Title: How far will you go and how much will it cost?302

Key words: Economics, relative location

National and State Standards: National 11, State 13

Teaching level: high

Objective/purpose: The student will:
Discuss how places of various size function as centers of economic activity.
Understand economic interdependence within their local area.

Materials: An area map which would include the main shopping areas
Calculators (optional)

Procedure:
Explain to the students that people will go to different lengths to get the goods and services that they need or want and that some stores will survive only if they are in a particular geographic area.
Discuss with students why this maybe the case
Brainstorm ideas for things that families shop for (suggestions: Groceries, convenience stores, haircuts, clothes, videos, software, movies, drugs)
Using the maps have the students create a chart indicating how far they travel for all of the items listed above.
After all of the individual data has been collected average all of the data and then rank each one.
Ask the students if they were surprised at the results? And if so what surprised them, and why?

Evaluation/assessment: The students are going to plan a shopping center next to the school. The questions that they need to ask are: What types of shops will be in your mall? What populations will you serve? What kinds of risks are you willing to take for a shop that is marginal?

Extension/enrichment: Ask students to pretend that they are living in various historical times and that they will be doing the same thing. What types of businesses will they put in then.

Reflection: How successful was this lesson? Did all students benefit? Were there any surprises? What might you do differently another time? Please note any changes that will make this lesson more effective and useful in the future and pass them along to the NHGA. We appreciate your comments.
Thank you.
The authors.

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Original file name: 302 (Converted) - converted on Tuesday, 20 October 1998, 20:56