Students will learn about the role of money in the colonial economy by participating in a trading activity in which they observe the effects of too little money on trade within a colony.
In this lesson, through a reader’s theater, students learn about the economics of the early United States and the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson over the founding of the first Bank of the United States. They examine quotations from Hamilton’s and Jefferson’s letters to President Washington and the arguments each man is trying to make about the need for and constitutionality of the bill to incorporate the bank. They read the booklet “The First Bank of the United States†to learn about the founding of the first Bank of the United States, the financial crisis associated with the bank’s stock subscription, the bank’s operations, and the way it influenced the early American economy. The students learn to read primary sources by examining letters written in the 1790s about the First Bank and its
operations. In the final activity, the students learn about the First Bank’s influence on the availability of credit in the early American economy by examining simple banking scenarios.
In this lesson, students work collaboratively to develop an understanding of monetary policy. Students will learn about the indicators the Fed uses to determine what changes, if any, should be made to the course of monetary policy. The groups play a card game to review the vocabulary associated with the economic indicators.
In this lesson, students are read a series of two options and are asked to decide which options are more dangerous. They then learn about risk and how to prevent or reduce risk by taking precautions. Next they listen to a story about risk, where Clifford, the big red dog, helps reduce the risk of danger by taking precautions. After the story, the students complete a story sequencing activity based on Clifford's actions. Finally, they recognize that Clifford does not exist in the real world and talk about people in their families and communities that help protect them from risk.
In this lesson, students gain experience in geographic thinking using different types of maps to locate information. They begin by reviewing a current population map of the United States and answering questions about the map and its features. Next, they listen to the book Treasure Map, a story about a group of students who go on a treasure hunt. The students then practice mapping by creating a floor plan of their classroom. Next, they use this map to hunt for clues in the classroom. Finally, they practice their map-reading.