Grade 9-12
,
Lesson
Should I Join the Sweatshop Boycott?
Objective
After completing this lesson students will be able to:
- Analyze changes in living standards in different regions over time.
- Create and support an argument for or against a sweatshop boycott using primary and secondary sources.
Standard
National Standards in Economics
Economic Growth
Standard: 15
- Students will understand that: Investment in factories, machinery, new technology, and in the health, education, and training of people stimulates economic growth and can raise future standards of living.
- Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Predict the consequences of investment decisions made by individuals, businesses, and governments.
Income
Standard: 13
- Students will understand that: Income for most people is determined by the market value of the productive resources they sell. What workers earn primarily depends on the market value of what they produce.
- Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Predict future earnings based on their current plans for education, training, and career options.
Concepts
Description
In Lesson #8 of the Ethics, Economics, and Social Issues curriculum, students study several sources that investigate the effects of garment factory labor in developing countries.
Students study a news report, several letters home from factory workers, and a graph of living standards in different regions over time.
As a performance assessment, students write an email to a friend explaining why they will or will not be joining a boycott of t-shirts made without higher labor standards.