Topic:  International integration

Addressee

2nd grade high school and technical high school student (basic scope)

Core curriculum

IX. Conditions for the development of the global economy: the role of particular sectors of the economy in the development of civilization, globalization processes, international cooperation, development of a knowledge‑based economy, information society.

Student:

2) characterizes the manifestations of globalization processes in the economic, social and political aspect, discusses the effects of this process on Poland and gives their examples based on their own observations;

3 ) analyzes the structure and directions of international trade in goods, assesses the place and structure of Poland's foreign trade and sees the need to comply with the rules

General aim of education

The student will discuss how international cooperation works. He lists international organizations and gives the purpose of their actions.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to explain what international integration is;

• to discuss the importance of integration for states;

• to exchange important integration groups.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

• Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.

Introduction

• The teacher explains the aim and planned course of the lesson. They explain the success criteria to be achieved by the students.

• The teacher plays the recording of the abstract. Every now and then he stops it, asking the students to tell in their own words what they have just heard.This way, students practice listening comprehension.

Realization

• Work in pairs. Using various source materials, students search for 6 examples of international organizations. Then they choose one of the organizations and describe its nature, goals and examples of member countries. The indicated couples discuss their studies on the class forum.

• The teacher divides international integration into three areas: political, economic and military. He asks students to work in pairs to reflect on what they achieve thanks to the integration of particular levels. Talk.

• The teacher asks students to prepare information on the areas of integration. Students use source materials such as a geography teaching handbook, e‑textbook, internet resources. Discussion.

• Students, working individually or in pairs, carry out interactive exercises to check and consolidate knowledge learned during the lesson. Selected people discuss the correct solutions for interactive exercises. The teacher completes or corrects the statements of the proteges.

• The students consolidate the acquired information, discussing it with their nearest neighbors („tell your neighbor” method).

Summary

• The teacher asks the students questions:

  • What did you find important and interesting in class?

  • What was easy and what was difficult?

  • How can you use the knowledge and skills you have gained today?

  Willing/selected students summarize the lesson.

Homework

• Make at home a note from the lesson using the sketchnoting method.

• Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

** International integration**

Link to this lesson

Neither national resources, nor human resources are distributed evenly. Societies have different cultural backgrounds, different priorities, different history and experience. They cooperate with each other in order to develop, acquire rare goods and expand their markets. Often that sort of cooperation includes several countries or more. As a whole, they are stronger – their cooperation expands and sometimes deepens.
This is the reason behind the creation of economic integration groupings. Integration is, above all, the enhancement of economic cooperation. However, this would be impossible if not for political cooperation. The drawback of being a part of any grouping is having to partially resign from being completely independent – every member of the grouping has to abide by the common decisions, even if it doesn't agree with them.

There are 5 most common stages of economic integration.

• The lowest – free trade area – guarantees a free movement of goods between countries, which means the lack of quotas and tariffs. However, every country decides on its own trade policy with the countries that are not members of the grouping.

• If the countries agree on common customs policy, they advance to a higher stage of integration – customs union.

• Another stage – common market – implies an additional free movement of people, capital, services and information.

• Economic union – involves monetary policy, including common taxes and currency. This stage requires the creation of transnational institutions that would coordinate or manage the monetary union, for example, a central bank that issues and controls the common currency.

• The most advanced form of integration is political union with a common government. The position of the countries is reduced, because the decisions are made by transnational institutions on behalf of all the members.

The history of the European Union began in 1952 with creation of the European Coal and Steel Community which in 1957 was transformed into the European Economic Community. At the beginning, it was composed by 6 member states: France, Italy, (Western) Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The success of the common market encouraged other countries to join the union. At the same time, the integration was deepening. The European parliament, now elected in the popular vote, was becoming increasingly important. The transnational institutions, like the European Central Bank, were established. At the end, in some countries common currency was introduced. Now the European Union has 28 member states.