Traditional Look-Fors:
• "Passed down by family"
• Barter = no money trade
• Elders & customs decide
Free Enterprise Look-Fors:
• Private property & profit
• Supply + Demand = price
• Buyers & sellers decide
💡 Misconception Check: Students often confuse "free enterprise" with "free items." Clarify that "free" means freedom from heavy government control!
Teacher Guide • Irving ISD World Geography WG.10A Page 1 of 2
Teacher Master & Facilitation Guide Part II: Command, Mixed, & Synthesis
Facilitation Goal: Synthesis & Comparison
Central Authority
In a command economy, economic decisions are made by a central government authority, not by individual consumers. The state owns major resources, land, and factories.
Government manages major essential services (utilities, healthcare, transit); allows small private businesses.
State owns all property and production. Private business ownership is illegal (North Korea, USSR).
🛑 Stop & Jot #2
Prompt: "Why can't an individual open their own shoe shop or restaurant in North Korea?" (Answer: Government owns all means of production; private profit is forbidden).
Market + Regulation
Most nations operate a mixed economy, blending private enterprise with government regulations and public safety nets.
👥 Think-Pair-Share #2
Prompt: "The US is known for capitalism. Name two everyday services the US government controls or regulates instead of leaving it to private business."
Exemplars: Public schools, USPS, road construction, FDA food inspections, emergency services.
Teacher Master Key: Economic Systems Matrix WG.10A Reference
| System | Who Decides? | Main Motivation | Real-World Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Customs, ancestors, tribal elders | Family & community survival | Inuit tribes, isolated Amazon groups |
| Free Enterprise | Consumers & business owners (Market) | Private profit & individual choice | Singapore, Hong Kong |
| Command | Central government planners | State power & assigned quotas | North Korea, Cuba, former USSR |
| Mixed | Both private market & government | Economic growth + social protection | United States, Germany, Japan |
Sentence Stems for Synthesis, Discussion & Writing Support ELL & Tier 2 Scaffolding
Use these stems for student verbal pair-shares, notebook reflection entries, or the exit ticket debrief:
Stem 1: "In a free enterprise economy, decisions are made by individual buyers and sellers, whereas in a command economy, decisions are made by a central government authority."
Stem 2: "Most countries today have a mixed economy because it balances the freedom and innovation of businesses with rules that protect workers and consumers."
Stem 3: "Because resources are limited (scarcity), every society must decide what to produce, how to produce it, and for whom to produce it."
Stem 4: "The biggest advantage of a traditional economy is stability and community cooperation, but its main drawback is lack of new technology and vulnerability to weather."
Facilitator Notes
Model notes & look-fors for page 2:
Command Look-Fors:
• Government sets prices
• State owns factories
• Socialism = partial control
• Communism = total state
Mixed Look-Fors:
• Blend of freedom + rules
• US = market + safety laws
• Most common in world
🎯 Formative Check:
Circulate during the quick write. Ensure students mention BOTH business freedom and government protection in their answers.
⚡ Next Step: Transition students to the Double Bubble Map comparison or sorting handout as outlined in LE#8.
Teacher Guide • Irving ISD World Geography WG.10A Page 2 of 2
| Question: _______________ |
Unit 2 Human Geography • Economic Systems Page 1 of 2
Unit 2 Human Geography • Check for Understanding
Part III & IV
Complete the table below by filling in the missing features for each economic system:
| System | Who Controls Production? | How Are Prices Determined? | Major Trade-Off / Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Customs, ancestors, village elders | Direct barter or fixed by custom | ____________________________ |
| Free Enterprise | ____________________________ | Supply and demand competition | Wealth inequality; public goods unprotected |
| Command (Communist) | Central government planners | ____________________________ | Shortages; lack of individual incentive |
| Mixed | ____________________________ | Market forces with gov regulations | Higher taxes to fund public services |
Based on the reading and your analysis, which economic system do you believe is most effective for a modern society? Defend your answer in a well-developed paragraph (4-6 sentences).
Paragraph Checklist:
☐ State a clear claim ☐ Use at least 2 vocab terms ☐ Provide 1 specific reason/evidence ☐ Acknowledge a trade-off
💡 Writing Help (Sentence Starters):
• I believe the most effective system is... because... • Unlike a command system, this system allows... • For instance, the forces of... ensure that... • While one trade-off is..., this is outweighed by...
Remember to check your spelling of key vocabulary terms (scarcity, free enterprise, profit, command, mixed).
Unit 2 Human Geography • Economic Systems Page 2 of 2
| Concerns production methods, technology, and labor inputs. |
| 2. Medicine distributed to elderly and low-income first. | FOR WHOM to produce? | Concerns distribution, allocation criteria, and who gets goods. |
| 3. Studio switches from tax apps to video games. | WHAT to produce? | Concerns selection of products based on consumer demand. |
Grading Tip for Page 1: Accept "Capitalism" for Free Enterprise, and "Socialism" for Command/Mixed if student justifies with evidence.
Unit 2 Human Geography • Teacher Answer Key Page 1 of 2
Teacher Master Key Part III & IV Scoring
16 Points Total
8 Pts (2 Pts per Row)
| System | Who Controls Production? | How Are Prices Determined? | Major Trade-Off / Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Customs, ancestors, elders | Barter or fixed by tradition | Little technological innovation; extreme vulnerability to weather/drought. |
| Free Enterprise | Private individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners | Supply and demand competition | Wealth inequality; public goods unprotected |
| Command (Communist) | Central government planners | Fixed and decreed by government planning committees | Shortages; lack of individual incentive |
| Mixed | Both private business owners and government regulators | Market forces with gov regulations | Higher taxes to fund public services |
8 Pts Total
1. Claim (2 pts) States clear position on which economy is best suited for society.
2. Vocabulary (2 pts) Correctly uses 2+ terms (scarcity, profit, supply, demand, regulation).
3. Evidence (2 pts) Provides concrete reasons or real-world example from the reading.
4. Trade-off (2 pts) Acknowledges a drawback or counterargument (e.g. taxes, risk).
🌟 High-Mastery Model Response (Defending Mixed Economy): Score: 8/8 Pts
"I believe the most effective economic system for a modern society is a mixed economy because it combines individual freedom with public protection. Under this system, entrepreneurs are driven by profit and supply and demand to innovate and create new technologies, just like in a free enterprise system. However, unlike a pure free market, government regulations protect citizens by ensuring safe food, minimum wage, and public education. While a trade-off is paying higher taxes to fund these social programs, this cost is well worth having a strong safety net."
🌟 Alternative Model Response (Defending Free Enterprise): Score: 8/8 Pts
"In my opinion, free enterprise is the best system because it maximizes individual choice and efficiency. When businesses compete for profit, they naturally create better products at lower prices without government waste. Unlike a command economy where planners dictate what is made, consumers have total freedom to decide what to buy. Although wealth inequality can be a significant trade-off, competition creates abundant jobs and opportunities for anyone to succeed."
Feedback & Remediation Prompts for Incomplete Responses:
• Missing Vocab? "Reread paragraph 3 and incorporate terms like 'scarcity' or 'competition'."
• No Counterpoint? "What is one disadvantage of your chosen system, and why is it worth it?"
Unit 2 Human Geography • Teacher Answer Key Page 2 of 2
