Today, Year 6 began exploring the concept of global trade and how the United Kingdom is connected to other countries through the exchange of goods. The children investigated a range of different countries and identified the products they export to the UK. Through this, they began to understand how natural resources, climate, and physical geography influence what different countries are able to produce.
The children then located these countries and coloured their own world maps using a key to show each product and its country of origin. This helped them to visualise the global distribution of goods and the extensive trade networks that connect continents and oceans. The activity also supported their understanding of imports, exports and trade routes, highlighting the scale and interdependence of the global economy.
Towards the end of the lesson, the children began to explore the advantages and disadvantages of international trade. They discussed how trade can support economic growth, provide access to resources that are not available locally and create employment opportunities. They also considered some of the challenges, including environmental impacts, transport distances and the reliance countries can have on goods produced elsewhere.
