Teaching International Trade, Tariffs, and Taxes with an Interactive Classroom Activity SciDoc Publishers | Open Access | Science Journals | Media Partners

Abstract The use of interactive games and activities to further engage students and enhance the instruction provided in the classroom has gained considerable interest in recent years. This paper provides instructors with an interactive classroom activity that can be used to teach the lessons of how voluntary trade creates value, how quotas and tariffs can adversely affect this trade, and how taxes create dead weight loss, among other important economic lessons. This learning demonstration gives students a more tangible understanding of these concepts while breaking up the monotony that can accompany the traditional lecture format. Further, this game can be played in both small and large lecture classrooms with students who have either an introductory or advanced understanding of economics. This paper will go through the importance of using interactive activities in the classroom, the background needed by students to play the game, and the execution of the activity itself, as well as applications and extensions that can be employed by instructors depending on their focus and time constraints