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Lesson

Mercantilism

Duration
45 min
Grade
9–12
Published
Nov 15, 2020
Illustration of a woman at a dining table observing figures presenting food and goods labeled "Mother Country" and "Colony."
This Lesson should come at the end of Unit 1 as a preview of the problems in the British colonies leading up to the American Revolution.

Objectives:

  • Students will be able to explain the key principles of mercantilism by analyzing a political cartoon and primary sources.
  • Students will be able to illustrate the mercantilist relationship between Great Britain and its colonies by designing their own political cartoon or infographic.

Materials

Lesson Components

ActivityMercantilism Cartoon Analysis Image

A warm-up activity to introduce students to the economic system of mercantilism.

ActivityMercantilism Background Handout

A brief overview of this economic system and comprehension questions for students.

ActivityMercantilism Primary Sources

Three primary sources to further explore the economic system of mercantilism.

Lesson plan

45 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

Students may complete this activity alone, in pairs, or in small groups, as best fits your teaching situation. Handout B: Mercantilism Background can be provided to students after the cartoon analysis warm-up and before the primary sources to provide students with additional context and scaffolding before analyzing Handout C: Mercantilism Primary Sources.

Standards

Advanced Placement

  • Topic 2.4 · Transatlantic Trade
  • Theme · Work, Exchange, and Technology
  • Learning Objective · Unit 2D
  • Historical Development · 2.2.I.C
  • Reasoning Skill · Developments and Processes
  • Reasoning Skill · Sourcing and Situation
  • Reasoning Skill · Claims and Evidence in Sources
  • Reasoning Skill · Contextualization
  • Reasoning Skill · Making Connections
  • Reasoning Skill · Argumentation
  • Reasoning Process · Causation

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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