3.8 OVERVIEW

The student will recognize the concepts of specialization (being an expert in one job, product, or service) and interdependence (depending on others) in the production of goods and services (in ancient Greece, Rome, the West African empire of Mali, and in the present).

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Conduct a lesson on economic specialization.
  -Introduce the term economic specialization to the class. The students will break the word down and identify the root word special. The teacher will read a book to the class and discuss what the main character’s occupation. Then write specialization on the chalkboard.
  -Have students take a few moments to make an independent list of things that are special to them. This list will be discussed as a class.
  -Guide the students to the conclusion that something special is generally one of a kind. In turn, just as in the teacher-selected book, when people specialize in something they focus on one product or service.
• Distribute magazines to the class. The students are to find a picture in a magazine of a person performing a task, thus, specializing in one area. Have students glue the picture on a piece of paper and explain in a few sentences what the person is doing in the picture. Glue the pictures on a large piece of paper to create a Collage of Specialization. Have students write the definition of specialization in a recording notebook or on a definition sheet.
• Create an acrostic poem with the class. The teacher can determine the topic of the poem. Popular topics include sports, hobbies, flowers, food, books, etc.
  -Have the students form groups of four students each.
  -Ask two students to create an acrostic poem and write it on chart paper.
  -Have the remaining two students create an illustration to go along with the poem.
  -Have students share their poems and illustrations. A discussion can follow about how, within the groups, each person had a special job to perform and thus specialization occurred.
• Review what it means to depend on someone. On the chalkboard, the teacher will make four columns. At the top of each column, write: Parents, Teachers, Doctors, and Friends. The students will copy these words on their index cards.
  -Ask students how they depend on each of the people at the top of the column. For example, we depend on our parents to provide food for us. This will be recorded on the index card.
  -Have students work for a few minutes independently to fill in their index cards.
  -Have students share their index cards with a classmate.
  -Share the information on the index cards with the class and record it on the chalkboard.
  
• Write the word interdependence on the chalkboard. The word will be broken down for meaning. The root word is depend and the prefix is inter. Thus, we all depend on one another.
  -Have students write the definition of interdependence in their recording vocabulary notebook or on a definition sheet.
  -Pass out an index card to each student. Students will select any occupation and write it on the index card with a marker.
  -Have the students get into groups of five.
  -Ask five volunteers to come forward. Each student will receive one of the sample cards.
• During this teacher-directed activity, students will create a web of interdependence.
  -Have one student tell how the occupation on the index card may rely on another. For example, a teacher may depend on an artist to draw pictures.
  -Have the students use a piece of yarn to join these two index cards. The second student will then take a turn. For example, the artist may rely on a hockey player to provide entertainment. These students will join their cards together with yarn.
  -Have the third student take a turn. For example, the hockey player may depend on a farmer to grow his vegetables. These students will join their cards together with yarn.
  -Continue until all of the students in the group have had an opportunity to participate in the activity.
  -Complete the activity so the students will have their index cards all attached to each other, which illustrates the concept of interdependence.
• Review the concepts of specialization and interdependence from the previous sessions.
  -Explain to the students that specialization and interdependence are not new concepts. People in the ancient civilizations of China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome specialized as rulers, soldiers, builders, and farmers. They relied on each other for certain goods and services. They traded the surpluses of their specialty for the other things they wanted and did not possess. The trading extended beyond their community.
  -Point out to the students while using a map to show location that the early empire of Mali traded with Egypt and Europe. They traded salt and ivory for gold and jewelry.
  
• Read teacher-selected books that review ancient Greece, Rome, and the West African empire of Mali.
  -Share the following information from the book that explains how Ancient Greece and Rome both focused on building ships, farming, and making pottery (specialization).
  -Share the following information from a book that tells how Greeks and Romans traded their goods with Egypt and other nearby communities. (interdependence).
  -Share the following information from the book that tells how in the empire of Mali, some people specialized in protecting the empire, while others specialized in growing food for the empire (specialization).
  -Share the following information from the book that tells how the people of Mali traded (salt for gold) with other people (interdependence).
  -Have students draw and illustrate examples of specialization and interdependence in the past as described in the above Essential Knowledge information.
• Review the difference between the past and the present.
  -Locate the state of Virginia on a map and point out the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains. Explain how these two geographic features contribute to Virginia’s specialization and interdependence.
  - Describe why present day Virginia is known for its expertise in shipbuilding (specialization).
  -Explain how Virginia sells its coal to other countries but depends on other countries for oil (interdependence).
  -Have the students draw pictures of Virginia’s specialization and interdependence.

WEB SITES

http://cob.jmu.edu/econed/Elementary.htm
Elementary economics lessons are available at this site.

http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/Econ_Geog.html
Sample elementary economic books and lesson plans are included at this site.

http://www.economicsamerica.org
National Council of Economic Education has many outstanding lesson plans.

http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/info.pdf
The Primary Knowledge of Economics serves as a valuable resource.

http://www.vcu.edu/busweb/vcee
Click on the Resources section of the Virginia Council of Economic Education for lesson plans and other materials for teacher economics.

http://chumby.dlib.vt.edu/melissa/posters
This Web site has poster sets for the social studies curriculum.

http://www.fte.org
The Foundation for Teaching Economics has resources for teachers.

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer
A collection of graphic organizers to be used in the unit may be found at this Web site.

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm
Here are more graphic organizers.

http://www.acps.k12.va.us/kelly/feltman/main_page.html
Use this to review of ancient Greece and Rome.

http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/
projects/webunits/greecerome/civ.html
This Web site is a resource for students and teachers on ancient Greece.

http://chaucer.chesterfield.k12.va.us/Instruction/
SocialStudies/home.html
This Web page is a collection of sites that relate to the four ancient civilizations with many links.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/romans/
This site has hundreds of links to ancient civilization information, maps, videos, lesson plans, and activities.

http://mali.pwnet.org
Mali: Ancient Crossroads of Africa is provided as a teacher resource by the Virginia Department of Education and contains background information, numerous links, resources, lesson plans, pictures, and maps.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ml.html
The Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook provides statistics on Mali.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/countries/Mali.html
Here is more statistical information about Mali.

http://www.geographia.com/mali
This Web site has a good brief history of Mali.

http://www.worldtrek.org/odyssey/teachers/malilessons.html
Here is a unit for teachers about Malian life and history as well as its achievements and challenges.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/
storyofafrica/index_section4.shtml
The BBC World Service provides a brief summary of the West African Kingdoms.

http://www.historychannel.com/classroom/unesco/timbuktu.html
The History Channel has lessons on Timbuktu.

http://www.maliembassy-usa.org
The Embassy of the Republic of Mali Web site has current information on Mali, including the history of Mali, Exploring Mali, and Mali Interactive.

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer
Here is a collection of graphic organizers that may be used in the unit.

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm
More graphic organizers may be found at this Web site.

LITERATURE LINKS

Recognize the concepts of specialization and interdependence in the production of goods and services in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and the empire of Mali

Crosher, Judith.
Technology in the Time of Ancient Greece. Raintree, Steck-Vaughn, 1998.
This book describes many of the innovative discoveries that the ancient Greeks incorporated into their daily lives, including the tools and technology they used to produce their clothes, food, and pottery.

Rees, Rosemary.
The Ancient Greeks. Heinemann Library, Des Plains, IL, 1997.
This book shows how the people of Ancient Greece lived by describing their government, social customs, religion, and certain aspects of their history.

Rees, Rosemary.
The Ancient Romans. Heinemann Library, Des Plains, IL, 1997.
This book examines the social, economic, political and cultural life of the ancient Romans.

Shuter, Jane.
Ancient West African Kingdoms. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2003.
This book provides an overview of the culture and civilizations of the ancient West African Kingdoms of Mali, Ghana, and Songhai, with emphasis on government, religion, families, trade, and history.