That’s right, the concept of swapping has become so popular it has made its way into our very own school systems!
Sixth grade teachers in Westborough, MA, have come up with an innovative way to implement the concepts of trading and bartering, while simultaneously helping students learn about other cultures. And it’s all taught through a group project with a really snappy name: Bartering Bonanza.
The basic premise is very simple: the students split into different groups and each group is assigned a specific country. The students then research what resources their countries have in abundance, what their nation’s climates is like and what the country’s culture and economy looks like. After presentations featuring cultural clothing the real fun begins with the bartering session. Each student group has to select 20 resources to offer for trade with other “countries,” the goal being to trade resources they have for resources they need to bring back to their country.
Being swap enthusiasts ourselves we thought this approach of integrating the trading process into an educational setting was just too clever to not mention, so keep up the good work Mill Pond School educators!
(Photo by Doug Kerr)
Swap.com Mobile is a free iPhone is app that lets you scan items into your HAVE and WANT lists, manage your account, see what you can get for your stuff, and participate in swaps.
