1) Arthur's Funny Money: An Excellent Example of Entrepreneurship (Introductory)
Arthur’s Funny Money is a story about a young monkey who starts his own bike washing business in order to earn enough money for his Frisbee club uniform. He invests in business materials, advertises, and bargains with his customers in order to earn enough money. It is a delightful introduction to the decisions and opportunities facing a budding entrepreneur.
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2) Cougar Savings Club (Introductory)
Children need to understand the concept of money: its use, its buying power, and its conservation. This banking unit engages students in operating a real bank, where they manage and handle real money. Students experience using a savings account and learn that a savings account can provide a good investment and a safe way to store funds. The operation of the school bank helps students apply and reinforce their learning, especially in calculation and record keeping. The experience teaches students that they, as consumers, have an impact on banking and the economy. This lesson is recommended for the upper-elementary grade levels; however, younger students also may benefit from participation and eventually become "bank" employees.
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3) Goat in the Rug (Introductory)
A companion to the beloved children's story of the same name, this activity-based lesson helps children understand how non-industrialized societies use available resources to improve their living standards.
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4) Little Nino's Pizzeria: Developing Job Skills (Introductory)
Young Tony helps out in his father's restaurant, Little Nino's Pizzeria. Based on a charming children's book in which the characters demonstrate their desire to operate a successful business while being mindful of their community's needs, this lesson also brings an opportunity for parent involvement as children explore ways to acquire many different job skills.
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5) Little Nino's Pizzeria: Making Decisions (Introductory)
This lesson is a complement to the book, Little Nino's Pizzeria. It is the story of a young boy who helps in his father's pizza business. When the store opens in a larger location and expands it business, Nino and his son Tony find they miss the personal touch of the smaller store. The lesson focuses on using the economic concepts of choice, cost and consequence to make decisions.
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6) Prairie Town (Introductory)
In the 19th century, towns sprung up along the railroad lines being built across America. The book Prairie Town by Bonnie and Arthur Geisert describes the modern social and economic life of one of these towns. The text and the illustrations in the book are carefully designed to amplify each other and explain the interdependence of town and farm, businesses and individuals, as well as the rhythms of the seasons in the life of the town. The story provides an easily understood illustration of the Circular Flow of economic activity as goods and services move through a free market economy.
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7) Using the Mini-Economy in the Classroom (Intermediate)
Middle school social studies curriculum includes the study of the founding of our nation and its government. As the lead essay has noted, our system of private enterprise and our market economy were also founded in these early years. The middle school social studies classroom, therefore, is the perfect place to introduce economic concepts using the mini-economy. Dividing the mini-economy into two distinct phases — the command economy and the market economy — helps students learn how economic systems differ and how these differences affect people who experience them.
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