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New
New
Year 7

China: The workshop of the world

I can explain why so many things are made in China and describe some of the impacts of this on people and the environment.

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New
New
Year 7

China: The workshop of the world

I can explain why so many things are made in China and describe some of the impacts of this on people and the environment.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. More than a quarter of the products manufactured globally are made in China.
  2. China manufactures a wide range of products such as electronics, clothing, toys and machinery.
  3. Cheaper labour, good infrastructure and a large population are some of the reasons why so many things are made in China.
  4. Manufacturing in China impacts people and the environment in different ways.

Keywords

  • Manufactured - made by humans, not nature, usually in large quantities for selling

  • Raw materials - things that can be grown or dug out of the ground and processed or used in the manufacture of goods

  • Economy - the way money in a particular area is made and spent

  • Migration - moving from one place to another with the intention of staying there

  • Greenhouse gas - gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat

Common misconception

Everything made in China is exported to other countries.

China manufactures products for people to buy and use in China and countries around the world.


To help you plan your year 7 geography lesson on: China: The workshop of the world, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Spend more time discussing possible impacts of manufacturing in China. Some impacts, such as rural to urban migration, are investigated in other lessons in this unit. If possible, complete the consequence wheel in groups. Simplify the activity by considering just one of the manufacturing impacts.
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Adult supervision recommended

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the population of China?
Around 500 million
Correct answer: Around 1.4 billion
Around 9 billion
Q2.
What is the capital city of China?
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Guangzhou
Correct answer: Beijing
Q3.
Which of these is China’s largest city by population?
Beijing
Correct answer: Shanghai
Rome
Q4.
What is the most widely spoken language in China?
Correct answer: Mandarin Chinese
Hindi
English
Cantonese
Q5.
What is the longest river in China?
The Thames
Correct answer: Yangtze River
The Colorado
Q6.
What major mountain range runs along China's southwestern border?
Rocky Mountains
Andes Mountains
Correct answer: Himalayas
Ural Mountains

4 Questions

Q1.
Why is China called the workshop of the world?
Correct answer: It produces a large share of global manufactured goods.
It has the world's largest number of workshops.
It only exports handmade goods.
It has the highest number of workers in agriculture.
Q2.
What is one key reason why many companies manufacture goods in China?
High labour costs
Advanced space technology
Correct answer: Large workforce and lower production costs
Limited transport links
Q3.
Which of the following is a major export of China?
Bananas
Correct answer: Smartphones
Coffee
Diamonds
Q4.
Does China export everything it produces?
Yes, China exports all goods it makes.
Correct answer: No, most goods are kept for use within China.
Only luxury goods are exported.
China imports all its products instead of exporting.