MAP EXERCISE.

• Position: Brief Article

Watch TV news, and eventually you'll hear someone talking about imports and exports--simply, that means U.S. trade with the rest of the world. You might think "who cares?" But the fact is that even while Americans buy more from other countries than they sell to them, millions of American families earn their living from exports. A general rule is that each $250 million in exports creates about 5,000 jobs. The map on this page shows how much each state earns from its top export. The key indicates the export product that earns the most for each state.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

1. A pair of unrelated products are the biggest export earners for 15 states. What products are these? One Southern state earns $206 million exporting these goods. Which state?

2. Crude oil and natural gas are the second-biggest sources of export revenue in this state, which earns $306 million a year from exporting metal ores. Which state is it?

3. Are you under 18? If so, it's probably against the law for you to buy this product, which...