Introduction to Globalisation

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Define globalisation and its key concepts
• Identify and exemplify the five dimensions of globalisation: capital, labour, products, services, information
• Explain key factors driving globalisation since 1980

National Curriculum Links

This lesson aligns with the AQA Geography specification 3.2.1.1 (Globalisation - Dimensions and Factors) and reflects the aims of the National Curriculum for Geography at Key Stage 5 (England) to develop:

• Knowledge of global systems and processes
• Understanding of changing interconnections and economic networks
• Critical thinking about contemporary global issues

Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Be able to clearly define globalisation using appropriate geographical terminology
• Name all five dimensions of globalisation with relevant, contemporary examples
• Explain 2-3 major factors that have accelerated globalisation since the 1980s with factual evidence
• Analyse data trends related to global trade and migration to support explanations

Lesson Duration

60 minutes
Class Size: 7 students

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Resources Required

• Printed card sort sets (examples matched to the five dimensions)
• Large world map or digital mapping tool
• Projector/display for slides showing data graphs, iPhone supply chain map
• Handouts with glossary and sentence starters (for support)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Exit tickets (index cards)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter: “Globalisation in My Breakfast” (10 minutes)

• Activity: Students list or verbally share the origins of items in their breakfast (e.g. bananas from Ecuador, milk from UK farm, coffee beans from Brazil)
• Purpose: Engage students with a tangible example of global interconnectedness
• Outcome: Opens discussion linking personal experience to global flows of goods and labour

2. Introduction to Globalisation Definition & Dimensions (10 minutes)

• Teacher Input: Define globalisation as “increasing interconnectedness and interdependence through cross-border flows of goods, services, capital, people, and information.”
• Present the five dimensions:
  • Capital (money flows & investment)
  • Labour (migration for work)
  • Products (physical goods trade)
  • Services (intangibles like finance, tourism)
  • Information (data and ideas sharing)
• Use up-to-date examples from 2023 data to underpin each dimension (e.g., $163bn FDI into China, 281m international migrants)
• Differentiation: Display visual icons for each dimension; provide glossary handout for clarity

3. Main Activity 1: Card Sort (10 minutes)

• Task: Students work in pairs to match cards (examples) to each of the five dimensions
• Challenge: Explain why each example fits its dimension
• Support: Sentence starters such as “This example fits ______ dimension because...”
• Stretch: Students select which dimension has grown the most globally and justify with data

4. Main Activity 2: iPhone Supply Chain Mapping (10 minutes)

• Task: Using a world map, students plot where different components of the iPhone come from (California, Taiwan, Korea, China)
• Discuss the complexity and global interconnectedness of product supply chains
• Extension: Consider environmental/social impacts of this global trade network

5. Main Activity 3: Data Analysis on Global Trade and Migration (10 minutes)

• Task: Students analyse supplied data graphs (e.g., global trade growth 1980–2023, migration trends)
• Questions: Identify trends, propose why these changes happened, link to globalisation factors
• Differentiation: Guided questions for less confident learners; challenge advanced learners to link specific factors (technology, systems) to trends observed

6. Plenary / Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

• Students write down on exit tickets:
  • One dimension of globalisation and example
  • One factor driving globalisation since 1980
• Teacher collects to assess understanding and inform next lesson planning

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative assessment through card sort grouping and data analysis discussions
• Exit tickets used for quick diagnostic feedback
• Marking criteria linked to success criteria ensures alignment with AQA specification
• Use peer feedback in card sort task for collaborative learning

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Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Glossary handouts, sentence starters, peer support during tasks
• Stretch: Extension questions on interaction between dimensions (e.g., how capital influences labour flows), research-based enquiry on TNCs
• Visual learners: Use of icons, world maps, and colour-coded cards
• Kinesthetic learners: Hands-on card sorting and map plotting

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Homework

• Research one Transnational Corporation (Apple, Nike, or McDonald’s)
• Identify examples of all five globalisation dimensions in their operations
• Include specific countries and quantitative data to support findings
• Prepare a short written report (200-300 words)

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Exam Practice Question (4 marks)

"Outline the concept of globalisation."

Model Answer Components:

• Definition: globalisation is the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world
• Explanation of flows: cross-border flows of goods, services, capital, people, information
• Example of at least one dimension (e.g., capital flows like China’s $163bn FDI)
• Reference to acceleration since 1980 due to technology, trade agreements and financial deregulation

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Key Data Summary for Teacher’s Slides

Dimension	Statistic/Example
Labour	281 million international migrants (2023); UAE 88% foreign-born
Capital	China $163bn FDI, Indian remittances $125bn
Products	iPhone components from 43 countries; 90% trade by container ship (24,000 containers each)
Services	India’s 5 million call centre workers; London $6.6 trillion forex daily; 1.5 billion tourists annually
Information	5.3 billion internet users (66% world population); Facebook 3 billion users; 150,000 gb/sec cross-border data

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This lesson plan is designed to meet the AQA Year 13 Geography specification (section 3.2.1.1) and fully supports the National Curriculum for England’s aims for Key Stage 5 Geography. It combines interactive, data-driven, and research-based strategies catering to diverse learning styles and ensuring deep, analytical understanding of globalisation’s dimensions and drivers.