Protectionism (Online Lesson)

In this online lesson, we explore tariffs, quotas and export subsidies as forms of protectionism, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of protectionism from a range of stakeholder perspectives.

WHAT YOU'LL STUDY IN THIS ONLINE LESSON

• the nature of 3 main forms of protectionism: tariffs, quotas and export subsidies
• diagrammatic analysis of tariffs, quotas and export subsidies
• evaluation of the impact of protectionism from a range of stakeholder perspectives

Additional teacher guidance is available at the end of this lesson. Thank you to Nicky King and Jon Clark for their contributions to this lesson.

HOW TO USE THIS ONLINE LESSON

Follow along in order of the activities shown below. Most are based on short videos, including activities for you to think about and try at home, as well as some extra worksheet-based activities and interactive games.

If you would like to download a simple PDF worksheet to accompany the video activities, you can download it here. You can print it off and annotate it for your own notes, or make your own notes on a separate piece of paper to add to your school/college file.

ACTIVITY 1: GAME - UK INTERNATIONAL PLC

Have a go at this Trapdoor Game to build your knowledge of global brands based in the UK. It can help you to start to think about why businesses might choose to locate in different areas and whether protectionist measures might impact on that decision.

ACTIVITY 2: VIDEO - INTRODUCTION TO PROTECTIONISM

In this video, we explore some of the reasons for an economy adopting protectionist measures, and start to consider the nature of tariffs, quotas and export subsidies.

ACTIVITY 3: GAME - TRADING BLOCS

Members of a free trade area, or a trade bloc, engage in free trade with each other but maintain protectionist measures against other economies. Find out more by playing this Connection Wall game.

ACTIVITY 4: VIDEO - PROS AND CONS OF PROTECTIONISM

Get to grips with considering the reasons why economies might choose to use protectionist measures and some of the problems they might face in this video.

ACTIVITY 5: GAME - TRADE BLOCS AND THE WTO

The World Trade Organization exists to promote free trade and reduce protectionist measures - they can have a tricky time dealing with trade blocs which promote free trade internally but engage in protectionism externally. Find out more by having a go at this MCQ quiz!

ACTIVITY 6: VIDEO - PROTECTIONISM DIAGRAMS

In this video, we build up the diagrams that you need for analysing the operation and impact of tariffs, quotas and export subsidies.

ACTIVITY 7: GAME - TRUE OR FALSE?

Have a go at this True or False game looking at key phrases and concepts from the topic of free trade and protectionism.

ACTIVITY 8: VIDEO - EVALUATION

In this video, we focus on evaluating the impact of the three types of protectionist measure considered in this lesson (tariffs, quotas, and export subsidies) in terms of different stakeholders.

ACTIVITY 9: READING AND RESEARCH - SINGAPORE AND PROTECTIONISM

Take a look at these articles as a starting point

• Singapore aims to stay connected despite coronavirus, from Bloomberg
• this 2017 article from CNBC about Singapore protesting against protectionism

Can you find other articles to read on this topic?

Write a short article on whether Singapore should continue to resist adopting protectionist measures.

ACTIVITY 10: MCQ TEST

In this final activity for the online lesson, test yourself with these 20 multiple-choice questions.

ADDITIONAL TEACHER GUIDANCE

This lesson comprises:

• around 35 minutes of guided video content, spread across 4 videos
• around 15 minutes of student thinking and activity time across the 4 videos
• 5 interactive games, designed to build awareness of examples as well as testing knowledge
• a wider reading and research activity, focusing on Singapore