A Current-Events Mini Lesson: Trans-Pacific Trade via 5 Sentences & 10 Words

Social studies teachers: For a current-events mini lesson on the historic Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement, take your class through this vocabulary list drawn from five New York Times example sentences, then assign learning the list for homework. Learn more here.
10 words 101 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. accord
    concurrence of opinion
    The United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations on Monday
    agreed to the largest regional trade accord in history, a potentially precedent setting model for global commerce and worker standards that would tie together 40 percent of the world’s economy, from Canada and Chile to Japan and Australia.
  2. global
    involving the entire earth
    The United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations on Monday
    agreed to the largest regional trade accord in history, a potentially precedent setting model for global commerce and worker standards that would tie together 40 percent of the world’s economy, from Canada and Chile to Japan and Australia.
  3. commerce
    transactions supplying goods and services
    The United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations on Monday
    agreed to the largest regional trade accord in history, a potentially precedent setting model for global commerce and worker standards that would tie together 40 percent of the world’s economy, from Canada and Chile to Japan and Australia.
  4. precedent
    an example that is used to justify similar occurrences
    The United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations on Monday
    agreed to the largest regional trade accord in history, a potentially precedent setting model for global commerce and worker standards that would tie together 40 percent of the world’s economy, from Canada and Chile to Japan and Australia.
  5. negotiation
    a discussion intended to produce an agreement
    The accord — a product of nearly eight years of negotiations, including five days of round-the-clock sessions here — is a potentially legacy-making achievement for President Obama, and the capstone for his foreign policy pivot toward closer relations with fast-growing eastern Asia, after years of American preoccupation with the Middle East and North Africa.
  6. pivot
    the act of turning on an axis
    The accord — a product of nearly eight years of negotiations, including five days of round-the-clock sessions here — is a potentially legacy-making achievement for President Obama, and the capstone for his foreign policy pivot toward closer relations with fast-growing eastern Asia, after years of American preoccupation with the Middle East and North Africa.
  7. bulwark
    an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
    Administration officials have repeatedly pressed their contention that the partnership would build a bulwark against China’s economic influence, and allow the United States and its allies — not Beijing — to set the standards for Pacific commerce.
  8. import
    bring in from abroad
    The Pacific accord would phase out thousands of import tariffs as well as other barriers to international trade.
  9. tariff
    a government tax on imports or exports
    The Pacific accord would phase out thousands of import tariffs as well as other barriers to international trade.
  10. export
    sell or transfer abroad
    In particular, Mr. Levin objected that language addressing Japan’s devaluation of its currency, which reduces the cost of its auto exports...
Created on Mon Oct 05 09:50:11 EDT 2015 (updated Wed Oct 21 11:58:29 EDT 2015)

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