Students explore the Nordic countries, with an emphasis on the Scandinavian economy. They review the Happiness Report 2015 (prepared for the United Nations) and note that the Nordic countries are among the happiest in the world. They explore Nordic social democracy, and how geography, technology, and immigration play a part in the economy.
Students are introduced to the Nordic region and its economic and social features, then learn that the United Nations uses a World Happiness Report to measure national wellbeing. They predict which countries will rank high on a global happiness scale by contributing to a word cloud, view a chart of the fifty happiest countries, and answer a poll about how many Nordic countries appear in the top ten.
Teacher MovesPreview the experience focus on Nordic economies and social democracy, and share the lesson objectives. Explain that the World Happiness Report measures happiness using indicators such as social connections, life expectancy, and natural environment. After students respond to the poll, highlight how strongly the Nordic countries rank on metrics like GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, generosity, and low corruption, and briefly compare these rankings with North American countries.
Students read country overviews for Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to learn about their economies and standards of living, then complete a graphic organizer by recording at least one interesting economic fact for each country.
Teacher MovesDirect students to the three country readings and clarify that they should focus on economic characteristics and quality-of-life indicators. Monitor completion of the graphic organizer, prompting students to notice similarities and differences among the Scandinavian economies and to connect these details to the earlier happiness rankings.
Students examine a description of the Nordic model, including cradle-to-grave social welfare, partnerships among government, business, and labor, and efforts toward economic equality. They respond to a poll comparing Nordic social democracy with the U.S. system, then post to a collaborative wall explaining how Nordic social welfare policies might help account for the region’s high happiness rankings, using online data to support their ideas. Finally, they read classmates’ posts and reply to at least two with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesClarify key features of Nordic social democracy and contrast them with the U.S. free-market system, emphasizing that there is no single correct preference between the two approaches. Facilitate discussion about how higher taxes fund extensive social benefits and how this might influence wellbeing. Guide students in using online sources to gather supporting data for their wall posts, and encourage respectful dialogue by prompting students to ask clarifying questions and offer constructive feedback on peers’ ideas.
Students read about how geography, transportation technology, global-oriented businesses, and immigration shape the Nordic economies, including examples such as the Öresund Bridge and major technology and manufacturing companies. They then respond on a collaborative wall to a scenario in which, as unskilled immigrants from a poor country, they must choose between moving to Sweden or the United States, explaining which destination they would select and why.
Teacher MovesHighlight how the Nordic region has addressed geographic isolation through infrastructure and global business strategies, and how immigration interacts with aging populations and labor needs. Invite volunteers to share their responses to the immigration scenario, drawing out reasons students give for choosing Sweden or the United States. Lead a brief discussion on the potential economic contributions immigrants can make to a host country.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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