TGS Econo-Me!

The Great Abu Sa’ud Teaching Law”, Folio from a Divan of Mahmud ‘Abd-al Baqi, 16th. c. Ottoman

How do the different communities in Turkey impact the Turkish economy and identity?

Using the economic issues Turkey is facing as a backdrop, and the variety of distinct communities it is comprised of, students will understand the various perspectives that exist on the Turkish economy & identity.

By applying an economic framework for sustainable development and breaking down the different elements of the economy, they will model the economy from the perspective of each community.  Students will investigate this by speaking to members of governmental departments and individual communities, and summarize their findings in a weekly podcast they create. These podcasts will aim to discuss their findings on the impact of top-down decisions on communities & impact of communities on political and economic decisions – and their interconnections.

Each week, students will visit an official governmental department(s) to learn about the week’s theme of economic factors from a Turkish context, and then each group will visit 2 communities in Turkey to understand the theme/factors from their perspective.

Throughout the term, students will conduct recorded discussions reflecting on their understanding of a segment of the economy through the perspectives of the governmental departments and the local communities they are visiting. The term will conclude with an economic donut model from the perspective of each of the focus communities and a debate over how 3 new policies (one pitched by each group) will benefit their assigned communities.  

Summative Assessment

Students will produce:

• An economic donut from the perspective of each of their assigned communities.
• A new policy that will benefit their focus communities.
• A final recorded discussion on how these policies will impact the different communities.

Learning Targets

1. Language Arts

a. Processing and Comprehending

1a.3

Analyzing and evaluating the credibility of evidence and source, the logic of reasoning, and how the type of communication shapes or limits information.

1. Language Arts

b. Active Literacy

1b.4

Evaluating an idea, topic, or theme based on expressed criteria.

21st Century Skills

Global Awareness

S4-Global

Global Awareness is the recognition and understanding of interrelationships among international organizations, nation-states, public and private economic entities, socio-cultural groups, and individuals across the globe

4. Inquiry and Research Design

a. Research Methods

4a.1

Systematically collecting, organizing, summarizing, evaluating, and communicating appropriate information using primary and secondary sources.

4a.2

Examining sources for bias and intended audience.

6. People and Cultures

a. Anthropology and Sociology

6a.1

Demonstrating an understanding of how demographics may influence beliefs and actions.

6. People and Cultures

b. Human Geography

6b.2

Understanding how populations in transition influence place and world events

6. People and Cultures

c. History, Institutions and Traditions in Society

6c.3

Understanding present-day repercussions of historical events.