Curated OER
Satisfying Wants
Middle schoolers describe the difference between a want and a need. In groups, they brainstorm a list of all of their wants and the method of exchange that is going to allow them to be satisfied. They discover how having money makes...
Curated OER
Salem's Maritime History: A History of our New Nation
Eighth graders examine the impact of Salem's maritime trade on America. Using primary source documents, they identify the use of expanding the number of products available and how it affected the economy. They write an essay discussing...
Curated OER
Unconditional Kindness
Students express their feelings about their neighbors and how to be kind to others. Teacher and students discuss the meaning of philanthropy and how they can be kind to others. After reading a particular trade book, students are assessed...
K12 Reader
Bartering for Basics
A passage about bartering practiced by early Native American tribes provides the text for a reading comprehension worksheet that asks kids to use information from the article to answer a series of comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Market Structures and Competition
Young scholars explore the role of government in the economy market. For this economics lesson, students analyze the decision making and how it takes into consideration additional cost, benefits and public awareness of what they are...
Curated OER
Community Commerce
Sixth graders explore commerce in their own community. They interview local business owners and collect data about their town. Students research the history of a local business and its daily operation. They prepare a presentation to...
Federal Reserve Bank
Ten Mile Day
Get your class working on the railroad with this detailed and interactive lesson. After reading and discussing Ten Mile Day, learners explore division of labor, human capital, and productivity with a hands-on group activity in which they...
Curated OER
Native Americans and Natural Resources
North American Indian civilizations had already been in place for over 10,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. Introduce your young historians to Indian tribes that lived in the Chesapeake region in the early seventeenth...
Federal Reserve Bank
Could It Happen Again?
The final instructional activity in a series of six about the Great Depression focuses on the Federal Reserve's role in stabilizing the economy.
Curated OER
The Resume Workbook for High School Students
A 30-page fill-in-the-blank resume workbook walks job seekers through 10 steps to create a finished resume. Activities target uncovering skills and special talents, setting job objectives, preparing for an interview, and drafting the...
Tidewater Community College
Assignment: The “Big Mac” Index
Young economists learn about the method of predicting changes in the exchange rate with Big Macs in an instructional video. After an understanding the index, learners write a post on a discussion board and respond to class members' posts...
Curated OER
Production: Specialization and Division of Labor - Grade Three
Learn about the concept of specialization of labor with your class. In this specialization of labor lesson, 3rd graders work in teams to produce a product. They work in either a division of labor or independent production method. They...
Curated OER
A Lesson To Accompany "The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking"
Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...
Curated OER
Currency and the Fed
Students take a closer look at money. In this federal reserve activity, students complete the provided handouts that require them to examine Federal reserve notes and discover details about the role of the Federal Reserve in the United...
Federal Reserve Bank
What Do People Say?
After reading a series of fictitious letters that represent actual events during the time period, young historians craft a small town newsletter to explain the causes of the Great Depression.
Curated OER
Markets
Students examine the different types of economic markets. They identify rewards and penalties for different types of behaviors in different markets. They also examine the role of supply and demand.
Curated OER
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
The National Economy - Measures and Models
Young scholars review economic goals and evaluate progress in achieving those goals. They focus on equity, efficiency, economic freedom and growth. They provide and example of a production decision for the economy as a whole.
Curated OER
Prioritizing National Economic Goals
Eighth graders define the generally accepted list of national economic goals. They discuss the compatability/incompatibility of goals. They participate in a consensus-building exercise to rank economic goals in order of importance.
Curated OER
The Renaissance
Get out a clean sheet of paper and get ready to take notes on the Italian Renaissance. Kids can easily follow along as you progress through each informative slide. They'll take notes on humanism, classical learning, city-states, and...
National Geographic
Spot Where You DON'T Get Your Seafood
When your class is examining the fishing industry or sustainable practices, you can use this brief activity to demonstrate the global impact our food choices have. Overharvesting, overfishing, and bycatch are important topics to address...
Curated OER
Inflation and Money
High schoolers examine the relationship between inflation and money. Defining key terms, they define money in terms of its functions and give examples of money. They discover what happens when inflation occurs unexpectedly. They also...
Curated OER
Windy City tries for 2016 Olympics
Students collect background information about costs of hosting Olympics, prepare presentation about Chicago's bid to host 2016 Summer Olympics, debate pros and cons of going to Chicago, and present findings to classmates.
Curated OER
Trail Mix
Third graders, given the price of different ingredients, make a trail mix of five different items without exceeding their budget of five dollars. They choose between pretzels, M&M's, twizzlers, popcorn, etc,. Each student practices...