Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Economics
Lesson Topic: international trade policy
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the main instruments of international trade policy and the macro‑economic objectives they target.
  • Analyse how each instrument affects growth, unemployment, inflation, balance of payments, equity and sustainability.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of trade‑policy tools using the provided assessment framework.
  • Apply the framework to a case study and formulate a justified policy recommendation.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • PowerPoint slides summarising instruments
  • Printed handout of the instrument effectiveness table
  • Worksheet with the evaluation framework
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Calculators (optional)
  • Access to recent trade‑agreement news articles (digital or print)
 Introduction:
Imagine a country trying to boost jobs while keeping prices stable – how can it use trade policy to do that? Students will recall the six macro‑economic objectives studied earlier and note that success will be judged by how well they can match instruments to those goals. By the end of the lesson they should be able to compare tools, explain trade‑offs, and justify a policy mix.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): Quick quiz on the six macro‑economic objectives.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Overview of the eight trade‑policy instruments and their intended effects.
  3. Group analysis (15'): Each group receives one instrument’s row from the table and fills out the evaluation framework (direct impact, spill‑overs, time‑lag, feasibility, distributional consequences).
  4. Whole‑class debrief (10'): Groups present findings; teacher highlights common trade‑offs.
  5. Case‑study activity (15'): Using a short scenario, groups propose a policy mix (e.g., exchange‑rate adjustment + FTA) and justify it with the framework.
  6. Exit ticket (5'): Write the single macro‑objective each chosen instrument best achieves and one potential drawback.
Conclusion:
We recap how different trade tools can advance or hinder each macro‑economic goal and emphasise the importance of weighing short‑run gains against long‑run costs. The exit ticket provides a quick retrieval check, and for homework students will research a recent trade agreement and write a brief analysis of its likely macro‑economic impacts.