Understanding economics, what some people call "economic literacy," is becoming essential for citizens in our national and increasingly interconnected world economy. Increasingly, productive members of society must be able to identify, analyze, and evaluate the causes and consequences of individual economic decisions and public policy including issues raised by constraints imposed by scarcity, how economies and markets work, and the benefits and costs of economic interaction and interdependence. Such literacy includes analysis, reasoning, problem solving, and decision making that helps people function as consumers, producers, savers, investors, and responsible citizens. - From the Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations

Understanding economics will help to make you a more successful person. Economics is a broad subject, just like any academic topic, that can be pursued from undergraduate programs at the university level, all the way to doctoral programs that require upwards of seven years of research to complete. However, our goal is to give you the most important basics of economic thinking so that you can not only earn an “A” in your high school economics class, but also learn how to be a more effective earner, saver, spender, and citizen.

In this economics unit you will explore how buyers and sellers meet together in markets to trade. Also you will look at the process of how prices are determined. Next, you will take a special look at what equilibrium is in economics as well as how it responds to a change in certain factors that affect supply or demand. Finally you will be asked to judge the fairness and efficacy of how equilibrium is reached in current American markets.

Berkeley is opening a new retail business selling local products to tourists in the summer. She is an entrepreneur, someone who identifies a need and takes a risk by starting a business to fill that need. Entrepreneurs often have similar traits. They are self-starters, independent minded, hard working, and willing to take risks. What form of business structure should Berkeley choose for her new business? She has a number of business structures to choose from.

Over time, many tools have been developed by economists to monitor a nation’s economic performance. And while many of these tools can seem too large in scale and too overwhelming to apply to your daily life, looking at some of the same indicators that economists do can actually help you as an individual make decisions on how to make the most of your income.

Markets fail. That is to say free markets do not always offer all of the goods and services that people might want. In addition, free market economies suffer from that difficulties caused by the business cycle. Periods of growth that are too rapid are followed by periods of decline, recession, or even depression. Because of these factors, governments act or intervene in free market systems.

Scarcity means that individuals as well as entire countries have to make choices about what to do with their resources. How a country answers the three fundamental economic questions (What to produce? How to produce? Who receives what is produced?) determines what type of economy it possesses. These decisions are also made on a global level, meaning the coordination of the planet’s resources involves making decisions on what should be made, how it should be made, and to whom it will be distributed. Thanks to improved transportation and communication, demand in one country may be easily met by a country in the opposite hemisphere. Of course, this give-and-take has been going on for centuries, but international trade over the past half-century has reached new heights, resulting in globalization, or the growing interdependence of countries upon one another.

How do circumstances influence individuals in making sound and purposeful financial decisions ensuring personal economic success in both a national and global economy? Why is it important to create a budget and set goals?

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Edwards v. South Carolina and freedom of speech and assembly. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key and extension activity included in the lesson.

This video describes the election process and provides and explanation of the federal amendments and laws at the state level that have been implemented to create the current election system.

In this lesson, students use secondary sources, maps, and charts to examine the election of 1824. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is an extension activity at the end of the lesson that connects the election of 1824 with current presidential politics.

Students will examine the purpose, function, origin, and historical development of the Electoral College in order to gain a better understanding of how Americans elect the President. Students will then evaluate issues of fairness and representation with regard to the Electoral College. Finally, students will participate in a class debate over the pros and cons of the current system.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case Engel v. Vitale and the establishment clause. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is a teacher answer key included in the lesson.

The ability to express yourself well through writing and speaking are important skills that you will use throughout your life. We will be conducting historical inquiry and research while we develop these skills together. This way we will not simply be passive participants in absorbing information, but active participants in cooperatively learning how to process complex information to develop conclusions. We will typically do four projects involving short essays and one Topical Presentation project each nine weeks grading period. These will contain both individual and group components.

Students will read A Raisin in the Sun as they discuss and analyze the "American Dream." In this lesson, students discuss the concept of the "American Dream" and using poetry by Langston Hughes compare the "dream" to the reality experienced by particular groups who have historically struggled for access and equality. Students then further this exploration by reading and discussing Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, using the play as a basis to examine the way 1950s American society particularly restricted African American access to the "American Dream." Through their reading of the play, interactive class discussion, group work, art activities and creative writing activities, students gain an understanding that the concept of the "American Dream" has been and continues to be multidimensional and complicated, particularly in terms of the historical struggles groups of people have faced in attaining equal rights, access, acceptance, etc.

Students will analyze documents pertaining to the woman suffrage movement as it intensified following passage of the 15th Amendment that guaranteed the right to vote for African American males. Documents were chosen to call attention to the struggle's length, the movement's techniques, and the variety of arguments for and against giving women the vote.

This resource consists of eleven short videos which feature constitutional experts, lawyers and judges who discuss juries and jury service.

In this lesson, students read primary and secondary source documents about the Supreme Court case F.E.C. v. Wisconsin Right to Life, the 1st amendment, and campaign finance. Students then answer analysis questions about the case.

The scenarios in this activity are a springboard for discussing four financial milestones that can be fraught with risks for young people as they get established in life. This age group is coming into many financial firsts – first vehicle, first credit card, first student loan, and first job and apartment.

This activity explores individuals rights during police traffic stops by examining the Supreme Court case Brendlin v. California, 551 U.S. __, 127 S. Ct. 2400 (2007). Participants will answer the question: Does the Fourth Amendment protect the passengers in a car from unreasonable search and seizure during a traffic stop and give the passengers the right to challenge the stop?