Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: U.S. Labor Market in a Global Economy

Name: Kimberly McDonald

Content Area: Economics

Grade Level: 12

CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

HSS: 12.4 Students analyze the elements of the U.S. labor market in a global setting.
1. Understand the operations of the labor market, including the circumstances surrounding the establishment of principal American labor unions, procedures that
unions use to gain benefits for their members, the effects of unionization, the minimum wage, and unemployment insurance.
2. Describe the current economy and labor market, including the types of goods and services produced, the types of skills workers need, the effects of rapid
technological change, and the impact of international competition.
3. Discuss wage differences among jobs and professions, using the laws of demand and supply and the concept of productivity.
4. Explain the effects of international mobility of capital and labor on the U.S. economy.
Big Ideas/Unit Goals:
Students will understand the operations of the U.S. labor market and the effects of globalization on the economy.
"Are labor unions relevant in the 21st century economy?"
"How will continued globalization change our economy?"
Unit Summary:

This unit will involve online research and debate. We will take a peek into our past to help us decide if unions are relevant to
today's economy, and how they might fit into our future economy. We will work in groups to explore the historical ideas of workers'
rights, wage inequality, the laws of supply and demand in the labor market, and unemployment. From there we will analyze data to
help us take a stance on workers' rights to unionize and right-to-work laws in our nation. Finally, we will dive deeper into career
exploration, further applying economics to our lives.
At the end of this unit, we will have an understanding of our past and future labor market, the effects globalization has on the
economy, and possible avenues of future employment.

Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level:
A quick poll asking students if they feel
strongly about unions or about right to

Formative:
Guided notes will allow me to see how
effective my lecture was on student
learning about the past labor movements

Summative:
A timeline researched and put together
within groups will demonstrate students'

work legislation will give an entry-level

measure of what students already know,
and what their preconceived ideas are
about unions and right to work laws.

and the possible economic future we face

as a nation.
A Tweet War will show students
progressing in argument formulation.
Their discourse and responses to
comments will show thoughtfulness on
the unit, as well as their communication
abilities.
On-going discussion and projects inclass, such as the graphic organizer, and
on-line, via Quizlet card activities, will
allow me to gauge their progress and
proficiency in concepts, research,
communication, and collaboration.

historical understanding of the labor

movement.
A formal persuasive letter to a
business/employer will show students'
ability to research a topic, formulate an
argument or a stance, and back it with
evidence.

Lesson 1
Student Learning
Objective:
Through research online
and in texts, students
will explore the role
unions had in the past
and the role they have in
today's economy.
Lesson 2

Acceptable Evidence
(Assessments):
Students will create a
timeline of important
events in labor and
industry.

Lesson
1.
2.
3.

Activities:
Barometer, online poll
Lecture, guided notes
Online research and Timeline creation

Student Learning
Objective:
Through online/silent
debate, students will
construct arguments for
and against right to work
and union workplaces.

Acceptable Evidence:
Students will
demonstrate
comprehension of
workers' rights and
employers' rights and
needs through succinct
tweet arguments.

Lesson
1.
2.
3.
4.

Activities:
Quizlet vocab cards
Online research and argument/counter-argument creation
Twitter war
Discussion

Acceptable Evidence:
Persuasive letter to
business owner outlining

Lesson Activities:
1. Graphic Organizer: Career exploration of industry, wages, skills
2. Data-driven exercise: right-to-work states/ union-states/ parents in union/against the

Lesson 3
Student Learning
Objective:
Through online research,

students will choose a

possible career path and
propose to make it better
suggesting a change to
right to work or through
unionizing.

why they should or

shouldn't allow workers
to unionize will show
what students have
learned about right-towork and right-tounionize.

Unit Resources:
Blogger checklist
How to tweet fact sheet
Labor movement sources
Right to work sources
Articles for and against raising minimum wage
Primary sources: photos, newspaper articles, letters
The People Speak clip
Peer Review worksheet

Useful Websites:
Department of Labor/ Bureau of Labor Statistics
Smithsonian Institute
Library of congress
Wired magazine
AIER.org (American Institute for Economic Research)
Bloomberg
Bureau of Labor Statistics
TED talks economics
Crash course economics

3.
4.
5.

union/indifferent? Future outlook of the economy: which type of jobs might require
collective bargaining?
Persuasive Letter to business: Right to work or union?
Peer review of letter drafts
Final persuasive letter