Canadian Studies · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

Major Trade Agreements: CUSMA

Students learn trade policies best when they see how abstract rules affect real products and prices they encounter daily. Active learning through simulations and debates lets them test theories on tariffs and rules of origin, making the economic impact of CUSMA tangible rather than theoretical. Analyzing graphs and role-playing trade scenarios builds durable understanding that connects policy to personal experience.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C3.4. Analyse the impact of a specific resource-based industry on Canada’s international relationships.
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C3.5. Analyse the impact of globalization on Canada’s industries.
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C1.3. Explain the importance of various natural resources for Canada’s economy.

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: CUSMA Key Chapters

Divide class into expert groups, each researching one chapter like tariffs, labour, or environment using government summaries. Experts then regroup to teach peers and answer questions. Conclude with a class chart of connections to Canadian life.

Analyze why the United States remains Canada's most crucial trading partner.

Facilitation Tip

Jigsaw: CUSMA Key Chapters: Assign each group a distinct chapter to present, then rotate reporters so every student hears all parts of the agreement.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Canadian business owner. Would you prefer Canada to have free trade with all countries or to implement more tariffs? Explain your reasoning, referencing at least one specific provision of CUSMA.'

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Pairs

Tariff Simulation: Classroom Trade Fair

Students create 'products' from recyclables and set up market stalls. Introduce tariffs as taxes on trades between 'countries'; pairs negotiate deals and track costs. Debrief on how barriers raise prices and alter choices.

Explain how tariffs and trade barriers impact the cost of goods for Canadian consumers.

Facilitation Tip

Tariff Simulation: Classroom Trade Fair: Label each product with its origin and mock tariff rate, and have students calculate final prices before and after trade rules are applied.

What to look for

Provide students with a short list of common imported goods (e.g., a car, a smartphone, bananas). Ask them to identify which country is the most likely origin for each and hypothesize how CUSMA might affect its price in Canada.

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

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Small Groups

Debate Carousel: Free Trade Pros and Cons

Post stations with claims like 'Free trade creates jobs' or 'It harms local farmers.' Small groups rotate, adding evidence for or against, then vote on strongest arguments. Wrap with whole-class synthesis.

Evaluate the overall pros and cons of 'Free Trade' agreements for the Canadian economy.

Facilitation Tip

Debate Carousel: Free Trade Pros and Cons: Move groups between stations with prompts like 'job growth' or 'supply chain risks' to ensure balanced discussion.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one specific benefit of CUSMA for the Canadian economy and one potential drawback, citing an example discussed in class.

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

Activity 04

• Simulation Game
• 35 min · Individual

Data Dive: US-Canada Trade Graphs

Provide Statistics Canada datasets on exports. Individuals or pairs graph top goods and trends pre- and post-CUSMA. Share findings in a gallery walk to discuss partner importance.

Analyze why the United States remains Canada's most crucial trading partner.

Facilitation Tip

Data Dive: US-Canada Trade Graphs: Provide printed graphs and colored pencils so students can annotate trends and highlight the US’s dominant trade share.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Canadian business owner. Would you prefer Canada to have free trade with all countries or to implement more tariffs? Explain your reasoning, referencing at least one specific provision of CUSMA.'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with a product-focused hook, like pricing a car or a carton of milk, to show how trade rules influence what students buy. Avoid lectures on legal clauses; instead, let students discover how provisions reduce or raise costs through activities. Research shows that when students manipulate data or role-play trade roles, they retain policy details longer than through passive reading.

By the end of these activities, students will explain how CUSMA’s provisions shape trade flows and consumer costs, using evidence from simulations and data graphs. They will compare free trade benefits and risks, supporting arguments with concrete examples from class activities. Successful learning is evident when students cite specific CUSMA rules or trade statistics to justify their conclusions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Jigsaw: CUSMA Key Chapters, watch for students assuming free trade means no government involvement at all.

  Use the chapter on rules of origin to show how the agreement sets clear limits on where products can be made. Ask groups to list two specific rules that create these limits.

• During Tariff Simulation: Classroom Trade Fair, watch for students thinking trade agreements only help corporations.

  Have students compare pre- and post-tariff prices for everyday items like smartphones or milk, then discuss who benefits when prices drop.

• During Data Dive: US-Canada Trade Graphs, watch for students underestimating the US’s trade dominance.

  Ask students to calculate the proportion of Canadian exports going to the US by measuring the graph’s vertical axis and comparing it to other countries.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Simulation Game