Curated OER
Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression
Young scholars barter for goods within the class. In this economics lesson plan based on the Great Depression, the teacher introduces the lesson plan with a picture book, then students are allowed to barter with teacher supplied goods as...
Council for Economic Education
You Can BANK On This! (Part 1)
Students investigate the concepts of money management and banking through Internet activities. In this economics lesson plan, students discuss the characteristics of money and how people once bartered with goods instead of paying with...
Curated OER
Donut Dinero
Students set up a classroom currency exchange and explore the idea of bartering to get what they want. They create a monetary unit that is based on fractions and multiples of a standard unit, and compare this system to the U.S. monetary...
Curated OER
Non-Western Economic Values
Students engage in a game of economic exchange that present a variety of perspectives on wealth. They read scenarios and write a journal response to the scenario. They discuss how we use money in the Western culture and discuss how...
Curated OER
The Colonial Workers Web
Students explore how workers, both today and in colonial times, worked within their societies to produce specialized goods and services and became interdependent. They explain how people became less self sufficient in their economic...
Curated OER
TRADERS' GAME
Students play a game aimed at demonstrating how relationships with other communities or countries affect the food and fiber system. The game simulates the unequal distribution of natural resources which creates the need for...
Curated OER
Basic Trading
Students review the basic ideas of exchange. In groups, they discover the incentives for trade and participate in a simulation. They are given a packet of stamps which are worth varying monetary amounts. They discover the concepts of...
Curated OER
Supply and Demand Worksheet
In this international economics worksheet, students use their problem solving skills to respond to 25 questions about supply and demand.
Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Fifth graders create a brochure outlining what he or she has studied throughout the unit. The brochure contains evidence that Students have understood and mastered the answers to the essential questions.
Curated OER
Inspirational Mapping for the Corps of Discovery
Third graders use a computer software entitled, Inspiration, in order to create a map or web of what Lewis and Clark should have packed for their journey west. They are given the expectations of the teacher and a scoring guide is...
Curated OER
Budgeting
Sixth graders construct a budget for a family of four including a column for income and no less than ten columns for expenses, all of which will be expressed and totaled in dollar amounts. They are also requested to write a scenario in...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Hawaiian Economics: Barter for Fish & Poi
Use this instructional activity to learn more about the Hawaiian economics system. Learn how they developed and used this specialized type of money system. "In this instructional activity, you will learn how specialization and division...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Hawaiian Economics: Barter for Fish & Poi
In ancient Hawaii, chiefs managed the economy by creating a land division system, the Ahupua'a, which divided the islands into pie slice shapes. Each Ahupua'a covered the three main regions of the islands: the mountains, the valleys, and...
University of Nebraska Omaha
Ec Ed Web: Virtual Economics Web Companion
The Virtual Economics Web Companion for K-12 economics and social studies teachers was created by the National Council on Economic Education. A wide variety of educational materials and lesson plans can be accessed through this site....
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Lewis and Clark Barter With Native Americans
In this lesson you will define the term barter and give examples of bartering in several different areas. Find out how this system took shape and was useful to Lewis and Clark. This site is extremely informative and contains extension...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Money or Barter?
Economics website with interactive lesson teaching students the characteristics of money and barter. Students will be asked to categorize statements as money, barter, or both.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: I Have No Money, Would You Take a Wampum?
This site teaches students about traditional economies and how exchanges of goods and services were made before money. Students learn about a bater economy which predates our traditional economy.
Other
Roy Davies: Money
Explore the past, present, and future of money. Learn about exchange rates, money forms, banking, and more.
PBS
Nova Online: History of Money
A timeline of money from 9000 B.C. to the present day that explains the types of money being used at various times in history.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Agent Pincher: P Is for Penny or Where Did Money Come From?
What if we woke up tomorrow and found that there were no more pennies? Or what if we found that money had disappeared altogether -- not only from our pockets but from banks, stores and all the other places where we would expect to find...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: No Funny Money, Honey I Want the Real Thing!
Do you know what funny money is? It's NOT the real thing! Find out how our government tries to make our money hard to copy in this lesson about real and fake money.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Why Do We Need Money? Think About Ebay!
The students investigate money--its purpose and functions. They complete an exercise, using the online auction site eBay, to learn why money is critical to an economy.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: I Have No Money, Would You Take Wampum?
Through the use of folk tales, history, and the students' own experiences, students will recognize the inter-relatedness of goods, services, money. They will locate information about barter as a means of trade, use folk tales as an...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Bill, Are You Bogus?
In a barter system, people have to trade goods and services for other goods and services. In an economy that produces millions of goods and services, barter is very difficult. Think of all the stuff (goods and services) you have.