Hello economics family! Great to see you on this historic day. Whenever major changes are taking place within the United States I always look to the wisdom of our heros and (s)heros from the past. Today I shared with you all the music and poetry of Nina Simone - I Ain't Got No, I Got Life. What I learn each time I listen to the song is that regardless of our shifting material belongings or political realities, such as phones, shoes, groceries, and presidents, what we do have is our own lives. We've got to cherish them fully, and love ourselves and neighbors as much as we can. That there is hope in just knowing that you've got your own life. As you prepare to leave my class, I know many of you will go on to do great things and in no small part because you have the hope and dream for a better future.
Learning Targets:
Learning Targets:
- I can explain how international economic systems interact in a global economy.
- I can demonstrate an understanding of the role of the U.S. government in the U.S. economy.
- I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
- I can examine the relationship between people, companies, and governments involved in trade.
- RAP: We opened class with a brief introduction to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). We discussed the major ideas of NAFTA and connected them to our study of international trade and economic anxiety.
- Main Stage: Analyzing the claims of NAFTA. Next we analyzed the various claims former President Bill Clinton made about NAFTA over 20 years ago. After individual reading and note-taking, students then annotated the speech in groups using large paper provided in class, in essence creating posters. We will use these posters next week as well!
- Closing: After learning about and discussing the claims President Clinton made about NAFTA, students then received descriptions of specific characters that were affected by the signing of NAFTA into law. Students read their character roles, and marked their sheets using the critical reading strategies. Afterward students began working on their interior monologues about their characters and the claims of NAFTA.