1. Teacher Guide
This lesson is designed to teach kids to ask a critical thinking question that you can’t just put into a search box to solve. To do that, we encourage them with smaller questions that search can help them answer. Make sure that you read the notes for each slide: they not only give you teaching tips but also provide answers and hints so you can help the kids if they are having trouble.
Remember, you can always send feedback to the Bing in the Classroom team at You can learn more about the program at bing.com/classroom and follow the daily lessons on our Partners In Learning site.
Want to extend today’s lesson? Consider using Skype in the Classroom to arrange for your class to chat with another class in today’s location. And if you are using Windows 8, you can also use the Bing apps to learn more about this location and topic; the Travel and News apps in particular make great teaching tools.
Alice Keeler is a mother of 5 and a teacher in Fresno, California. She has her B.A in Mathematics, M.S. in Educational Media Design and Technology and is currently working on a doctorate in Educational Technology with an emphasis in games and simulations. EdTech speaker, blogger, and presenter. Founder of coffeeEDU, a 1 hour conference event for educators. New Media Consortium Horizon report advisory panel member. High school math teacher for 14 years. Currently teaching pre-service teachers curriculum, instruction and technology at California State University Fresno. Teaches online for Fresno Pacific University in the Masters in Educational Technology. Passionate that kids are not failures, researches gamification in education to increase student motivation.
This lesson is designed to teach the Common Core State Standard: English Language Arts
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

2. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.
© Art Wolfe/Mint Images
Having this up as kids come in is a great settle down activity. You can start class by asking them for thoughts about the picture or about ideas on how they could solve the question of the day.

3. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.
The floating markets of Bangkok, Thailand, were once more like community farmer’s markets. But as the city has grown, and visitors flock to take in the sights and experiences it offers, the floating markets have become a draw for tourists and locals alike.
Options for shopping and eating go far beyond groceries, with floating cafes, handcrafts, and even clothing sold along various canals linked to the Chao Phraya River, which follows a winding southward course through Bangkok.
Depending on time, you can either have students read this silently to themselves, have one of them read out loud, or read it out loud yourself.

4. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.1
Image Search
Locate images of the floating markets of Bangkok. Describe how these markets are different than local farmers markets in your region. 2
Video Search
Locate a video that describes the commerce and functions of the floating markets of Bangkok. 3
Web Search
What unique geographical characteristics lead to the creation of the floating markets of Bangkok? 4
Culturally, how are the floating markets of Bangkok important to residents in the area? 5
How do the floating markets of Bangkok impact the local economy?
There are a couple of ways to use this slide, depending on how much technology you have in your classroom. You can have students find answers on their own, divide them into teams to have them do all the questions competitively, or have each team find the answer to a different question and then come back together. If you’re doing teams, it is often wise to assign them roles (one person typing, one person who is in charge of sharing back the answer, etc.)

5. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.5
Minutes
You can adjust this based on how much time you want to give kids. If a group isn’t able to answer in 5 minutes, you can give them the opportunity to update at the end of class or extend time.

6. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.1
Image Search
Locate images of the floating markets of Bangkok. Describe how these markets are different than local farmers markets in your region. 2
Video Search
Locate a video that describes the commerce and functions of the floating markets of Bangkok. 3
Web Search
What unique geographical characteristics lead to the creation of the floating markets of Bangkok? 4
Culturally, how are the floating markets of Bangkok important to residents in the area? 5
How do the floating markets of Bangkok impact the local economy?
You can ask the students verbally or let one of them come up and insert the answer or show how they got it. This way, you also have a record that you can keep as a class and share with parents, others.

7. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.1
Image Search
Locate images of the floating markets of Bangkok. Describe how these markets are different than local farmers markets in your region.
(Possible Search Query: ”Bangkok floating market”)
Sources
Many places farmers markets are all on land. Each vendor has a stand with a table. In the floating market in Bangkok each vendor is in a long boat.

8. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.2
Video Search
Locate a video that describes the commerce and functions of the floating markets of Bangkok.
(Possible Search Queries: ”Bangkok floating market,” “Bangkok floating market tour”)
Sources
Students should note the accessibility of the individual markets (boats) and the variety of items they have to offer such as: hot foot, clothing and fruits and vegetables.

9. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.3
Web Search
What unique geographical characteristics lead to the creation of the floating markets of Bangkok?
(Possible Search Queries: “Bangkok floating markets,” “Bangkok floating markets created,” “Bangkok floating markets original”)
Sources
Go Backpacking:
Bangkok Day Tours:
Bangkok used to have an elaborate system of canals. (many of them have been filled in to create roads) For many years the canal system was the usual way to get around. This system naturally led people to start selling things directly out of their boats, particularly in the 32 kilometer straight line canal.

10. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.4
Web Search
Culturally, how are the floating markets of Bangkok important to residents in the area?
(Possible Search Queries: ”Bangkok floating markets,” “Farmer’s Market”)
Sources:
Wikipedia:
Students should note that there are many similarities between farmers markets and floating markets. The cultural impacts may include the following: It allows residents to meet together and socialize, discussing issues and disseminating information, linking perhaps diverse components of the population.

11. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.5
Web Search
How do the floating markets of Bangkok impact the local economy?
(Possible Search Queries: “Farmers Market,” “Farmer’s Market Economy,”)
Sources
Wikipedia:
The floating markets of Bangkok benefits the local economy because many tourists from around the world flock to the floating market and spend money which provides the local economy with a big boost. Also, the market provides an outlet for local farmers and merchants to sell their products.

12. Describe the cultural and economic conditions around the floating markets of Bangkok.
This slide is a chance to summarize the information from the previous slides to build your final answer to the question.