Economic Demise of the Soviet Union

>
Teachers
>
Teacher Resources
>
Lesson Plans
>
Economic Demise of the Soviet …

What happened is surely one of the great events of modern history, an upheaval that will continue to have monumental impact on global politics and trade.

Soviet history is the vehicle for teaching fundamental skills and principles of economic reasoning, which are then used to analyze the complexities of the intertwined economic, political-legal and moral-cultural components of Soviet society.

The lessons not only explain why the Soviet economy collapsed, but also provide insights into our own economy.

Program Topics

Lesson 1: Opportunity Cost
- includes classroom activity: “A Journey of Choices”
Lesson 2: Missing Markets and Missing Prices
- includes classroom activity: “Missing Markets”
Lesson 3: Incentives Matter
- includes classroom activity: “Why Would Anyone DO That?
Lesson 4: Property Rights
- includes classroom activity: “‘What Do I Care Who Owns It?”
Lesson 5: Transaction Costs – Life in a Soviet Household
- includes classroom activity: “‘Na Levo’ – When Acting Within the Law Is Inconvenient”
Lesson 6: Applying the Lessons of the Soviet Union
- includes toolkit activity for assessing student understanding
Unit Conclusion

Economic Demise of the Soviet Union

Program Topics

File Downloads (Word Docs)

(Click here for information on co-sponsoring or attending free teacher 1-day workshops.)

From Student to Leader: Bret’s Transformative Experience at the EFL Program at UC Berkeley

Aditi Gandhi: Economics for Leaders Virtual Program Alumni

October is National Economic Education Month. We need it more than ever.