1. Set Focus
Pose these essential questions: How do political alliances affect trade? How do disruptions to trade affect a society?
2. List Vocabulary
Share some of the challenging vocabulary words in the article (see right). Encourage students to use context to infer meanings as they read.
- embargo (p. 19)
- reliance (p. 19)
- commodity (p. 19)
- cartel (p. 20)
- rationing (p. 20)
- contingent (p. 21)
3. Engage
Explain that oil is used to heat many homes and other buildings and to make gasoline, which fuels most cars. Ask students to share their thoughts about how their lives might be affected if there were another severe oil shortage. Then ask: Do you think the price of oil would go up or down during a shortage? Why?