Consuming History

How do we decide what to buy? Empower your economists to spend their money wisely through this introductory consumer choice instructional activity. Learners read a passage on wants and needs, scarcity, and tradeoffs. Next, students...

Reflect on the importance of banks in the current economic condition of the United States. High schoolers will explore the history of banking and money so that they can complete the numerous activities centered around that subject. Each...

The availability of personal financial information is of greater importance now than ever before. Your pupils will discuss how public and private records are accessed by various organizations, particularly considering direct mail, credit...

Ninth graders begin the lesson by being introduced to the basic terms of economics. In groups, they discover how they are affected by trade because of the clothes they wear and foods they eat. Using primary sources, they examine the...

How did the world react to Austria's declaration of war? This activity, guided by the McDougall Littell text, World History, has historians examining the beginnings of WWI through cause and effect analysis. Groups reference the text as...

Students explore their role as consumers and conservationists and what roles they play in today's economic climate. They explore resource allocation issues. Students analyze data and draw comparisons between historical and present-day...

The mythical story of Shennong, the Chinese inventor of agriculture, introduces a video that traces the history of tea, the various methods of brewing, and the wars sparked by the attempts to prevent the spread of tea growing. 

Since 1900 BCE the cocoa bean has been harvested, but much has changed in the ways it is harvested today. Watch and learn about the history of chocolate in an informative and interesting video.

What is a boycott? Use this initial question to draw learners into today's lesson. They read "A Weapon For Consumers: The Boycott Returns," and answer a list of reading comprehension questions provided. Then, as a class, brainstorm a...

Though Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle shocked the American public into a thorough examination of the meat-packing industry, the author was disappointed that his book's main argument—the exploitation of American immigrants—was not part...