"One who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount," says a colorful proverb from an earlier time. This may be an apt saying for the situation facing the new head of the Federal Reserve, Janet L. Yellen, who takes over at a time when successive rounds of Fed policy have taken the central bank into uncharted territory. By historical standards,…

Central banking in the United States has a long and controversial history dating back to the earliest days of the republic. One of the most widely presented arguments against a central bank has been that the U.S. Constitution does not expressly grant the federal government power to charter a bank. Recently, this issue has received new scrutiny in…

Previous studies have focused on how well students are learning economics, how teachers are trained, and other outcomes associated with improved understanding of economics. However, almost nothing is reported in the research literature on economics teachers' views of the curriculum, how they teach their subject, their views on public issues, and…

History matters. It matters not only because people can learn from the past, but because the present and the future are connected to the past by the continuity of a society's institutions. Today and tomorrow's choices are shaped by the past. And the past can be made intelligible only as a story of institutional evolution. This story focuses on the…

Describes how students' economic experiences as workers and consumers can be used as a foundation to build a secondary economic education program. Emphasis is placed on the study and active observation of the local economy. (RM)

This teacher's guide is part of a 2-volume set presenting economic reasoning as it might be taught and practiced in upper-elementary and middle school classrooms. The book explains and illustrates a particular approach to reasoning and shows students how to use this approach to think about problems and to imagine solutions for them. Seventeen…

This teacher's guide is part of a 2-volume set presenting economic reasoning as it might be taught and practiced in secondary school classrooms. The book explains and illustrates a particular approach to reasoning and shows students how to use this approach to think about problems and to imagine solutions. Thirty-five mysteries (problems) are…

Jean Piaget's cognitive theory was used to investigate the economic reasoning of children and adolescents. Findings indicate student reasoning becomes more abstract, other directed, and flexible with increasing age; five concepts are prerequisites to understanding other economic concepts; and the rate at which economic reasoning develops varies by…

A primary goal of any economics program should be a strong commitment to citizenship education. Other criteria are development of critical thinking skills, emphasis on basic conceptual tools of economics, objectivity of the materials, variety of instructional approaches, local curriculum goals, and a strong evaluation component. (Author/MLF)

Describes the economics curriculum developed in the Rochester (Minnesota) Public Schools. The curriculum was developed with the aid of the local community and is linked to the community through an advisory committee. Methods of evaluating the curriculum are also discussed. (IRT)

Economists use a variety of devices to measure the factors that influence the economy's overall performance. Some of the indicators that economists watch are overall price-level changes, levels of output, and the rate of unemployment, measures that are very often taught as part of the conventional curriculum in high school economics. Such…

Argues that the economic implications of the U.S. Constitution should not be overlooked. Suggests four areas of study and provides a lesson plan for each. Concludes that, in addition to learning the economic ideas of the Constitution, students should recognize the unique values which sustain it. (GEA)

To provide a structure for exploring the different approaches of presidents to economic problems, questions are presented. The contrast between the Carter and Reagan programs is discussed and placed into historical perspective by reviewing the different philosophic responses of Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt to economic issues. Classroom…

Economic reasoning skills integrate easily with the business education curriculum and enhance students' development of decision-making and problem-solving techniques. One method involves having students apply deductive reasoning to economic mysteries. (JOW)

This study that examined the economic reasoning of preschool and elementary school children concluded that (1) the nature of children's economic reasoning is supportive of cognitive development theory; (2) children's economic reasoning varies somewhat by personal experiences, and (3) the intermediate grades are an appropriate level to emphasize…