Federal Reserve Bank
Choices Are Everywhere: Why Can’t We Just Have It All?
Here is a resource covering a range of terms and concepts regarding scarcity, opportunity cost, and government debt in economics.
Council for Economic Education
Opportunity Cost
The price of those new shoes involves more than just money! Individuals explore the concept of opportunity cost using a video clip and gratification discussions. They prepare a budget based off of their set of values in regards to...
Visa
Savvy Spending: Sharpening Money Decisions
Do you really need that new laptop/phone/dress/jacket/etc.? Financial decisions require us to distinguish between our wants and our needs. Through discussion and the evaluation of scenarios on provided worksheets, this resource will...
Curated OER
Scarcity, Choice and Decisions
Students study the basic economic trilogy (scarcity, choice, and costs). For this money management lesson, students use a scenario of a High School Prom to calculate how scarcity, choice and cost apply by completing provided worksheets...
Curated OER
Making Choices
Second graders explore financial decision making. In this introductory economics lesson plan, 2nd graders listen to the book Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst, and discuss making financial choices based on...
Federal Reserve Bank
Cotton in My Sack
As part of a study of saving choices and opportunity costs, class members listen to a reading of Lois Lenski's Cotton in My Sack, and then evaluate the spending choices made by the Hutley family.
Curated OER
Who Wants to Spend $20,000?
Who wouldn't want $20,000 to spend? But, the question becomes, what do you spend it on? Learners discuss loans, interest, and making adult-like financial decisions. They role-play a scenario that depicts the choices of a girl who took...
Curated OER
Scarcity and Opportunity Cost - To Choose Is To Refuse
Young scholars are introduced to scarcity and opportunity costs. They discuss how different societies allocate their resources differently based on their needs. Illustrating trade offs, they create a production possibility frontier. They...
Curated OER
Opportunity Cost
Students review the concept of opportunity cost. Using a clip from a money, they identify the people who made a choice and the value of the choice given up. They read various scenarios about opportunity costs and trade-offs and make...
Curated OER
Production Possibilities & Opportunity Cost
In this economics worksheet, 12th graders respond to 15 multiple choice questions about production possiblities and opportunity costs.
Curated OER
Location of Resources in Early Civilizations
Sixth graders define scarcity and opportunity costs.
Curated OER
Economic Reasoning: Why Are We A Nation Of Couch Potatoes?
Students examine the visual aids of this lesson to study the costs and benefits of decisions about diet and exercise. They investigate human choice as it affects behavior and in turns effects economics and consequences.
Federal Reserve Bank
On the Court with... Michael Jordan
Pupils learn foundational economic concepts and consider the importance of decision-making, how to evaluate choices and alternatives, and the benefits of consistent training and practice by learning about the early life of Michael Jordan.
Federal Reserve Bank
Glo Goes Shopping
Making decisions can be very difficult. Show your class one way to evaluate choices with this lesson, which is inspired by the book Glo Goes Shopping. Learners practicing using a decision-making grid with the content of the story and a...
Carolina K-12
Sample Test: Economics
From scarcity and marginal benefits and costs to economic systems and GDP, this 22-question multiple choice test covers some of the most fundamental concepts of economics.
Curated OER
Money Smart Choices
Students make choices regarding money management. In this personal finance lesson, students explore budgets, incomes, and expenses as they learn vocabulary regarding personal finance and consider how to create personal budgets.
Curated OER
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
Fifth graders describe the changes in King George III's policy toward the American colonies by sequencing key events between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. They explain the colonial reactions to command decisions...
Carolina K-12
Factors of Production and Economic Decision-Making
Class members begin this engaging economics activity by listing all the resources used in producing a car and using that example to draw parallels to the four primary factors of production: capital goods, labor, natural resources, and...
Curated OER
The REAL Cost of College
Learners explore the cost of college and how to plan and save. In this money management instructional activity students do research on the cost of college, learn about making financial choices, earning, spending, saving, investing and...
Curated OER
Introduction To Economics
High schoolers examine the fundamental nature of economics - unlimited wants and scarce resources and the need to make choices, the three questions related to the economic problem and its implications for an economy. This lesson plan...
Curated OER
Give and Take
Young scholars analyze a scheduling dilemma. In this opportunity cost and trade-offs lesson, students must schedule the school gym for basketball games, but there are not enough hours for all the games. Groups determine how time will be...
Curated OER
Something from Nothing
Learners identify opportunity costs. In this resources lesson students are read the story Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman. Learners list the things Grandpa makes Joseph. Students state why people make choices.
Curated OER
Why Nations Trade
Young scholars discuss international trade. In this trade lesson, students read about comparative advantage and the benefits of international trade. Young scholars perform a skills test to determine their individual specialization areas...
Curated OER
Creating Volunteers
Students discuss the benefits of volunteering. In this creating volunteers lesson, students consider philanthropic actions and opportunity costs. Students create a song and visual aid about being a volunteer.