Lesson Plans

To find FTE activities and lessons, please select from the different search options.  Search by topic, FTE economic reasoning proposition, Voluntary National Content Standard, or History Content Standard.

Budget Deficit/Surplus

Lesson 9: Money and Inflation

Introduction In this lesson students learn that anything that performs the functions of money can be money (even macaroni!).  As…

Absolute Advantage

Lesson 10: International Markets

Introduction In this lesson students apply the model of supply and demand to international markets for goods and services and…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Lesson 8: Setting the Rules – Costs and Benefits of Government Action

Introduction This lesson gives students the opportunity to apply the economic way of thinking to the political arena.  After exploring…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Lesson 7: Property Rights – Is the Environment Different?

Introduction In this lesson students apply the tools of economic analysis to environmental problems.  Through the analysis of historical and…

Competition

Lesson 6: Incentives, Innovations, and Roles of Institutions

Introduction This lesson uses examples, video clips and a risk-reward mini activity to teach the relationship between innovation and economic…

Competition

Lesson 5: Labor Markets

Introduction The focus of this lesson is on the choices made by buyers and sellers of labor services, and the…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Lesson 4: Markets in Action

Introduction This lesson has two goals: The first is to expand students’ understanding of markets by discussing government-imposed frictions that…

Competition

Lesson 3: Open Markets

Introduction In this lesson students reflect on their experience in the “In the Chips” activity and connect it to their…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Lesson 2: Opportunity Cost and Incentives

Introduction This lesson uses examples, videos and three mini-activities to teach about opportunity cost and incentives.  Download lesson guide above…

E.R.P. #3

Lesson 1: Economic Growth and Scarcity

Introduction In this lesson students are introduced to the concept of economic growth through the story of human progress and…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Activity: Bag and Baggage

Economic Concepts Environmental Context Opportunity Cost Resource Use Scarcity Rational Choice Trade-Off Cost/Benefit Analysis Activity Download Download lesson outline and…

Environment

Lesson 1: The Fundamentals

Lesson Overview This lesson is designed to introduce and/or review a variety of economic concepts, all within the context of…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Activity: The Activity That Fails

Overview: This brief classroom activity can be used to informally assess students’ ability to apply the principles of economic reasoning…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Activity: Site Selection – A Land Use Simulation

Economic Concepts Environmental Context Opportunity Cost Using resources in one way requires giving up alternative uses Trade-off Choice Scarcity Cost/Benefit…

Entrepreneurship

Lesson 1 Part 2 Activity: Will the Real Capitalism Please Stand Up?

Lesson Overview The traditional, “comparative systems” approach to categorizing national economies proves less than useful in a world of mixed…

Activity: Entrepreneurship Self-Assessement

In this lesson students will take a self-assessment about their Entrepreneurship characteristics and then participate in skill challenge stations as…

Activity: Destination Start Up

INTRODUCTION In this lesson students take on the role of entrepreneurs looking for a place to start their business.  They…

Absolute Advantage

Lesson 15: Protectionism vs. Globalization

KEY FORCES IN AMERICAN HISTORY 2.    Economic freedom, rule of law, and well-defined property rights promote growth and prosperity. 4.  …