Globalization & Canadian Economy

Active learning works for this topic because students need to experience the give-and-take of trade decisions firsthand rather than passively absorb facts about globalization. Moving from abstract concepts like trade deficits to concrete roles in a negotiation or a case study helps students see cause and effect in real economic choices made by Canada and its partners.

• Grade 9
• Canadian Studies
• 4 activities
• 35 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the impact of international trade agreements, such as CUSMA and CPTPP, on specific Canadian industries like agriculture and manufacturing.
2. Evaluate the opportunities and challenges presented by globalization for Canada's economic policies and domestic producers.
3. Predict how global economic shifts, such as supply chain disruptions or changes in demand for green technologies, might affect Canada's future economic landscape.
4. Explain the role of exports and imports in Canada's economic growth and competitiveness within global markets.

Simulation Game

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: Trade Negotiation Rounds

Assign small groups Canadian industries like auto or forestry. Provide 'global partner' cards with demands and offers. Groups negotiate deals over three rounds, tracking gains and losses on worksheets. Debrief with class vote on best agreements.

Prepare & details

Analyze the opportunities and challenges that globalization presents for the Canadian economy.

Facilitation Tip: During the Trade Negotiation Rounds, assign students roles with conflicting priorities so they feel the pressure of balancing domestic jobs with foreign market access.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 40 min·Pairs

Case Study Analysis: CUSMA Impacts

Pairs research one industry affected by CUSMA, such as dairy or steel, using provided articles. They create infographics showing pre- and post-agreement data on jobs and exports. Share in gallery walk for peer feedback.

Prepare & details

Explain how international trade agreements impact specific Canadian industries.

Facilitation Tip: For the CUSMA Case Study, provide a graphic organizer that maps clauses to actual Canadian industries so students see direct connections between policy and practice.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Formal Debate

⏱ 45 min·Whole Class

Formal Debate: Globalization Balance

Divide class into pro-globalization and con teams. Provide evidence packets on opportunities and challenges. Teams prepare 3-minute arguments, then rebuttals. Vote and reflect on persuasive evidence.

Prepare & details

Predict how global economic shifts might affect Canada's future economic landscape.

Facilitation Tip: In the Globalization Balance Debate, require each speaker to cite one data point or clause from an agreement before presenting their argument.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Jigsaw

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Prediction Mapping: Future Scenarios

In small groups, students map current trade partners on Canada outline. Discuss global shifts like electrification, then predict and illustrate industry changes on maps. Present to class with supporting reasons.

Prepare & details

Analyze the opportunities and challenges that globalization presents for the Canadian economy.

Facilitation Tip: For the Prediction Mapping activity, give students a blank map of Canada with key resource icons so they link physical geography to trade flows.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by anchoring discussions in students’ lived experiences with products they see daily, then layering policy and data on top. Avoid framing globalization as purely positive or negative; instead, use trade data and role-play to reveal its uneven impacts. Research suggests students grasp economic interdependence better when they role-play negotiators who must weigh competing interests, not just read about abstract agreements.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students moving beyond simple pro-or-con stances on globalization to weigh trade-offs using evidence from simulations, agreements, and data. They should be able to explain how one sector’s gains may create challenges in another, supported by specific examples from their activities.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Trade Negotiation Rounds, watch for students assuming that any job loss means globalization failed. Redirect by tracking employment data before and after each round’s outcomes.

What to Teach Instead

Have students plot employment changes by sector on a class chart after each round so they see how some losses lead to new, often higher-skilled jobs in related fields.

Common Misconception

During the CUSMA Case Study, watch for students believing trade agreements strip Canada of all control. Redirect by reviewing real clauses like supply management protections.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to highlight clauses in CUSMA that explicitly protect Canadian dairy farmers, then summarize how these clauses reflect Canada’s bargaining power.

Common Misconception

During the Globalization Balance Debate, watch for students claiming globalization creates only winners. Redirect by analyzing trade deficit data for sectors like textiles.

What to Teach Instead

Provide students with a table of Canadian trade deficits by sector and ask them to explain how deficits in one area might balance gains elsewhere in the debate prep.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Trade Negotiation Rounds, prompt a class discussion where students justify their predictions about industry vulnerabilities or resilience using the outcomes of their simulations and specific trade relationships.

Quick Check

During the CUSMA Case Study, provide a current trade agreement headline and ask students to write two sentences explaining one positive and one negative impact on the Canadian automotive or tech industry, referencing clauses from the case study.

Exit Ticket

After the Prediction Mapping activity, have students define one key term like 'supply chain' in their own words and list one specific way globalization affects a Canadian product they use, such as a smartphone or winter coat.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to design a new trade agreement clause that protects a specific Canadian industry while still benefiting from global supply chains.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for students who struggle to articulate connections between trade agreements and local jobs.
• Deeper: Have students research the environmental clauses in CPTPP and predict how they might affect Canadian farmers or manufacturers in 10 years.

Key Vocabulary

Globalization	The increasing interconnectedness of economies, cultures, and populations around the world, driven by cross-border trade, technology, and investment.
Trade Agreement	A formal pact between two or more countries to reduce or eliminate barriers to trade, such as tariffs and quotas, to facilitate economic exchange.
Supply Chain	The network of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)	An investment made by a company or individual from one country into business interests located in another country, often involving control of a foreign enterprise.
Tariff	A tax imposed by a government on imported goods or services, intended to protect domestic industries or raise revenue.