Economic indicators Teacher Resources

In this Numbers instructional activity, students read an article about the numbers typically seen in news then answer seven questions based on the reading.

Students gain knowledge of Gross Domestic Products and how they are used as an economic indicator. They bring articles that mention GDP and decide how it is used in articles. Students present orally their findings to the class.

Ever wonder how the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the ever-changing unemployment rate? Sal explains this by breaking down the US population into subsets, including the labor force and the unemployed. He explains the formula for...

Can you make decisions that will impact millions of people around the nation? Scholars research the role of the Federal Reserve, and its Chairman, on the economic outlook of the country. They analyze current trends in unemployment,...

Discover the impact and importance of data releases about current economic conditions in the United States. Your class members will learn about data revision and the GDP, and how these figures can alter people's views on the economy.

Read all about the various types of unemployment and the United States is are currently at the low-point of an unemployment cycle. Kids examine what economic factors affect the unemployment rate, and what data shows for different US...

How does the Federal Open Market Committee work to formulate the nation's monetary policy in the United States? As the second segment of a lesson on the role of the Fed in setting monetary policy, class members will learn about open...

The student will explore free jazz, fusion, and contemporary jazz. They will listen to avant garde, fusion, and pop recordings. In addition, they participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of...

How does inflation affect the economy, and how can effective monetary policy by the Federal Reserve help control inflation? With the Fisher equation and analysis of annual CPI rates during the 1970s and early 1980s, your...

To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that...

Take a short trip back in time with this presentation, which details the political and electoral contexts of 1980's and 1990's America. Covering the Gulf War as well as domestic economics, these slides feature easy-to-read charts and...

Eleventh graders explore Jazz in America. They examine greats in Jazz, such as Duke Ellington. They are also to discuss the cultural implications of the music itself.

Students examine the effectiveness of 'trickle down' economics. In this "Reaganomics" lesson, students use readings, analogies, discussion and debate to understand basic economic concepts. Students will analyze the what they think are...

Students define social responsibility. They describe examples of social responsibilities businesses have to society. Analyze special challenges in operations. Identify entrepreneurial opportunities available in international business.

Students research the economies of countries in the Group of 8 and present how their economies have changed over the past five years and how the relationships among these countries affect each other in light of world events.

Learners work as a team to help improve the quality of life in rural Africa and develop a plan how to spend grant money the United Nations has provided them with.

Young scholars consider the classification of people. In this race studies lesson, students examine the concept of race as it relates to U.S. history and trends. Young scholars research racial discrimination and prejudice in order to...

Students review economic trends from the past 30 years. They compare and contrast GDP and GNP. They identify other social indicators of economic progress as well.

Ninth graders explore China's economic system and the future of the system. They define economic terms, research websites to find examples of how China is developing into a mixed economy system and how it competes with the U.S. for...

The purpose of this lesson is to assist students in discovering the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the foundation for creation of the United States Constitution. Students will investigate the events leading up to the...

Twelfth graders explain the concepts of marketing, comparative advantage and the uses of monetary policy to affect markets.

Learners examine how Virginia connects with the world through export trade. Using a map, they use symbols to depict the value of trade and the direction of the flow of goods. They complete a scavenger hunt using electronic almanacs and...

This site has a collection of government websites with links to all the major economic indicators. There are 19 different indicators listed.

Updated daily, the NBER follows trends of the economy and tracks them. The reports are archived and an RSS feed is available.