What are tariffs, and how will President Donald Trump’s trade policies affect the U.S. and global economies?
Trump on Wednesday announced he would impose a 125 percent tariff on Chinese imports as part of an escalating trade war, while pausing higher tariffs on imports from dozens of other countries. For the next 90 days, the White House said, more than 75 countries that had started negotiating with the Trump administration would see tariffs on their imports to the United States limited to 10 percent.
People everywhere have been glued to the news, trying to keep track of the latest developments and understand how they might be affected. Students are wondering about it all, too.
Teachers are well-positioned to offer a historical lens for looking at the current situation and help students navigate the complex news surrounding tariffs.
To help teachers start these discussions in their classrooms, Education Week has compiled four resources and four lesson plans. They should help teachers define tariffs clearly, explore their history, and examine their implications. They can also help teachers build up their own knowledge on the subject.
Explainers
What Are Tariffs and How Do They Affect You? (Investopedia)
This detailed breakdown of tariffs and the potential national and global economic impacts is a helpful resource for teachers looking to build up their own knowledge or to assign reading to older students.
Here’s what tariffs are and how they work (AP News)
This straightforward explainer defines tariffs, clarifies who pays them, explains how they’ve been used to protect domestic industry, and explores economists’ views on them.
Tariff (Britannica Kids)
This resource showcases the different types of tariffs and unpacks the historical context of tariffs during the 20th century in America. It also explains arguments for and against tariffs.
TKT Explains: Tariffs (TIME Kids)
This explainer runs through some simple questions about tariffs, including who can be affected and how the world has reacted to the news about Trump’s trade policies. This was written in early February, before Trump imposed initial tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Lessons
How Tariffs Impact the Economy (PBS News Hour|Share My Lesson)
This activity includes video explainers and discussion questions geared toward older students.
Lesson 2 Activity: Tic-Tac-Toe Tariff (Foundation for Teaching Economics)
This lesson could be a better fit for upper-elementary and middle-school students and uses an interactive scenario to demonstrate how tariffs affect global trade.
Understanding Tariffs and Analyzing Recent U.S. Trade Policy Changes (Ann Michaelsen)
A series of discussion prompts and presentation opportunities round out this lesson, designed to help students understand tariffs and their economic implications. The lesson plan also links to key articles and sources for further reading.
History with Haley TikTok lesson
This lesson comes from an 8th grade history teacher who breaks down tariffs in a way her middle schoolers can understand.
