CBBC
CBBC Newsround
British Prime Minister Tony Blair (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Overview
Globalisation of the world's economy brings costs and benefits. It has also produced a protest movement.
Students identify winners and losers in economic globalisation.
Learning aims
Read the story
World leaders meet for G8 summit
Are you a globalised shopper?
Working individually students write down the brand names of the following products:
[B] British
or
[I] Imported
What have they discovered about their shopping habits?
Where do our clothes come from?
Working as a group the class conduct a mini-survey of the origin of their clothing. Check labels and try to get one country of origin from each student.
Students can use their results to answer these questions:
[1] Which is the most common country of origin?
[2] Where in the world are these countries, northern or southern hemisphere?
[3] Are these countries rich or poor?
Main activity
Explain the following three points.
[1] What is the globalisation of Britain's economy?
In the past products were most often made in Britain, and then sold in Britain.
Today it is very common for British workers to be employed by foreign owned companies. Shoppers buy goods that are often made in factories on the other side of the world.
[2] Why is globalisation occurring?
Wages for workers in poorer countries are lower than in Britain. That means that a company making training shoes can make the same shoe for less money.
The company then transports the shoes to a richer country (Like the UK). In the rich country the shoes are sold for a high price. The company makes a good profit.
[3] What is wrong with that?
It depends who you ask. In globalisation there are winners and losers.
Winners and losers
Read through the following list one at a time. After each group pause and ask students to make a note of whether they are winners or losers. They should write a sentence to explain why.
The big get bigger
Explain that a global market means more chances to make money but also more competition. There are winners and losers in all areas of society but normally bigger players continue to grow and newer and smaller companies struggle. This is because they do not have the money to advertise themselves globally.
What could globalisation do to British factory workers?
It has meant many job losses as the factories shut down or moved to areas in the world where wage costs are much lower.
Extension activity
Trace a map of the world. Label it to show where the groups' clothes are made. Annotate it with drawings or pictures cut from magazines.
Plenary
Globalisation is generating increased wealth. But it is also generating great instability.
Why do people find change threatening?
Can globalisation be stopped?
Teachers' Background
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