On January 26, 2010, the film Avatar officially topped Titanic as the top-grossing film of all-time at the box office. However, the following day, Forbes.com published an article entitled Is Avatar Really King of the Box Office? The...

This is an opinion essay by a faculty member from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) of an article from The Economist. This is a good site for the serious student.

When you examine economic statistics, it's crucial to distinguish between nominal and real measurements so you know whether or not inflation has distorted a given statistic. Learn how to adjust GDP numbers for inflation in this article....

Deflationary conditions in the United States have not returned since the Great Depression. Instead, U.S. policymakers have frequently found it necessary to battle inflation over the past sixty years. While not a problem in America,...

'The Wizard of Oz' is perhaps the most popular film ever made. Generations of families have enjoyed this classic tale of Dorothy's struggle to return home from a faraway land. What is not well known, however, is that 'The Wonderful...

Why do things cost so much more now than they used to? Students will find out about inflation in the United States.

Students will describe the purpose of a price index, and how it is calculated. Then students will describe the weaknesses of the CPI, and interpret CPI data as a measure of economic health. Finally, students will identify who is harmed...

The value of money is determined by how much (or how little) of it is in circulation. But who makes that decision, and how does their choice affect the economy at large? Doug Levinson takes a trip into the United States Federal Reserve,...

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following: Use the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate U.S. inflation rates; Identify several ways the Bureau of Labor Statistics avoids biases in the CPI; Differentiate among...

Young scholars will define opportunity cost as they list various career choices and salaries, and calculate future value of money.

Governments and other financial organizations are constantly measuring trends in the economy to try to predict what will happen next. The ability to successfully predict economic trends has a profound effect on whether or not a business...

Young scholars learn about the purpose of the reserve requirement, how money is "created" in the economy through fractional reserves, and how the Federal Reserve uses the reserve requirement and loans to correct economic instability.

Each of us seek to make wise investment decisions that will make our money grow. Unfortunately, we cannot predict the future, but the past can give us a window to understanding the risks and rewards of investing in the stock market. This...

How does your family celebrate Thanksgiving? Are you joined by friends and/or family for a special feast? What do you eat? Most American families celebrate Thanksgiving by cooking turkey. According to EatTurkey.com, approx. 88 percent of...

Students discover how saving money can be compared to a mountain climb. The climb can be fast or slow, safe or hazardous, scenic or thrilling. You will find out that there is more than one way to get to the top!

Young scholars learn about the money supply and that it can affect the value of money. Students investigate this in the 1896 presidential election (Bryan vs. McKinley, Free Silver vs. Gold Standard) and examine a political cartoon that...

Students learn the meaning and measurement of six important economic indicators and use the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank National Economic Trends website to assess the current state of the economy.