How are economics and politics intertwined? Societies in the Medieval period used feudalism for both economic and military reasons. The arrangement provided safety and met other needs. Using the included simulation, individuals...

Your learners will take key economic concepts, such as identifying needs versus wants and the four factors of production, and design a video to explain their topic choice to the class. Rather than have one person in charge of dispensing...

The Inca and Aztecs created vast economic empires in South America, but how did economics play a role? A simulation activity and reading help scholars evaluate the kinds of markets these great civilizations created. They then consider...

How do people improve their economic situations? While many learners may not consider questions about how many crops to grow in ancient times were economic decisions, a hands-on activity encourages individuals to make these connections....

Both Athens and Sparta made choices to survive in ancient Greece. Those choices were, in essence, economic ones about how to direct resources. A Venn diagram activity and reading ask class members to examine the connection between...

Many young people know India had a caste system that prevented social mobility and structured Indian society. The connections between the caste system and economics may not be as clear, however. A reading, chart activity, and PowerPoint...

While ancient Mesopotamia didn't have the TV show "Shark Tank," it was a time of entrepreneurship as workers began to specialize. Both individual workers and the societal structure encouraged individuals to consider how they could...

Who was Zheng He and why haven't we heard of him? Scholars consider the question as they compare his vast expeditionary force to that of Christopher Columbus. Young historians then ponder the intersection of science, economics, and...

Mansa Musa was so rich that his gifts of gold made the value of the metal drop throughout Africa. As he traveled from Mali to the Middle East to make hajj, his gifts were so extravagant, they devalued the gold already in circulation....

Why did the Chinese develop paper money? They were the first society to use paper currency. Learners consider why paper money was more convenient than other mechanisms of trade using a helpful lesson plan, which includes a graphic...

Unemployment: The job of the future. The resource, designed for high school scholars, explains unemployment rates, recessions, and job trends that are impacting employment in the United States. Academics explore potential careers of the...

What is the connection between greed and mercantilism? Historians consider this question by analyzing a fairy-tale like story about King Midas from the nineteenth century. The background information and excerpt help pupils understand the...

Your class members will have the opportunity to practice the valuable skill of constructing a personal budget using real-world resources, such as a car advertisement and grocery list. They will take into consideration monthly and yearly...

If you lived in prehistoric times, what kinds of choices could your family make to increase their chance of survival? By making similar decisions in a simulation game, participants discover how specialization creates both opportunity and...

What did it take to embark on a journey to unknown lands? Perhaps ambition, but also money! Christopher Columbus had to approach more than one European monarch for financing before he could sail the ocean blue. A read-along play and...

The Roosevelt family was one of the most influential and prominent political forces in the 20th century, leaving behind a wide-ranging legacy of conservation, progressivism, and economic growth. Learn more about President Theodore...

In this fantastic simulation, your young historians take on the roles of imperialistic European countries in the nineteenth century and then "scramble" to carve up the continent of Africa! This is a very hands-on activity that will help...

Find everything you need for a two-week home construction simulation project for your high school economics class. They come up with the plans for a custom home including the cost per square foot, interest rate, mortgage term, down...

Integrate history, math, and art into a study of The Grapes of Wrath with a series of activities that ask learners to investigate the social, political, economic, and environmental factors at play during the 1930s. Designed to be used...

Drinking clean water can be taken for granted. Explore the process and high cost of filtering water with a water pollution and filtration activity. Young scientist build a filtration system to filter polluted water, examine the economics...

Economist Adam Smith supported free enterprise, he but critiqued mercantilism. These two ideas—seemingly contradictory—may be difficult for some young historians to grasp. A reading that explores these ideas guides scholars in unraveling...

Athens had olive oil—and lots of it! However, it needed wheat from the Egyptians. Understanding how societies get what they need through advantage and trade can be complicated. A scripted role-play exercise and in-class production...

What led to the fall of Rome? Scholars have debated the question since the end of the great empire. Young historians consider the same question through an economic lens using an engaging lesson that involves a hands-on evaluation of the...

Package design is an economic necessity. Young scholars assume the role in an interesting inquiry-based lesson. Given 24 cubic shaped candies to package, they must determine the arrangement that uses the least amount of cardboard to...