High School Economics
Understanding economics is essential to becoming an involved and productive citizen who makes wise financial choices. Getting informed about supply, demand and real cost make us all better consumers. Use this guide to find practical resources and real-life projects that make learning economics a breeze.
Expand All Guide SectionsStudent Resources for High School Economics
Explore economic decision-making, plan your own small business and invest in the stock market—these are all projects you might be asked to do in an economics class. Read on for guidance in finding the best sites and resources.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Many sites that offer educational games or help with homework may look boring on the surface, but don’t be fooled. Just because a site isn’t flashy doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful or offer an interesting challenge.
- When researching economics, the credibility of your sources is crucial. If you’re going to use sites not included in this Web guide, try to stick to official government sites. Look for “.gov” at the end of government Web addresses.
Dulcinea's Picks
For economics resources …
The Library of Economics and Liberty
offers a comprehensive list of fundamental concepts for high school economics. These concepts are broken down into five categories that link to key economics topics that are easy to understand and readily usable.
Econoclass
offers many interactive games, simulations and activities that teach you important economics lessons while having some fun. Resources include card games that teach pricing, medieval simulations that feature plundering Vikings and an activity that asks students “What’s wrong with this picture?”
The Foundation for Teaching Economics
is a program to raise awareness of economics among high school students. The Economics for Leaders program is a summer seminar teaching leadership in economics to rising seniors and offers competitive scholarships.
For homework help …
Jiskha Homework Help
is the place to go for fast answers and homework help from more than 200 experts who volunteer every day to assist students like you. Simply post your question and one or more Jiskha-certified teachers will respond, sometimes in as little as an hour. There’s also an extensive directory of helpful articles and links.
Ask Dr. Econ
, a Web site of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, specializes in explaining difficult economic concepts. Enter your question in the search field or browse the archives for specific information.
For a real-time challenge …
The National Economics Challenge
, sponsored by the National Council on Economic Education and the Goldman Sachs Foundation, is designed to increase students’ understanding of economics and finance. The Challenge is comprised of competitions in 35 states. Teams compete for savings bonds and for a trip to New York City for the national competition.
Teaching Resources for High School Economics
Economics is not likely to be the most popular subject among high school students even though the economy affects teens everyday. Making economics come alive in the classroom can help students prepare for the many financial challenges beyond high school.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Don’t get fooled into paying for resources. Although some pay sites offer dependable content, you’re just as likely to find great stuff somewhere else for free. If you can’t find what you want for free, we’ve included the best pay material available as well.
- Professional organizations offer valuable resources and personal contacts with other economics teachers. The National Association of Economic Educators is the best organization for economics teachers.
Dulcinea's Picks
For free lesson plans …
Economic Education Web
is hosted by the University of Nebraska Omaha’s Center for Economic Education. Look for resources divided by elementary and middle/high school, or search by concept or standard. The resources are easy to use and simple to implement in the classroom.
PBS
maintains a top-notch site for educators. The Social Studies section contains more than 180 resources on economics aimed at high school students, including lesson plans, videos, online activities and more.
Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE)
provides a directory of economics lessons and activities organized by topic. Teachers created most of the resources on the site and many lessons are accompanied by student-generated material for use as examples.
For curricula that you’ll pay for …
Thinking Economics
is a comprehensive curriculum that uses technology to teach economics. Be aware, however, that the “Starter Package” costs $495.
Virtual Economics
is a database of more than 1,200 economics and personal finance lessons organized by topic or NCEE standard. Navigation is easy, and the price is reasonable at $99.95 for the CD-ROM.
For enrichment activities and curricula …
Fed101
is an interactive Web site of the Federal Reserve that’s full of information about how the government guides the economy. There are several lessons, activities, games and quizzes for student enrichment and general knowledge. Click on Teacher Resources for an excellent economics search engine.
The Stock Market Game
is a great resource for teaching kids about investment. Students get $100,000 to invest and trade while they follow their portfolio over time. Check out the Teachers New to SMG for info about registration and fees.
Parent Resources for High School Economics
Parents have a significant impact on the economic choices that their children make and kids often need guidance to make appropriate choices in today’s fast-paced world. Students can get a head start on financial success by learning sound economic principles in their teen years.
Dulcinea's Insight
- One of the best ways to help your teen is to ask the teacher what the class is studying and supplement those subjects at home. This Web guide is full of resources that can help you find the right material.
- High school is a great time to get your teenager involved in household economics, whether by allowing them to help with the household budget, having them shop for groceries and prepare a meal or guiding them toward a part-time job.
- If you’re homeschooling your children, you may find the “Teaching Resources for High School Economics” section of this Web guide more relevant. For many more Web sites that can help with homeschooling in a variety of ways, see our findingDulcinea Homeschooling Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For economics standards …
The National Council on Economic Education
(NCEE) is home to American standards for teaching economics. There are 20 standards listed with links to lesson plans and benchmarks for each one.
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
(SCORE) provides the best overview of the key concepts your teenager should be learning. This is a great place to start organizing your thoughts about how you want to supplement and enhance your teenager’s economics education. Note, however, that if you browse the rest of the SCORE site you may find the surfing somewhat difficult.
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