Council for Economic Education
The Economics of Income: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?
If basketball players make more than teachers, why shouldn't learners all aspire to play in the NBA? Unraveling the cost and benefits of education and future economic success can be tricky. Economic data, real-life cases, and some...
Curated OER
Centuries of Economic Growth: From Feathers to Robotics
Students read scenarios about the production of Bibles over five historical time periods. Working in small groups, students create skits and develop a retrieval chart that is used to analyze factors that impact economic growth.
Council for Economic Education
Production Possibilities Curve
Demonstrate the important economic principles of the production possibilities curve, including how to calculate opportunity cost and graph curves by using a table or calculation. Learners use a variety of methods, including videos,...
Curated OER
How Can Entrepreneurs Control Costs?
Students investigate the fixed and variable costs that entrepreneurs face. They examine how entrepreneurs identify and control their costs in order to make a profit by completing a number of included activities.
Curated OER
Economics: Actions of Government
Young scholars examine the susceptibility of legislators to agricultural lobbyists to support subsidy programs. In small groups, they role-play as members of interest groups that might be affected by inflation.
Curated OER
Production and Costs
Learners discuss the concept of productivity and participate in an activity in which they test their own productivity in making Origami cups. Teams determine how to improve productivity and then discuss factors that influence...
Curated OER
Economic Activity and Markets
Students identify and interpret that economic activity involves making choices in the face of scarcity, therefore making choices involves a cost. They also identify that individuals interact in markets by inducing one another, through...
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Economics: Incentives, Profit, and the Entrepreneur
Young scholars discuss both positive and negative economic incentives. For this lecture-based lesson, they examine a simulation about profiteering drug companies and what might happen if the FDA controlled drug production.
Curated OER
Limiting Trade
Read a narrative describing various types of trade restrictions, and then engage in a debate about a new tariff. Critical thinkers will evaluate arguments to determine who benefits and who is hurt by the new tariff. Consider assigning...
Curated OER
Japan's Economic Miracle
Students explore the concepts of price and demand. In groups, pupils simulate the purchase and selling of land in Japan. They create a loan, and make decisions to buy or sell as the economic market fluctuates. Classmates discuss their...
Curated OER
Teaching Marketing Through Auctioning
Students explore the marketing concepts of product, price, promotion and place through the auction activity.
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Consumer Borrowing and Spending
Credit can be confusing for teens, some of whom are already using credit cards. Clear up misconceptions with this group research activity which has a solid outline with a lot of room to adjust to your needs and resources. Groups are...
Curated OER
Specialization and Voluntary Exchange
Studnets participate in a trading simulation game in which they experience the effects of trade and how trade can increase wealth.
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Monkey for Sale
Second graders use play quarters to "purchase" items. They discuss how these are choices the character in the story they will read has to make. Students read the book "Monkey for Sale." They discuss the choices Luzolo makes and how she...
Curated OER
Ponzi? An April Fool's Day History and Economics Lesson Plan
Students explore the concept of a Ponzi Scheme. For this economics lesson, students invest in a product called Thin-Cups. Students invest money in this product over the course of a couple weeks. Students discover how a Ponzi Scheme works...
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Andersonville Prison: A Civil War Economic Microcosm
Students develop the concept of economic systems. In this economic system lesson, students create command and market economic systems.
Council for Economic Education
What Do People Want to Wear?
Who doesn't love fashion, especially when it can be applied to economics, supply, demand, market trends, and price equilibrium. Curious young consumers examine market scenarios to determine their effect on the demand and price for...
Curated OER
Is Capitalism Good for the Poor? | No More Slide Rules – The Costs and Benefits of Innovation
Students brainstorm a list of the benefits that Americans at all levels of society have enjoyed as a result of innovations in rail transportation/computers/microprocessors. They write a response from President Jackson to Martin Van Buren...
Curated OER
Micro Economics - Personal Budgeting
Students explore the real world as it relates to money and how people use it. In this money management lesson, students jump into the real world as they role play with money through spending, saving, being married, single, having...
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Inside the Vault-Entrepreneurship
Students explore entrepreneurship. For this economic study lesson, students take a pretest on attitudes, review characteristics that make up an entrepreneur, review a list of famous entrepreneurs, and create a 5 minute oral presentation...
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Swamps, Shrimp, and Tsunamis: A Simulation of Sustainable Development Issues in Coastal Ecuador
Students examine the economic benefits, environmental losses and dangers of the shrimp farming industry on the coast of Ecuador. They read a script, role-play people involved in the shrimp business, and write an essay of the pros and cons.
Curated OER
Global Geography of Economics: The Indiana Steel Industry
Students are introduced to how steel is made and investigate the importance of the steel industry. They participate in a role-play that explores the concepts of taxes, tariffs and imports vs. domestic production.
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Mini-Economy
Third graders perform jobs in order to sustain their classroom community. After completing a brief overview of how local economies are sustained, they complete job applications for classroom jobs. Students perform their jobs throughout...
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Bird Seed Mining
Students search through the seed mixture and separate out our "mine" beads, sunflower seeds, and other grain products, making piles of each. students count up the number of gold, silver, and blue beads, and sunflower seeds from their piles