Today is rung 4 of 6 on this topic
Globalisation, migration and interdependence
Can do: Explains how economic and political systems connect countries, and evaluates who benefits.
Why it matters
It's the framework for most news they'll encounter, and it directly connects geography, economics and politics.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Discusses global issues with no mechanism — just a sense that things are connected somehow.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"A factory closes in one country and opens in another. Trace the effects in both places."
Solid looks like: Effects on both sides, including the ones that aren't obvious.
The full activity for this topic · 35 minutes
Trace One Product, One Person
- 1Pick one product and map its full supply chain: raw material, manufacture, transport, sale, disposal.
- 2At each stage, note who profits and who bears the cost.
- 3Now trace one person's migration story — historic or contemporary — and what pushed and pulled them.
- 4Connect the two: how do trade patterns and migration patterns relate?
- 5Write a short argument on whether the arrangement is fair, with evidence.
If it's too hard
One product, three stages.
If it's too easy
Compare two countries' positions in the same chain and argue about policy.
Say this
"Who gains and who loses at each step? Follow the money the whole way round."