Which Way Does It Travel?
A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on goods arriving from abroad and goods leaving for it.
Which Way Does It Travel? is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.Eco.15.K-2 — name things made abroad and sold here, and things made here and sold abroad. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten to Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.Eco.15.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · Economics
D2.Eco.15.K-2
Describe products that are produced abroad and sold domestically and products that are produced domestically and sold abroad.
Objective
Students will be able to say which way a good travels and give the reason.
Students are successful when they can
- Sorts goods by direction.
- Gives a reason for the direction.
- Names a good that travels both ways.
What you need
- Two arrows and goods cards
- The greengrocer's board
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — read the origins
5 min- Read the origins off the greengrocer's board.
- Place two obvious cards under the arrows.
Teach — reason, not just direction
13 min- Place a banana under coming in and say why: it only grows in hot places.
- Place local cheese under going out and say why: we make more than we eat.
- Say the Grade 1 addition: the reason is either climate or surplus.
- Show a good that travels both ways and explain how that happens.
- Ask what a port is for.
“Two reasons cover nearly all of it: we cannot grow it, or we have too much.”
Guided practice — sort with reasons
12 min- Pairs place eight cards under the arrows with a reason each.
- They mark whether the reason is climate or surplus.
- They find one that could go either way.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the which-way page.
- Read each item aloud.
Close
2 min- Hold up a card. Take the arrow and the reason.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks nothing goes out.
Why: Only arrivals are visible in a shop.
Fix: Name three local goods sold elsewhere.
Gives a direction with no reason.
Why: The sort feels like the task.
Fix: Climate or surplus, named each time.
Thinks a good travels one way forever.
Why: One arrow per card implies it.
Fix: Show one that goes both ways.
If they are not there yet
- Four cards rather than eight.
- Give the arrow and collect the reason.
If they finish early
- Find a good whose direction changed over time.
- Say what a country with no port would do.
- Say what our area sends away.
Exit ticket
Bananas: coming in or going out? Is the reason climate or surplus?
What to look for: Coming in, climate. A direction with no reason means the two-reasons rule needs restating.
Printable practice for D2.Eco.15.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Which Way Does It Travel?Draw a line from each thing to which way it travels.
Questions about Which Way Does It Travel?
How long does the Which Way Does It Travel? lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Which Way Does It Travel? teach?
D2.Eco.15.K-2 — D2.Eco.15.K-2, Economics for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Describe products that are produced abroad and sold domestically and products that are produced domestically and sold abroad.” In plain terms, name things made abroad and sold here, and things made here and sold abroad.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Two arrows and goods cards, the greengrocer's board and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: thinks nothing goes out; gives a direction with no reason and thinks a good travels one way forever. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Bananas: coming in or going out? Is the reason climate or surplus?.” Coming in, climate. A direction with no reason means the two-reasons rule needs restating. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Which Way Does It Travel??
Yes — 1 printable D2.Eco.15.K-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Which Way Does It Travel? free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.Eco.15.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.