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.

Activity: Destination Start Up

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

Economic Forces In American History

The multi-perspective approach to historical scholarship requires viewing events, trends, and developments through a variety of analytical lenses.  Often overlooked in…

Socialism: Myths vs Realities

Program content will examine key themes and issues of socialism that middle and high school teachers can use to understand…

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.  …

E.R.P. #3

Lesson 1 Part 1: What is Poverty and Who are the Poor?

Part 1:  What is Poverty and Who are the Poor? Concepts absolute poverty income relative poverty wealth National Voluntary Content…

Lesson 6: Estonia

Introduction In this lesson, students learn how Estonia is a testament to the productive and ennobling power of freedom. After…

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…

E.R.P. #1

Activity: The Wheat Activity

Lesson Description: In this simulation students are workers producing wheat.  The students will use their available capital (pencils) to produce…

Demand

Activity: Foreign Currency and Foreign Exchange

Overview Many international exchanges of goods and services are facilitated by the exchange of the currencies of the trading countries. …

Decision Making

Activity: A Pollution Solution

Lesson Overview In this activity, students acting as owners of companies emitting proscribed substances engage in a market for tradable…

E.R.P. #2

Activity: Farmers and Fishers

Video Demonstration:   Concepts:   Content Standards: Standard 4:  People respond predictably to positive and negative incentives. Standard 5:  Voluntary exchange…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Activity: The Fish Game

Video Demonstration: Lesson Description: In this lesson, students catch fish in the classroom lake, first, when the fish are owned…

Competition

Activity: The Job Jungle – A Labor Market Game*

*Copyright © 2001 Raymond P.H. Fishe – used by permission. Foundation for Teaching Economics. Permission granted to copy in whole or…

Competition

Activity: In the Chips — A Market in Computer Chips

Introduction: Understanding how markets work and the role of prices within markets is an important key to being able to…

Competition

Activity: Cartels and Competition

Video Demonstration: Concepts: Materials: (See activity guide under support materials for all handouts, procedures, and visuals.)

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Activity: The Magic of Markets – Trade Creates Wealth

Overview: Trade is the voluntary exchange of goods and services. People engaging in trade must be willing to bear a…

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…