Core Questions:

1. Does the World Trade Organization facilitate neo-colonialism?
2. What are the effects of colonial/imperial control on local (native) populations?
3. Is the trend of globalization in fact a new form of imperial control (neo-colonialism)? Are poorer nations of the world under a different type of colonial/imperial control coming from large multinational corporations and organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

Overview: These lessons introduce students to the World Trade Organization, including pros and cons, operations, and two case studies.

Time Required: 6 - 8 class periods of 45 minutes. Instruction and discussion should take 4 class periods.  Research for reports and presentations could take another 2 - 4.

Suggested Grade Levels: Grades 9 – 12.

Interdisciplinary Applications: Social Studies

NJ Core Content Standards: 6.3: #9-14; 6.4: #12; #6.6: #7, 11-16; 6.8: #11,16; 6.9: #4-8.

Instructional Objectives:

1. Students will determine if the social and political consequences of free trade outweigh the economic benefits through case studies.
2. Students will determine if the WTO willingly or unwillingly aids in neo-colonial exploitation of the developing world.

Strategies:

Preparation

1. Go to the World Trade Organization site--The Ten Benefits (from the WTO perspective) of WTO inspired free trade . Discuss these ten benefits in class. The Ten Common Misunderstandings about the WTO does an effective job in answering the uneducated protester. You can make overhead transparencies or make your own briefing packet. The PDF file link says the documents are 17 and 13 pages long so do not hit PRINT. . Discuss these in class. The dispute resolution process  is covered and an important component to an extension activity that you can use. Print this and make a class set.  An expanded flow chart of this process can be found here --print and make an overhead transparency out of this. The dispute settlement process may seem slow, but this body acts by "consensus" not by a simple majority vote.
2. Once you explain the pros, cons, and history of the WTO, then it is on to case studies of disputes between large industrial countries and the developing world.

Lessons

DAY 1:
Distribute the handouts mentioned above. Explain the historical need for free trade and how trade disputes, protectionism, and trade dumping have led to many wars.  Explain the foundations of the WTO in GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and the Uruguay Round. Go as far as the need to resolve trade disputes and the process of resolving disputes under the WTO.

DAY 2:
Give the examples of two disputes, dolphin-safe tuna  and the unleaded gasoline dispute as examples of how the WTO handles disputes. Print these out and distribute to the class.  Let them read it and discuss the issues that the WTO raises in ruling AGAINST the U.S. in both cases.  The issues of transparency and national sovereignty come into play, but these are not related to the core issue of whether the WTO facilitates NEO-COLONIALISM. The need here is to establish the WTO and its procedures.

DAY 3a:
(IF A COMPUTER LAB IS AVAILABLE) Bring students to the WTO web address: and it will bring up and start loading a large MICROSOFT WORD when click OPEN will open in WORD--essentially lists what disputes are being investigated, discussed, mediated, and sanctioned. Scroll down to Page 24 of this document and ask the students to skim through pages 24-29.  There are 14 active panels with the defendants listed in the first line and then the complainant.  Have the students answer the following questions:

• What types of countries are involved in filing complaints?
• Which type of countries are involved as defendants? 
• What type of country seems to be missing from the complainant list?
• Where do you see "developing" countries in these reports?

Day 3b:
(IF A COMPUTER LAB IS UNAVAILABLE) Go to the web address above in 3a and download the file. Print out pages 24-29 and make packets to distribute in class and discuss the same questions.

DAY 4:
Click on TRADING INTO THE FUTURE and read through what is offered.  Print out the three Q&A documents as well as issues. These documents introduce the students to the WTO and developing countries. One teacher suggested that this would actually be a good introduction to the role of the WTO and global development before getteing into trade disputes.

What is encouraged is to explore the WTO web site and match up your curriculum needs.

Materials: Research packets that you create in advance for your students.

Assessment: The essay assignment. The class will be asked to write a thoughful, organized essay on any othe questions listed.

Resources: The research packets can be compiled from the World Trade Organization web site.