Trade and Economic Activity: Reading and Comprehension
- Grades
- Grade 4
- Pages
- 7
- File type
- Subject
- Social Studies
- Resource types
- Activities
- Ontario expectations
- C2.6 — summarize the main idea of a text
From the author
About this resource
The Trade + Economic Activity Reading Packet is an engaging social studies resource for Grade 4 students to build their knowledge of economics. This printable packet contains an informative passage about trade and economic activity that students will read closely. Also included are vocabulary terms related to economics that students will apply as they read. To assess comprehension, graphic organizers and multiple choice questions allow students to demonstrate their learning. Teachers can implement this versatile resource in various ways - as part of a whole group lesson, centre work, partner work, or as a homework assignment. The reading passage, vocabulary terms, graphic organizers, and question sets have answer keys included for teacher reference. This reading packet is an excellent no-prep solution to help Grade 4 students actively build literacy skills while learning key economics concepts.
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In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
- Define trade, goods, services and exports using the passage's own wording
- Explain why America's trading partner shifted from Britain to France during the Revolutionary War
- Write a paragraph defining goods and services and explaining how trade strengthens a country's economy
Teaching tips
- The organizer arrives with its main idea and first supporting detail already printed, so it can be modelled in a minute; the three remaining details all sit in a single sentence of the passage's first paragraph.
- Point stalled students to the sentence listing "more jobs, different kinds of goods, the prices on goods decrease, and more money gets spent" — those four items are exactly what the organizer wants.
- Because the four matching terms are the same four the passage defines, page 3 can be run as a pre-read prediction as well as a post-read check.
Skills covered
- Evidence selection — find passage details to complete the partly filled main-idea organizer.
- Vocabulary application — match trade terms with definitions from the passage.
- Cause-and-effect reading — connect trade relationships with the economic effects described.
Good to know
Questions teachers ask about this resource
How much of the graphic organizer is printed for the student already?
The main idea box and the first supporting detail come pre-printed — "Trade between countries promotes economic activity" and "Creates more jobs". Students supply the remaining three details, all of which appear in one sentence of the passage.
What kind of writing does the packet ask students to produce?
Two open responses on the final student page: a 2–3 sentence explanation of how America found help fighting Britain, and a full paragraph that must define goods and services and explain how trade helps countries. Five and six ruled lines respectively are provided.
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Ontario curriculum
Ontario curriculum expectations
Ontario expectations
Ontario expectations
- C2.6 — summarize the main idea of a text and the supporting details in sequence, and draw a simple conclusion
Core concepts
Core concepts
- Trade
- Goods and services
- Exports
- Economic activity
- Main idea
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