Students in fourth-grade social studies participated in an activity that allowed them to work cooperatively in groups to barter with their classmates. The scenario involved a camping “disaster,” and the children needed to decide which items on their list of supplies they were willing to trade for other materials they needed. For example, some groups had a tent and an ax but no food, and other groups had an abundance of food but no blankets or sleeping bags. It was interesting to watch the students debate and communicate with one another, and the bartering often did not go as smoothly as they thought it would. This activity was designed to show them how challenging the fur trade often was for the Native Americans and Europeans. 
