Macroeconomics · International Economics
Model trade between two countries with a classroom game
Give teams different resources, let them produce and trade, and show the gains from specialisation.
- DifficultyEasy
- Estimated time1 day
- BudgetUnder ₹250
- ClassClass 10–12
- Team4–5 people
- You needHousehold materials
Prerequisites: None beyond your class work
Original · by TechnifyedPresentationSimulationBeginner friendlyLow cost
Overview
Give teams different resources, let them produce and trade, and show the gains from specialisation.
Skills you will use
Safety
- This project uses a blade or sharp tool. Cut away from your body on a cutting mat, and ask an adult to help younger students.
Materials and tools
- Paper, scissors, rulers and pencils distributed unequally
- 20 participants
Step-by-step roadmap
Start
You will finish with: results of both rounds and an explanation of comparative advantage.
- 1
Prerequisites
Nothing special to know first. Then collect the 2 items in the materials list.
- 2
Learn
Read up on international economics: comparative advantage, game, trade. Your textbook chapter and one short video are enough.
- 3
Plan
List the features for version one, sketch the screens or data flow and pick the tools. Keep the first version small.
- 4
Build
- Give each team different amounts of paper and tools.
- Set prices for finished shapes.
- Run a round without trade.
- Run a round with trade.
- Compare total output and each team's income.
- 5
Test
Try it with wrong, empty and unusual input, and ask someone else to use it without your help.
- 6
Document
Write a README: what it does, how to run it, screenshots and what you learned. Report structure
- 7
Present
Show a live demo of one complete task, then the design and the hardest problem you solved. Presentation structure
- 8
Publish
Put the code on GitHub with the README and, if you can, deploy a live demo.
Expected outcome
Results of both rounds and an explanation of comparative advantage.
Other versions of this project
Advanced version
Add a tariff in a third round and measure its effect.
Ways to do this project
Text marked "You write this" is a prompt for your own work; everything else is specific to this project.
Use this as the outline of your README or case study.
- Problem
- You write thisThe problem in one or two sentences.
- Why it matters
- You write thisWho has this problem and what it costs them.
- What was built
- Results of both rounds and an explanation of comparative advantage.
- Technology
- You write thisThe languages, libraries and tools you used, and why you picked them.
- Architecture
- You write thisOne diagram: the parts and how data moves between them.
- Implementation
- You write thisThe 5 build steps in your own words, with one code or design decision you are proud of.
- Challenges
- You write thisThe hardest bug or decision, and how you got past it.
- Results
- You write thisNumbers: accuracy, speed, users, survey answers.
- Demo and code
- You write thisA link to a live demo or a short video, and to the GitHub repository.
- Lessons learned
- You write thisWhat you would do differently next time.
- Future improvements
- Add a tariff in a third round and measure its effect.
- Problem
- Give teams different resources, let them produce and trade, and show the gains from specialisation.
- Target user
- You write thisOne specific person: who they are and when they would use this.
- Solution
- Give teams different resources, let them produce and trade, and show the gains from specialisation.
- First version (MVP)
- You write thisThe smallest version that shows the idea working once, end to end.
- Tech stack
- You write thisPick tools your team already knows.
- Architecture
- You write thisA quick sketch of the parts and how they connect.
- Demo
- You write thisThe one scenario you will show live, start to finish, in under two minutes.
- Stretch goals
- Add a tariff in a third round and measure its effect.
Team roles
Plan by length
24-hour
- Hours 0–2: agree the problem, the user and the one thing the demo must show
- Hours 2–16: build only the first version
- Hours 16–20: test the demo path end to end and fix what breaks
- Hours 20–24: slides, a 2-minute demo script and a backup recording
48-hour
- Evening 1: problem, user, sketch and task split
- Day 1: first version working end to end
- Day 2 morning: one stretch goal and testing
- Day 2 afternoon: polish, slides and demo practice
1-week
- Day 1: research the problem and talk to two possible users
- Days 2–4: first version
- Day 5: stretch goals
- Day 6: testing and write-up
- Day 7: demo video and presentation
Working as a team
4–5 people. Suggested roles:
Report and presentation
Report structure
- Title and summary
- Problem and target user
- Features
- Tools and technology
- Design: architecture, data model or screens
- Implementation
- Testing
- Results and screenshots
- Challenges
- Future improvements
- References
Presentation structure
- The problem
- Who it is for
- Live demo
- How it is built (one diagram)
- The hardest part
- Testing and results
- What you learned
- What comes next
Viva questions
Prepare your own answers to these before you present.
- What is the aim of your project, in one sentence?
- What is the principle behind it?
- Why did you choose these materials or tools?
- What result did you get, and was it what you expected?
- What went wrong and how did you fix it?
- How could this be improved or used in real life?
Resources
Source and attribution
Original
Written by Technifyed. Free to use for your own school or college project; write the report in your own words. Added 1 Oct 2026.
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