Geography and History of the World © 2010 Indiana Edition

Chapter 7: The Region Today: The United States and Canada

Web Activity Lesson Plans

"Economic Interdependence"

Introduction
Students have read about the interdependence of the United States and Canada. Each is the other's largest trading partner, and the two countries have signed agreements that limit restrictions on trade. In this lesson students will learn specific details about the economic relationship between the two countries.

Lesson Description
Students will use information from Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Web site about Canada–United States relations to study the economic relationship between the United States and Canada. They will answer four questions and then use information from the site and their textbook studies to compare and contrast the two countries.

Instructional Objectives

  1. Students will be able to describe the economic relationship between the United States and Canada.
  2. Students will be able to compare and contrast the United States and Canada by creating a Venn diagram.

Applied Content Standards
Standard 11: The geographically informed person knows and understands the patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface.

Student Web Activity Answers
  1. Two-way trade between the countries has tripled since 1989. This increase is due in large part to the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.
  2. Twenty-three point five percent (23.5%) of U.S. exports go to Canada, while the U.S. imports 17.4% of its goods from Canada.
  3. Environmental issues include air quality, water quality, protection of migratory birds and other animal species, and salmon fishing.
  4. Improving the efficiency of the border is a key priority because hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods cross the border every year, as well as 200 million people.
  5. Students' diagrams may vary. Sample responses may include: Canada—divided into provinces, parliamentary democracy, king/queen of England is figurehead, currency, climate; United States—divided into states, headed by president, currency, climate; Both—trading partners, environmental concerns, similar economies/goods produced, Great Lakes.
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