Trade Fair

I was very exciting for this in-class activity. The purpose of the trade fair was to use a tangible experience to help us understand how people of the past would exchange goods and services. The trade fair was an authentic experience that gave us a better understanding about supply and demand.

One thing that was interesting to see was which person would have the “coveted” item that everyone would want to trade for. Being that we were all in the class studying to be teachers, Elizabeth’s framed set of quotes was IT. It was very cute and crafty, not to mention she has beautiful handwriting, just a great homemade product.

Sadly I wasn’t “rich” enough with goods to trade for it, but I still made out well.

This activity was linked back to how the Indians and settlers, and how trading may have been for them.  We discussed how emotions and friendships could have been effected by trades, and how for some, vital products could have been close to impossible to buy if they did not have a good or service that was needed.

We also talked about some of the complications a teacher might experience with this activity. A few concerns were about the monetary value of items students might bring in and how friendships could affect the trade process.  This could be related right back to how the settlers and Indians felt but it important as a teacher to keep the classroom environment safe. One way to overcome this problems could be to have time and supplies available for the students to make their products to trade.