Defining Globalisation & Its Drivers

Active learning works well for this topic because globalisation often feels abstract to students until they see its direct impact on their lives. Moving beyond lectures lets them examine real objects, maps, and examples, making the concept concrete and memorable. Hands-on activities also address common misconceptions by giving students space to test and revise their thinking.

• Primary 6
• Social Studies
• 4 activities
• 20 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the primary characteristics of modern globalisation, including the increased flow of goods, services, capital, technology, and people.
2. Analyze how specific technological advancements, such as the internet and faster shipping, accelerate the process of globalisation.
3. Identify and describe at least three distinct examples of globalisation evident in their daily lives.
4. Compare the impact of different drivers, like communication technology versus transportation improvements, on the speed of globalisation.

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Globalisation in My Life

Students spend 3 minutes listing personal examples of globalisation, like foods or gadgets from other countries. In pairs, they compare lists and select top three to share. Whole class compiles a shared list on the board, discussing connections to drivers.

Prepare & details

Explain the key characteristics of globalisation in the modern era.

Facilitation Tip: For 'Think-Pair-Share: Globalisation in My Life', provide a mix of classroom objects (e.g., a banana, a toy, a textbook) to anchor concrete examples during the pair discussion.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

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

Jigsaw

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Jigsaw: Key Drivers

Divide class into expert groups, each focusing on one driver: technology, transport, trade policies, or migration. Experts study provided cards with examples, then regroup to teach peers. Class creates a shared poster summarizing all drivers.

Prepare & details

Analyze how technological advancements accelerate the process of globalisation.

Facilitation Tip: During the 'Jigsaw Activity: Key Drivers', assign each expert group a driver card with a clear definition and two modern examples to ground their teaching.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

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

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

Gallery Walk

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Modern Examples

Groups create posters showing globalisation characteristics, using news clippings or drawings. Class walks around, adding sticky notes with questions or examples. Debrief identifies common themes and links to technology's role.

Prepare & details

Identify examples of globalisation in your daily life.

Facilitation Tip: In 'Gallery Walk: Modern Examples', post images of global items (e.g., a smartphone, a shipping container) with labeled origin points to guide observation and note-taking.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Map the Flows: Goods and People

Provide world maps. In pairs, students draw arrows for flows of goods, services, or people, labeling Singapore examples. Pairs present one flow and explain a driver behind it.

Prepare & details

Explain the key characteristics of globalisation in the modern era.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

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

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by starting with the familiar—students’ daily lives—to build background before introducing broader trends. Avoid rushing to define globalisation abstractly; instead, let the activities reveal its meaning. Research shows that concrete examples and local-to-global connections help students retain ideas better. Time the activities so students connect technology and trade to real flows they can see or hold.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently linking everyday items to global flows and explaining how technology or trade connects places. They should articulate clear examples of globalisation and describe at least one driver with supporting details from the activities. Discussions should show they can compare past and present connections.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During 'Think-Pair-Share: Globalisation in My Life', watch for students assuming globalisation only affects businesses or countries far away.

What to Teach Instead

Guide students to list items in their own homes and classify them by origin, like bananas from Ecuador or T-shirts from Bangladesh, to reveal personal connections to global flows.

Common Misconception

During 'Jigsaw Activity: Key Drivers', watch for students underestimating the role of technology in speeding up globalisation.

What to Teach Instead

Have expert groups compare pre-internet examples (e.g., letters taking weeks) with modern ones (e.g., video calls) using the driver cards to highlight the difference.

Common Misconception

During 'Gallery Walk: Modern Examples', watch for students viewing globalisation as a recent development with no historical roots.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt students to look for links between historical trade routes (e.g., Silk Road) and modern examples (e.g., silk scarves from China) posted on the walls to uncover connections.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After 'Think-Pair-Share: Globalisation in My Life', collect exit cards with three prompts: 1) One key characteristic of globalisation. 2) One technology that speeds up globalisation. 3) One example from their discussion.

Discussion Prompt

During 'Jigsaw Activity: Key Drivers', facilitate a class discussion by asking how the internet has changed globalisation compared to 30 years ago, encouraging students to reference the examples from their jigsaw groups.

Quick Check

After 'Map the Flows: Goods and People', present a list of items (e.g., a smartphone, a cup of coffee, a local newspaper) and ask students to classify each as a product of globalisation or primarily local, justifying their choices on a worksheet.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask early finishers to research one item from the 'Map the Flows' activity and trace its supply chain back to a historical trade route, creating a mini-timeline on chart paper.
• Scaffolding: For students struggling, provide a partially completed 'Map the Flows' sheet with two items already placed to reduce cognitive load.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to interview a family member about a product they use daily and present how it connects to globalisation.

Key Vocabulary

Globalisation	The increasing interconnectedness of countries worldwide through the rapid movement of goods, services, capital, technology, and people across national borders.
Interconnectedness	The state of being connected or related to each other, often through trade, communication, or shared experiences.
Capital	Money or other assets that are available for investment or starting a business.
Technology Transfer	The process of sharing new knowledge, skills, methods, and manufacturing processes among governments, universities, and other organizations.
Cross-border Trade	The exchange of goods and services between businesses or individuals in different countries.