ESL Lesson 4

Delivery Systems

Lesson Objective: To have students discuss delivery systems and how these systems keep the things we need in our lives moving to stores and supermarkets.

Open Discussion Topic:

Wandering back through history how do you think delivery systems evolved (progressed) and developed? One person had more than they could carry, so a cart was used to transport (move) the goods to be traded. Depending from which part of the world, it could have been a mule, camel, donkey, elephant, reindeer, buffalo, cow or human pulled cart. But through the years it has evolved into our modern delivery system. In business today we use a just-in-time delivery system that relies (depends) on computer ordering to allow just the right amount of product to be delivered to stores. The delivery system is now the warehouse. There are ships that carry containers, ships that carry oil, and airplanes that carry boxes across the planet in two days. We have FedEx, UPS, and DHL, and if that isn't good enough there are home shopping channels like HSN and QVC that allow us to shop from home. Have your students talk about how delivery systems evolved and how society changed with every new invention. Examples might be horse drawn wagon-sailboats-steamships-trains-cars-trucks-airplanes. Throughout history from the Byzantine Empire to 2007 goods have been bartered, traded and transported. How did it evolve?

Extension Activity: As oil prices get high and stay high, which companies will be affected first? Surely three day air and over-night delivery will be the first to go. As oil supplies decline, which will be the last systems in place still functioning (working)? Will the factories in China still be able to ship their goods across the oceans? Will we in the western world be able to continually buy Chinese and Vietnamese made products if they are triple or quadruple priced?

Discussion Activity 1:

How far down the line of possibility can you make a chain of causes and effects? Even the candles are delivered by truck! If product A is not delivered for what ever reason, how will that affect product B and product C? Example: If the toothpaste factory doesn't deliver any longer, how will that affect the toothbrush company? Your teeth? Your dentist? What would you use to keep your teeth clean? You would need to find a substitute, baking soda, suddenly the baking soda company sees record sales, so would the peppermint oil factory. There would be shortages of those items until supply once again balanced (equaled) demand. Could there be a third substitute found, if so what would happen to the price of that substitute item?

Unit 4 Focus: Delivery systems and the future based on high energy prices.

Which items will disappear from store shelves, markets and malls first if delivery prices become too expensive?
When companies stop ordering from overseas factories, will they once again start ordering from factories closer to home? Do you think recycling businesses will boom if materials are recycled locally?
How will the price of getting raw materials from a mine to a factory so production can begin be affected? Will that increased delivery cost push up (raise) the prices of finished products?
If factory XYZ in China can't deliver worldwide, businesses in Canada will not order from factory XYZ in China, which will cause un-employment in China. What are some solutions for high unemployment? How will governments create jobs for their citizens?
How will global container shipping be affected?
Will crime increase with fewer (less) jobs in towns and less goods in the stores?
Which companies and industries will go out of business? Which will prosper during the high price era (time period)?
Will we return to coal fired steamships for travel?
How will food prices rise in relation (connection) to delivery costs?
How long before the world economy grinds to a halt (completely stops) without global delivery?
What will happen to towns near railroad lines and ports?
What are the cheapest ways to deliver large amounts of cargo (goods and materials)?

Extension Activity: Which places will once again boom in a country? Remember your nostalgia; towns along railways were put out of business by cars and airplanes. Using railroads and waterways to deliver goods are the two cheapest delivery methods.

Brain Teaser: For a brain teaser, ask students to come up with a list of goods that are not delivered by a fossil fuel powered form of transport. This goes for any major city on our planet. Good luck! If you come up with more than ten items please email me.

Additional Discussion Activity:
Weights and Measures for shipping. Examples would be tons, kilograms, pounds, ounces, cubic meters, cubic feet, square meters, square feet, kilometres, meters, miles etc.

Continue to: The Caspian Region Central Asia

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ESL Lesson 4

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Delivery Systems
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The Caspian Region Central Asia
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Iran
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Africa
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