The IMF, Money, International Trade and Cooperation
(Activities: Cornerstones of the IMF and Trading Around the World)
Group #3:
The IMF

Create an architectural image that represents the IMF and convert to a magnetic puzzle. Students will overlay the answers onto the puzzle in response to the following question: "What are five important elements of the IMF?" Let's place them in a house to better visualize the IMF.

5 important elements: what are they?

  1. When was the IMF founded? And where?
  2. What are the "rules" of the IMF called?
  3. How many staff/people work in the IMF today?
  4. How many Executive Directors, Managing Directors and Deputy Managing Directors are there?
  5. How many countries belong to the IMF membership?

Students can put the puzzle together as the IMF staff member speaks.


IMF House Puzzle (front side)

 

IMF House Puzzle (back side)

Printable IMF House Puzzle front page

 

Printable IMF House Puzzle back page

Answers are:

  1. Founded in 1944 at Bretton Woods, NH
  2. Articles of Agreement
  3. 2700 staff members from 184 member countries
  4. 1 Managing Director/3 Deputy Managing Directors/24 Executive Directors
  5. 184 member countries represented by their Governors (Finance Ministers, Central Bankers)

IMF staff (or teacher if doing the exercise in a classroom setting) to explain the "flow" of how the IMF in organized. The roof is the 184 member countries represented by the Miniseries of Finance (or Central Bankers) in their own home capitals around the world. They then delegate everyday work to the 24 Executive Directors (show picture of Board Room). The Executive Directors then delegate the work of the Fund to the staff (2,700 staff on the "ground floor" of the house.)

Encourage deductive thinking: "What are the differences between the beginning of the IMF and the IMF today?

  1. How old is the IMF today? (58 years)
  2. What is one of the major activities of the Fund? (economic analysis-explain to students)
  3. What is another major activity of the Fund? (technical assistance-explain to students)
  4. What is a third major activity of the Fund? (lending to member countries that need financial assistance-explain to students)
  5. How many more member countries are there today compared to 1945? (184-44=140?)

SO WHAT? The "so what" of this exercise is to show that the IMF is the international guardian of economic stability; helps countries keep their economies on an even track; and that it is in partnership with all the member countries to make life better for all the member countries.


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