Teaching Children about the Global Economy: Integrating Inquiry with Human Rights

Although children are already part of the global economy, they often have little understanding of its influence without explicit instruction. The article focuses on recommendations for teaching elementary students in grades three through five about the global economy utilizing the pedagogical recommendations from the National Council for the Social Studies and curricular and pedagogical suggestions from economic educators, human rights educators, and research. The author advocates using the inquiry arc to actively engage students in learning and integrating a human rights perspective, along with an economic perspective, to broaden students' understanding of the global economy. Economics helps young students learn why their clothes and toys are produced in different countries while human rights education enables them to comprehend the lives of workers who produce their clothing and toys. The inquiry arc also offers opportunities for young students to take action when they encounter human rights abuses during the production of their toys and clothing. Children are not only prepared for their future role as citizens but act as citizens while they are still children concerned about the human rights of all people involved in producing their clothes and toys.