Academy Curricular Exchange
Columbia Education Center
Social Studies

TITLE:  The World On A String
        (Interdependence Simulation)

AUTHOR:  Lisa Knight, Meadow Glade, Battle Grounds, WA

GRADE LEVEL:  5-6; History

OBJECTIVE(s):  To demonstrate through concrete experience
the interconnectedness of all countries

MATERIALS:  Index cards with directions, ball of string

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
     Give each student a card with the country's name,
export, and trading partner.  Have the group stand in a
circle at random (26 students max.).  First country
(Afghanistan) throws string to trading partner who in turn
throws to his/her trading partner.  Keep throwing string
till it has crisscrossed the circle and each person is
holding a part of the string.
     The first person relates some problem that affects
hie/her export--i.e. "Drought hurts fruit crop.  Exports
drastically reduced" then tugs the string.  Each person who
feels the tug raises his/her hand, then tugs his/her string.
Tugs continue till the affect travels around the world.

VARIATION:  Give students country cards and have the
children determine a relationship to another country--i.e.
Mexico borrows ten million dollars from the U.S., then throw
the string to that country.


              INTERDEPENDENCE SIMULATION GAME

COUNTRY               PRODUCT                TO
1. Afghanistan        dried fruit            Libya
2. Libya              oil                    Norway
3. Norway             fish                   Sweden
4. Sweden             wood                   West Germany
5. West Germany       machinery              France
6. France             textiles               Italy
7. Italy              footwear               U.S.A.
8. U.S.A.             machinery              Canada
9. Canada             wheat                  Venezuela
10.Venezuela          gold                   Brazil
11.Brazil             coffee                 Djibouti
12.Djibouti           hides                  Somalia
13.Somalia            food                   Saudi Arabia
14.Saudi Arabia       oil                    Switzerland
15.Switzerland        watches                Albania
16.Albania            wheat                  Greece
17.Greece             tobacco                Portugal
18.Portugal           cork                   Britain
19.Britain            manufactured goods     Netherlands
20.Netherlands        chocolate              Japan
21.Japan              machinery              Hong Kong
22.Hong Kong          manufactured goods     Algeria
23.Algeria            wine                   Austria
24.Austria            iron                   Kuwait
25.Kuwait             oil                    Australia
26.Australia          coal                   Argentina



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John Kurilec