Economics · JC 1

Active learning ideas

Protectionism and Trade Wars

Active learning works here because students often struggle to visualize abstract economic concepts like leakages and injections. By moving coins, drawing dual-track diagrams, and discussing real Singaporean data, students turn the circular flow from a diagram into a lived experience, making leakages and injections tangible rather than theoretical.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE Pre-University H3 Economics Syllabus, Theme 4: Globalisation and the International Economy - Forms of protectionism and their economic impact
• MOE Pre-University H3 Economics Syllabus, Theme 4: Globalisation and the International Economy - Causes and consequences of trade wars and deglobalisation

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Flow of Funds

Assign students to be Households, Firms, Government, and the 'Rest of the World'. Use colored tokens to represent money. Introduce a 'shock' (e.g., a drop in exports) and have students physically move tokens to see how the total income in the circle decreases.

What are the macroeconomic impacts of a trade war?

Facilitation Tip

During the ‘Flow of Funds’ simulation, physically move coins or tokens between labeled stations so students feel the impact of each transaction on household income and firm revenue.

What to look for

Present students with a list of economic transactions (e.g., a car manufacturer buying steel, a family buying a new car, a bakery selling bread to a restaurant, a household buying bread). Ask them to identify which transactions represent final goods and services and would be included in GDP, and which are intermediate.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Singapore's Leakages

Groups research why Singapore has such high leakages, focusing on the CPF system (savings) and our high marginal propensity to import. They create a visual poster showing how these leakages are balanced by injections like Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

How do non-tariff barriers distort international trade?

Facilitation Tip

When investigating Singapore’s leakages, provide real data on savings rates and import/export values so students see how these numbers translate into economic effects.

What to look for

Provide students with a simplified GDP calculation for a fictional country. Ask them to calculate the GDP using the expenditure approach and then write one sentence explaining what a 5% increase in consumption spending might signify for the country's economy.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Multiplier Effect

Students are told the government is spending $1 billion on a new MRT line. They pair up to trace how this money becomes income for a worker, who then spends it at a mall, becoming income for a shopkeeper, illustrating the concept of induced consumption.

Who are the winners and losers of protectionist policies?

Facilitation Tip

For the multiplier effect think-pair-share, give students a simple initial injection (e.g., $100 million government spending) and have them calculate how much total income rises after three rounds.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If a country's nominal GDP increased by 10% but its real GDP only increased by 2%, what does this tell us about the economy during that period?' Facilitate a discussion where students explain the role of inflation.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often introduce the circular flow with a diagram, but students need to animate it. Start with the core loop between households and firms, then layer in the government and foreign sectors only after students are comfortable with the basics. Avoid overwhelming them with too many terms at once; focus first on the idea that money and goods flow in opposite directions. Research shows that role-playing and physical movement improve retention of economic systems far more than passive note-taking.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how Singapore’s high savings rate and trade reliance shape its national income. They should trace money flows between households, firms, government, and foreign sectors, and connect leakages and injections to real GDP changes in a small, open economy like Singapore.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Simulation: The Flow of Funds, watch for students who assume saving is always positive for the economy.

  After the simulation, pause the activity and ask groups to calculate how total household income falls if everyone saves 20% of their income but firms do not increase investment. Use this to introduce the Paradox of Thrift and prompt students to rethink their assumption.

• During the Collaborative Investigation: Singapore's Leakages, watch for students who focus only on money flows.

  During the investigation, require students to draw parallel arrows for goods and money on the same diagram. If they label a leakage like ‘taxes’ without showing what the government provides in return, ask them to trace a physical good (e.g., a MRT train) alongside the tax payment to reinforce the dual flow.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share