developed economy
6th Grade
Teacher Guide for the Lesson on developed economy
Standard:
6.7 (A), 6.8 (B)
Content Objective:

We can compare a developed economy to other economies and explain how indicators like GDP, education, and healthcare show levels of development.

Language Objective: Answer the following question in complete sentences using the sentence stem and the key vocabulary of the lesson:

How do you think economies become developed?

I think economies become developed by...

Other key vocabularies:
Visual for developed economy

By studying this visual, students might:

Notice
  • Many people work in a service economy
  • Most people live in urban areas
  • Countries have hospitals, schools, and clean water
  • Some countries have more developed systems than others
  • Maps show differences between developed and developing places
Wonder
  • Why do some countries become more developed than others?
  • How do education and healthcare improve a country?
  • Why are urban areas more common in developed places?
  • What makes a service economy important?
  • How does a developing economy change over time?

Extending the Discussion

  • After randomly calling on students, if there is anything from this list that was not mentioned, then ask the class, "Did anyone notice...?"
  • After students have shared what they notice, ask the class, "Did anyone wonder...?" using the suggestions above or anything else you might think is interesting or relevant to the lesson.

Structured Conversation Prompts

Observational

What is a developed economy?

A developed economy is...

Relational

How is a developed economy different from a developing economy?

A developed economy is different from a developing economy because...

Inferential

How do you think economies become developed?

I think economies become developed by...

Example Student Responses to the Observational Question

Low-Level

A developed economy is a place where people have good jobs, cities, and things like schools and hospitals.

High-Level

A developed economy is a country with strong systems like healthcare, education, and a service economy, where most people live in urban areas and have a high quality of life.

Responding to Responses

Emphasize and celebrate each student's use of the key vocabulary to support a culture of "no wrong answers."

Structuring Student Conversations

Have students list observations from the visual as a warm-up, then use the Q-SSS-A process to guide small-group conversations. In the slide decks, brackets can be moved to prepare the structured conversation. In the example to the right, students will be instructed: Q-SSS-A.

  • To put a thumb up, then lower their hand when they are ready to answer the question
  • To share with their elbow/shoulder partner, and that the student with the darkest shoe will share first
  • That they will be randomly called on after the conversation

Here is an example of structuring a conversation with Q-SSS-A.

Note: the inferential question is the same as the language objective. It is recommended that students answer the inferential question in a small-group discussion before answering it individually as the closure or exit ticket of the lesson.

Structured Reading

Reading Purpose

The purpose for reading is to understand how developed economies differ from developing economies in infrastructure, poverty, and life expectancy.

PAT List
  • Indicators like literacy rates, GDP per capita, and infant mortality rate
  • Differences between developed economy and developing economy
  • Examples from Norway and the Central African Republic
  • Features of strong infrastructure and a service economy
  • Evidence showing how quality of life is different
Post-Reading Discussion

How are indicators like GDP per capita, literacy rates, and infant mortality rate connected to a country becoming a developed economy?

Indicators like GDP per capita, literacy rates, and infant mortality rate are connected to a country becoming a developed economy because...

Structuring the Reading

Communicate the purpose of reading to the students and instruct them to make a note every time they see something on the PAT ("Pay Attention To") list. How you have students note items on the PAT list is up to you. This could include:

  • Putting an asterisk in the margin
  • Underlining text that supports the PAT list
  • Putting a comment in the margin

Follow the reading with the post-reading discussion. Structure this discussion using the Q-SSS-A process just like the structured conversations in this lesson.

Note: you might find the relational question is better discussed before or after the reading. This depends on whether the relational question is directly related to the reading or might make connections across units.

Differentiating the Reading

You will notice that three different reading passages are provided with this lesson. Look at the shapes in the top-left of each passage to determine the grade level.

BELOW GRADE LEVEL
Below grade level shape key
Triangle is bottom-left
ON GRADE LEVEL
On grade level shape key
Square is bottom-left
ABOVE GRADE LEVEL
Above grade level shape key
Circle is bottom-left

In a class with students at diverse reading level proficiencies, you can give the appropriate reading passage to different students, while having all students follow the same PAT list and post-reading discussion.