Trade networks and supply chains become a real policy problem in this Grade 11 Social Studies worksheet. Students trace how goods move across borders, calculate an import tariff, and consider who gains or loses when a country depends on a major trading partner. Rather than treating global trade as a list of definitions, the resource asks students to use evidence to explain economic choices and their effects on communities.

From Cotton Fields to International Markets

A clothing supply chain diagram follows cotton harvesting, garment production, ocean shipping, customs inspection, and retail sales. Students connect each stage to the people and activities involved in bringing a finished shirt to shoppers. A separate cocoa export scenario explores why businesses may benefit from overseas demand while farming households face risks when purchases fall.

A Case Students Can Calculate and Debate

The reading passage connects historical Indian Ocean trading routes and seasonal winds with modern transport and production. It then introduces fictional trading partners Riverland and Northport. Riverland sends 60 of every 100 exported cocoa containers to Northport, creating exposure to changing demand. Students also work with a 20% tariff on a $50 cocoa shipment, finding a $10 import charge and a $60 tariff-inclusive price before other costs. These figures give students concrete evidence for evaluating trade dependency, protection of domestic producers, consumer costs, and unequal economic outcomes.

What Students Complete

• A classroom dialogue summary and vocabulary matching pairs to establish essential trade concepts.
• A cloze paragraph about cocoa exports and a labeled diagram activity following a clothing shipment.
• A historical and contemporary trade reading passage with multiple-choice questions and true-or-false statements.
• Short-answer explanations and an extended response weighing the consequences of Northport's proposed tariff.

Included Teaching Support

The product includes the printable student worksheet plus a separate PDF Teacher Guide with learning objectives, teaching tips, discussion questions, and common mistakes. The guide supports planning and helps teachers bring out different perspectives without turning an economic policy question into a one-sided argument.

Use It to Move from Vocabulary to Evaluation

Start with the dialogue and visual sequence to establish how a supply chain works, then assign the reading and calculations individually or in pairs. The short responses check whether learners can connect figures with consequences for farmers, exporters, consumers, and local firms. Finish with the extended policy response as a written assessment or a basis for classroom discussion. The emphasis is on using comparative advantage and evidence about tariffs to justify a balanced recommendation, not just memorizing terms.