This five-part unit, intended for secondary students, uses an activity-oriented approach in order to involve students in the workings of international trade. Part 1 introduces students to basic terms. Part 2 explores what would be missing from U.S. lifestyle if there were no international trade. Part 3 introduces students to the reasons why trade is important to daily life through a focus on the importance of trade in providing jobs and on the monetary value of trade to the world economy. Part 4 introduces students to the mechanics of importing and exporting goods. Part 5 is a case study designed to have students apply what they learned in the unit to the case of trade friction between Japan and the United States. The case study deals with negotiations to increase Japanese imports of U.S. beef and citrus products. Five appendices also are included: (1) a glossary; (2) a brief trade history of Japan; (3) a study of trade and less developed countries; (4) a bibliography; and (5) a teacher evaluation form. (DB)