Economic Geography: Secondary and Tertiary Activities

Active learning helps students grasp why economic activities cluster in specific places by letting them simulate decisions and analyze real-world patterns. When students role-play location choices or map service clusters, they see geography’s role in shaping economies, not just read about it.

• 7th Grade
• Geography
• 3 activities
• 20 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare the primary location factors for secondary (manufacturing) industries versus tertiary (service) industries.
2. Analyze how globalization has specifically influenced the relocation of manufacturing jobs from developed to developing countries.
3. Evaluate the role of transportation and communication infrastructure in supporting the growth of tertiary economic activities in urban centers.
4. Explain the concept of agglomeration and its impact on the clustering of specific tertiary industries, such as finance or technology.
5. Synthesize information from case studies to predict potential future location trends for secondary and tertiary industries.

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Location Decision Simulation: Where Should the Factory Go?

Groups receive a set of 5 potential factory locations described in terms of labor cost, proximity to materials, transport links, and market access. Groups must decide where to site three different types of operations: a clothing manufacturer, an electronics assembly plant, and a pharmaceutical company. Each decision requires a written justification comparing all 5 locations, and groups compare their choices to explain why different industries produce different location answers.

Prepare & details

Explain how globalization has influenced the location of manufacturing industries.

Facilitation Tip: During the Location Decision Simulation, circulate and ask each group to articulate one trade-off they are considering before making their final choice.

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

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why Did the Factory Move?

Present a short case: a US shoe factory that moved production to Vietnam in the 1990s. Students individually identify 3 geographic factors that explain the move, pair to compare and rank their factors, then share to build a class consensus on the most significant drivers of manufacturing relocation. The class then considers what would need to change for those factors to reverse.

Prepare & details

Analyze the role of infrastructure in supporting tertiary economic activities.

Facilitation Tip: Use the Think-Pair-Share to press students to explain their reasoning using specific geographic terms like ‘labor supply’ or ‘transportation costs.’

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

Gallery Walk

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Service Industry Clusters

Post maps of 4 cities showing the location of financial districts, medical centers, tech campuses, and retail cores. Students rotate with analysis cards, identifying what geographic factors (transport nodes, university proximity, historical patterns) explain each cluster. Students then sketch a generalized model of service industry location and compare sketches to identify common patterns.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the factors that attract secondary versus tertiary industries to a region.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, assign small groups to focus on one service industry cluster and prepare to share one surprising finding with the class.

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

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by grounding abstract concepts in concrete examples students see daily. Avoid overgeneralizing—highlight that manufacturing decline in the US reflects automation and offshoring, not a loss of importance. Use maps and case studies to show how agglomeration shapes both factories and financial firms. Research shows students learn best when they connect economic theory to their lived environment.

What to Expect

Students will explain how location factors influence where factories and service firms locate. They will compare secondary and tertiary activities and justify their choices using evidence from simulations and discussions.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Location Decision Simulation, students may assume that once labor costs rise in a new country, factories will automatically return to their original location.

What to Teach Instead

Use the simulation’s post-activity debrief to show how supply chains, skilled workforces, and infrastructure create geographic inertia. Have students revisit their simulation maps and add notes about what it would take to reverse a move.

Common Misconception

During the Gallery Walk, students may think service industries do not depend on geography because they are digital.

What to Teach Instead

Direct students to the service clusters they observe and ask them to note how proximity to universities, talent pools, or other firms enables innovation. Use the gallery notes to highlight how even tech firms cluster in specific districts.

Common Misconception

During the Think-Pair-Share, students may confuse employment decline with manufacturing’s reduced importance.

What to Teach Instead

After the activity, ask students to calculate how automation and offshoring changed output versus jobs. Use their paired discussion responses to clarify the difference between employment share and economic significance.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Location Decision Simulation, provide an exit ticket with three industries. Ask students to label each as secondary or tertiary and list one key location factor for each, explaining their choice in one sentence.

Discussion Prompt

During the Think-Pair-Share, pose the question: ‘Imagine you are advising a city council on how to attract new businesses. What specific types of infrastructure would you recommend investing in to attract both secondary and tertiary industries, and why?’ Use student responses to assess their understanding of agglomeration and infrastructure needs.

Quick Check

After the Gallery Walk, present students with a short scenario about a company planning to open a new plant. Ask them to identify the primary economic activity and list two specific location factors from the lesson that would be critical for its success.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research a real-world company that moved manufacturing overseas and present how it affected the local economy in both locations.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide a partially completed list of location factors for each activity and ask them to add missing details based on the simulation or gallery walk.
• Deeper exploration: Have students interview a local business owner about their location choices and present findings to the class.

Key Vocabulary

Secondary Economic Activity	Activities that transform raw materials into manufactured goods, such as factories producing cars or processing food.
Tertiary Economic Activity	Activities that provide services rather than tangible products, including retail, healthcare, education, and finance.
Globalization	The increasing interconnectedness of economies and societies worldwide, leading to the movement of goods, capital, and labor across national borders.
Agglomeration	The clustering of businesses and people in a particular area, which can lead to benefits like shared infrastructure and a skilled labor pool.
Infrastructure	The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, such as roads, power grids, and internet networks.