As
a classroom topic, international trade has the great
advantage of providing ready-made material for teachers
wanting to engage student interest in current events.
On the other hand, the complexity of the issues surrounding
trade is daunting. While economic reasoning doesn't
guarantee resolution of the issues, it is a powerful
tool of critical thinking that brings clarity to the
discussion of current events. The ability to determine
comparative advantage through opportunity cost, the
ability to identify incentives and predict resulting
behavior, and the ability to use supply and demand
analysis of particular labor and resource markets,
help students to set aside the emotion of international
trade issues and cut through the rhetoric of media
reports. This workshop will offer examples and classroom
activities that help students build a foundation for
their opinions on the news of the day.
Learning
has never been so easy, rewarding,
or inexpensive.
