Materials

• Pictures, slides, and/or videos that illustrate various aspects the economy of Southeast and East Asia

Instructional Activities

1. Review the content from the previous session.
   
   
2. Ask students to define the factors that contribute to a region’s or nation’s economy. Guide discussion by suggesting natural resources and land use.
   
   
3. NOTE: This may take more than one class session. Ask students to describe factors that contribute to the economy of Southeast and East Asia. After some discussion, display the following characteristics, and encourage students to respond to the questions or statements listed. Provide resource materials in the class, or have students use the media center or computer lab to answer these questions. Another option is to assign certain questions to different groups and to allow the groups to report the answers to the class. Review the answers with the class by displaying pictures, slides, and/or videos that illustrate the answers or by providing additional information to enhance content understanding.
   • Varied economies in the region, ranging from subsistence and/or commercial agriculture to high-tech industrial manufacturing. What types of plants are grown on the subsistence farms in the region? What types of crops are grown on the commercial farms? What types of high-tech industries exists?
   • Participation in global markets. How does each of the countries in the region participate in the global market?
   • Newly industrialized countries: South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. What is the GDP of each of these countries?
   • Japan: economic leader. What products do we purchase from Japan? What is the GDP of Japan? How does the GDP of Japan compare to that of the U.S.?
   • China in transition from a centrally planned economy. What is a centrally planned economy? How is China changing? What is the GDP of China? What type of government does China have?
   • Agricultural advancements and technology, enabling greater food production: the “Green Revolution.” (What is the “Green Revolution”? What does it have to do with the countries in the region?
   • Environmental degradation. How is the environment of the region being degraded? What steps are being taken to prevent this degradation?
   • Deforestation. What is causing deforestation in the region?
   • Fishing. What types of fish are indigenous to these areas?
   • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). What function does ASEAN serve for the countries?
   • Rice, tropical crops. What are the tropical crops of the region?