Receipt

   When shipments from others arrive, examine each product and look at maps of the locations of the other schools. How do the different products help explain their area? Do the products give any clue about the climate, ancestry, culture?

5. Shipment

   When you have contacted others or have been contacted by others, ship your products and videotape to the school.  This will educate those students about your area.

6. Optional

   Use the attached form below to share items selected and geographical information for your community.

   • Let's Trade data form