Economics For The Real World
An Internet Hotlist on Teaching Economics

created by markcurran
National University

Introduction | Curriculum Resources | Instructional Ideas | Technology Resources


Introduction
 Economics and finance are difficult subjects for High School students to learn because they are all too often taught in an abstract manner. Very few of our students have actually had experience with interest rates, budgets, investments, security markets, inventory shortages, inflation and almost every other aspect of the curriculum. To understand the basic principles of economics and finance, students must have the skills to read, interpret, and analyze stock reports, graphs and charts.

As a teacher of these critical disciplines, one of my classroom objectives is to identify tools and projects that will make the subject matter more relevant to the studentÕs lives and give them the opportunity to experience the classroom theories played out in real world situations. The links found on this page are excellent sites that help to bring a variety of economic concepts alive for our students.

Listed in the Curriculum Resources section are a number of economic videos from the Khan Academy library of videos devoted to a broad array of economic and finance topics. I am most impressed with their ability to take rather complex concepts and explain them in a very succinct, easy to understand manner. I have listened to far to many economists and politicians speak for over half and hour failing to explain what Khan does in just 3-4 minutes.

Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics is a National Science Foundation funded project developed in collaboration with the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College. This site introduces economists to innovative teaching strategies developed both within and beyond the discipline of economics. It provides instructors with the tools to begin integrating and assessing these teaching strategies in their own classrooms and promotes the sharing of teaching innovations among instructors. The teaching strategies/approaches listed in the Instructional Ideas section come from the Starting Point site and are excellent instructional tools for any economic classroom.

The Stock Market Game, found under the Technology Resources section is a time-tested simulation game that introduces a broad array of financial and economic concepts to the classroom. Detailed lesson plans and worksheets can be found at the Stock Market Game Interactive Lesson Plan site.

The Currency Converter is a wonderful money conversion tool that will help students convert money from one currency into another. There are over 250 currencies listed on the site, including common ones such as the US dollar, pound, euro, yen and swiss franc.

In March 2012, Chairman Ben S. Bernanke delivered a four-part lecture series about the Federal Reserve and the financial crisis that emerged in 2007. The series began with a lecture on the origins and missions of central banks, followed by a lecture that discussed the role and actions of the Federal Reserve in the period after World War II. In the final two lectures, the Chairman reviewed some of the causes of, and policy responses to, the recent financial crisis, focusing specifically on the actions of the Federal Reserve. On-demand video, transcripts, and presentation slides are available for each lecture at the Chairman Bernanke's Lecture Series site.

And finally, the New York Stock Exchange is a 'must -go-to-site' for any finance and economics class. The CompanyÕs exchanges located in Europe and the United States trade equities, futures, options, fixed-income, and exchange-traded products. With approximately 8,000 listed issues (excluding European Structured Products) from more than 55 countries, NYSE Euronext's equities marketsÑthe New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Euronext, NYSE Amex, NYSE Alternext and NYSE ArcaÑrepresent one-third of the worlds equities trading and the most liquidity of any global exchange group.


The Internet Resources

Curriculum Resources

Instructional Ideas

Technology Resources
created by Filamentality Content by markcurran, mark@fifteenstreet.com
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listteachingma4.html
Last revised Tue Apr 24 15:54:41 US/Pacific 2012