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Great Economics Lessons

Here are some great online economics lessons--all levels and content areas keyed to the Nebraska Social Studies/Economics Standards. If you know the concept you want to teach, start from the K-5 concepts list or the 6-12 concepts list. Materials from which to create more lessons are available from the Virtual Economics Companion. If you have problems or would like to provide feedback, email us or use our guestbook.

Level Lesson
Concepts    Lesson Description    Content Areas Nebraska Standards National Standards
Grades: K-2 Why We Save Choice, Money/Exchange, Saving, Spending, Opportunity cost Lesson 8, Personal Finance Economics K-12: Pocketwise. (PDF Format) Copyright ©1996, National Council on Economic Education, New York, NY 10036. Used with permission. Personal finance NE Standards: SS 1.6, 1.7,1.8 US Standard: 1, 2, 5, 11;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 1-3 If you Give a Mouse a Cookie Goods and Services A little mouse shows up at a young man's house. The young man gives the mouse a cookie and starts a chain of events. Learn about unlimited wants, and goods and services. . ©SPEC Publishing. Language Arts NE Standards: SS 1.6 US Standard: 1, 3;
Benchmarks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Grades: 1-3 The Goat in the Rug* Producers/Production, Resources-Human/Natural/Capital Geraldine, a goat, tells the story of a Navajo weaver who produces a rug using the goat's mohair. Learn about economics: producers, resources (natural, human, capital), intermediate goods; and Language Arts: Categorizing, sequencing, noting details, writing personal narrative. ©SPEC Publishing. Language Arts NE Standards: SS 1.6, 1.7 US Standard: 1, 3;
Benchmarks: 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 73
Grades: 3-5 Why Do I Want All This Stuff? Demand, Consumers/Consumption Lesson 4, Personal Finance Economics 3-5: Smart Saving and Spending. Copyright ©1996, National Council on Economic Education, New York, NY 10036. Used with permission. Personal Finance NE Standards: SS 4.8 US Standard: 2, 7, 8;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 4-6 Homer Price (the Doughnuts)* Resources-Human/Natural/Capital, Factors of Production, Productivity The doughnut machine goes on a rampage making hundreds of doughnuts. Learn about capital resources, increasing productivity, law of demand, quantity demanded, and Language Arts: using reference materials, oral expression, organizing and sequencing information. ©SPEC Publishing. Language Arts NE Standards: SS 1.6, 1.7, 4.8, 4.9 US Standard: 1, 7;
Benchmarks: 1, 2, 3, 4
Grades: 4-6 Nebraska Entrepreneur Success Stories, Lesson 1, (PDF) Entrepreneurs Selected lesson from a curriculum guide focusing on Nebraska entreprenuers. (PDF format) Creating your Own Career: Economics Lessons for Secondary Teachers, Authors: Derry Trampe, Chuck Parker, Tammie Fischer, and Mary Lynn Reiser. ©Nebraska Council on Economic Education Economics, history NE Standards: SS 4.2, 4.3, 4.8 US Standard: 14;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 4-6 Nebraska Entrepreneur Hometown Heros, Lesson 10, (PDF) Entrepreneurs Selected lesson from a curriculum guide focusing on Nebraska entreprenuers. (PDF format) Creating your Own Career: Economics Lessons for Secondary Teachers, Authors: Derry Trampe, Chuck Parker, Tammie Fischer, and Mary Lynn Reiser. ©Nebraska Council on Economic Education Economics, history NE Standards: SS 4.2, 4.3, 4.8 US Standard: 14;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 4-6 Popcorn Economics Scarcity Lesson using popcorn to teach, and to help students experience, scarcity. Lesson by Mary Suiter, adapted from a lesson found in Kaleidascope, USA. Published by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education, UM-St. Louis. Economics NE Standards: SS 4.8, 8.3.5 US Standard: 1;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 4-6 The Real McCoy* Productivity, Entrepreneurs Elijah McCoy was an African-American inventor who successfully designed an automatic oil cup that may have inspired the popular phrase, "the real McCoy." Learn about increasing productivity and patents. ©SPEC Publishing. Language Arts NE Standards: SS 4.2, 4.3, 4.8 US Standard: 1, 12, 14;
Benchmarks: 1, 2
Grades: 6-8 M and M Interesting. Trade-offs, Opportunity Cost, Incentives Lesson 4, Personal Finance, Economics 608: Money in the Middle. Copyright ©1996, National Council on Economic Education, New York, NY 10036. Used with permission. Personal Finance NE Standards: SS 8.3.5 US Standard: 2, 6, 15;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 6-8 Give and Take** Opportunity Cost, Trade-offs, Choice After reading about a problem, students identify alternative solutions, trade-offs made in choosing each alternative, and the opportunity cost of selecting each option.. Students describe trade-offs and create a graphic. Unit 1, Lesson 2 from Focus: Middle School Economics, ©National Council on Economic Education. Mathematics NE Standards: SS 8.3.5 US Standard: 1, 2, 4;
Benchmarks: 1
Grades: 6-8 Popcorn Economics Scarcity Lesson using popcorn to teach, and to help students experience, scarcity. Lesson by Mary Suiter, adapted from a lesson found in Kaleidascope, USA. Published by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education, UM-St. Louis. Economics NE Standards: SS 4.8, 8.3.5 US Standard: 1;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 6-12 What is a stock, or who owns McDonald's?** Profit, Choice Students will explore the fundamentals of stock ownership. They discuss how stock owners share the risks and rewards of purchasing stocks. Lesson 3 from Learning for the Market: Integrating the Stock Market Game Across the Curriculum, ©National Council on Economic Education. Business, Social studies, Language Arts NE Standards: SS 8.3.5 US Standard: 2, 4, 14;
Benchmarks: 1
Grades: 6-12 Why Nations Trade** Barter/Trade, Opportunity Cost, Comparative Advantage After discussing the concept of comparative advantage, students in small groups engage in a simulation on the economic costs and benefits of trade. Lesson 3 from Focus on Economics: Geography, ©National Council on Economic Education. Economics, Geography NE Standards: SS 12.3.12, 12.3.13 US Standard: 5, 6;
Benchmarks: 1, 3, 4
Grades: 6-12 Nebraska and the World (PDF) Barter/Trade, Role of Government, Barriers to Trade A resource guide and ten lessons for teachers focusing on the role of international trade in state development in Nebraska. by Tammie Fischer and Mary Lynn Reiser.
©UNL Center for Economic Education.
Economics, Geography, Government NE Standards: SS 12.1.2,12.1.3 US Standard: 5,6,16;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 6-12 How has the Constitution shaped the economy in the U.S.? Markets, Prices, Role of Government, Competition Class discussion and small group task identifying the six characteristics of a market economy and the provisions in the constitution that support a market economy. Unit 1, Lesson 1 from Focus on Economics: Civics and Government, ©National Council on Economic Education. Economics, Government NE Standards: SS 8.3.5 US Standard: 7, 16;
Benchmarks: 2, 5, 6, 7
Grades: 6-12 What are the economic functions of government?** Role of Government Class discussion and small group task identifying six economics functions of government and examples of these functions using current events. Unit II, Lesson 4 from Focus on Economics: Civics and Government, ©National Council on Economic Education. Economics, Government NE Standards: SS 8.3.6 US Standard: 16;
Benchmarks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Grades: 6-12 Limiting trade** Barter/Trade, Barriers to Trade Students learn about various types of trade restrictions and their effects by applying a model to determine who will benefit and who will be hurt by a tariff. Lesson 6 from Focus on Economics: Geography, ©National Council on Economic Education. Economics, Geography NE Standards: SS 12.1.2, 12.1.3, 12.3.13 US Standard: 1, 5, 6, 17;
Benchmarks: 1
Grades: 6-12 Places and production** Economic Indicators Students calculate the US GDP and various examples from South America. Using this information, they make inferences about per-capita income. Lesson 7 from Focus on Economics: Geography, ©National Council on Economic Education. Economics, Geography NE Standards: SS 12.3.13 US Standard: 10, 18, 19;
Benchmarks: 1, 2
Grades: 9-12 Understanding Exchange Rates Exchange Rates Selected lesson from a curriculum guide on international trade and Nebraska (PDF format), Nebraska and the World, Lesson 5 on Exchange Rates. Published by UNL Center for Economic Education Economics NE Standards: SS 12.3.13 US Standard: 7,11;
Benchmarks: 0
Grades: 9-12 How can entrepreneurs control costs?** Factors of Production, Entrepreneurs Students examine the difference between fixed and variable costs, make predictions and recommend actions for a hypothetical business. Lesson 20 from Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Economy, ©National Council on Economic Education. Business, Accounting, Economics NE Standards: SS 12.3.11 US Standard: 9, 14;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 9-12 How can business make money from tariffs?** Incentives, Barriers to Trade Students investigate the impact of tariffs on businesses and consumers during the 1880s by looking at a political cartoon, solving a short math problem, and comparing protectionism between time periods. Lesson 7 from Focus on Economics: United States History, ©National Council on Economic Education. Economics, American History NE Standards: SS 12.3.13 US Standard: 4, 17;
Benchmarks: 1
Grades: 9-12 Prohibition Then; MADD Today** Choice, Incentives Students read short histories of Prohibition and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and work in small groups to evaluate the consequences of these policies on consumers' behavior. Lesson 9 from Focus on Economics: United States History, ©National Council on Economic Education. Economics, American History NE Standards: SS 12.3.11 US Standard: 1, 2, 4;
Benchmarks: 2, 4
Grades: 9-12 Civil War Andersonville prison Scarcity, Economic Systems Development of an economic system for a Civil War prison camp; Allocation of scarce resources. Learn about scarcity, economic wants, command economic systems, market economic systems, and markets and price. ©Nebraska Council on Economic Education Economics, History NE Standards: SS 12.3.11 US Standard: 1,2,3;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 9-12 Is the Tassle worth the Hassle? Choice, Opportunity Cost, Incentives Analysis of the costs and benefits of educational choices. Learn about economic choice, opportunity cost, and incentives. ©Nebraska Council on Economic Education Economics, Consumer Econnomics NE Standards: SS 12.3.11 US Standard: 1,2,4;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 9-12 School for Sale Public Goods, Incentives, Economic Goals Examination of the case for privatizing a public school. Learn about public goods, private goods, costs, incentives, and economic efficiency. ©Nebraska Council on Economic Education Economics; Government NE Standards: SS 12.3.12 US Standard: 16;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 9-12 Demand and Supply On-line Demand, Supply, Equilibrium Price Basic discussion of demand and supply and the determinants of demand and supply. Includes self-quiz for students on understanding shifts in demand and supply. ©Kim Sosin Economics NE Standards: SS 12.3.11 US Standard: 7,8;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 9-12 Nebraska Entreprenuers: Creating Your Own Careers Entrepreneurs, Productivity, Profit Ten lessons focusing on the characteristics of entreprenuers in the economy. Several lessons deal with Nebraska entreprenuers. ©Nebraska Council on Economic Education Economics NE Standards: SS 8.3.5, 12.3.11 US Standard: 14;
Benchmarks:
Grades: 9-12 Consumer Credit: Buy Now, Pay Later, and More. Choice, Opportunity Cost, Credit Lesson 10, Personal Decision Making: Focus on Economics. Copyright ©1996, (PDF Format) National Council on Economic Education, New York, NY 10036. Used with permission. Personal Finance NE Standards: SS 12.3.11 US Standard: 1, 2;
Benchmarks:

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