Developed or Developing? Lesson Plan

Developed and Developing Countries

8-12 grades

2 days

M. Davies

Objective:

 The student will be able to define and list criteria for the following terms: developed country and developing country.  The student will be able to identify each of the countries (from the list below) on a map and indicate if they are either developed or developing, in addition, the student will make an inference as to why each falls in their respective categories.

Preparation:

-The teacher will lead a discussion on what it means to be a developing or developed country (after students come up with their own definition).  The class will work cooperatively to come up with one definition of each.

-The teacher will prepare a blank world map for each student and provide resources to research (online preferred).  Students will also need a labeled world map to refer to.

-Teacher will provide the list from below of countries.

Procedure:

Day 1:

-Students will create their own definition (including list of criteria) of developed and developing countries/ regions. (What do they think it means?)

-Students will share their definitions and teacher will lead a class discussion.  The end of the discussion should result in one definition of each, decided cooperatively by class.

-Using these definitions, students will attempt to categorize each of the following countries as either developed or developing (using prior knowledge only).

Day 2:

-The students will use their list of countries (from Day 1, with their guesses on it) and research to discover whether they correctly categorized each.

-The students will identify and label each of the countries on a blank world map.

-Using the maps and their results from research, the teacher will lead a class discussion to make inferences as to why specific countries fall into each category or why we assume a county might fall into one category or the other.

Modifications:

-Assign a list of less than five countries to research and categorize.

-Provide a partially completed world map to be filled in (leave blanks where the names from their list of countries will go).

-Use countries that students will have some prior knowledge on.

-Provide students with a typed definition and examples for developed and developing countries.

Sample List of Countries to Use:    Developed= ed    Developing= ing

1. Germany                     (ed)
2. Morocco                     (ing)
3. Algeria                         (ing)
4. Bahamas                      (ing)
5. Canada                        (ed)
6. China                           (ing)
7. Costa Rica                   (ing)
8. Brazil                           (ing)
9. Thailand                       (ing)
10. Israel                           (ed)
11. Hong Kong                 (ed)
12. Kenya                          (ing)
13. Singapore                    (ed)
14. Maldives                     (ing)
15. Venezuela                   (ing)
16. Sweden                       (ed)
17. Ireland                         (ed)
18. Kuwait                         (ed)