This paper is a summary of the recent research on the Elementary School Economics (ESE) programs. The curricula were initiated by the Center in 1960 as a part of an experimental research project designed to answer the following: 1) can elementary school students comprehend, utilize, and retain basic economic concepts; and, 2) can a program in…

This guide was developed as an aid to Oklahoma teachers in integrating economic ideas and related learning activities in the school curriculum. Primary application will be in the social studies because of the special relevance of economics to this area; however, business education and certain other areas also offer opportunities for developing…

The thrust of this publication is to share perspectives on a variety of curriculum matters with professionals in schools and colleges. Materials and programs will be mentioned as deemed illustrative of current trends and new dimensions in economic education. Suggestions of additional items for review and inclusion in future Newsletters are…

Summarizes research on how children think about economic ideas and values and the development of such thinking. Explores the influence of instruction on children's thinking about economics and points out implications for curriculum and instruction. (RH)

This book is designed to help students in grades 3-5 make better decisions as spenders, savers, borrowers, and managers of money. The learning experiences focus on personal finance and money management. The 10 lessons are divided into 4 units focusing on children making spending decisions, saving decisions, borrowing decisions, and money…

Discusses the connection between economics and decision making in everyday life. Compares basic economic concepts such as choices, scarcity, opportunity costs, indirect costs, and decision making to the choices that students make in their personal lives. Maintains that through the study of economics, students can become responsible decision…

A conceptual introduction to the nature of resources and their role in production and in the marketplace begins this issue. Four instructional units follow, beginning with "Nature Is Resourceful," a unit intended for preschool and kindergarten children built around a nature/resource walk, making sun tea, and analyzing the story of the…

Providing teacher background on the concepts of productivity and capital goods, this document presents 3 teaching units about these ideas for different grade levels. The grade K-2 unit, "How Do They Do It?," is designed to provide students with an understanding of how physical capital goods add to productivity. Activities include a field trip to…

This document includes an introduction to the role of government in the production of public goods and services and 3 brief teaching units. The introduction describes the nature of a mixed economy and points out why most people identify the production of goods and services with private enterprise rather than government. It develops a rationale for…

This booklet produced by the State of Indiana introduces elementary teachers to economic concepts appropriate to the elementary curriculum and explains how to use mini-economy activities to teach these concepts. Chapter 1 describes how the mini-economy works, while chapter 2 introduces basic economic vocabulary and discusses market economy. Ideas…

This 12-hour module of instruction is designed to help undergraduates in social studies methods courses integrate economics education into the elementary school social studies curriculum. The major purposes of the module are to (1) demonstrate how economics concepts can be integrated into social studies instruction, (2) reinforce or extend teacher…

This unit of study on global perspectives contains activities to help elementary students respect and understand the traditions, cultures, and values of other people and themselves. Unit objectives include the following: (1) to teach children that there exist commonalities of meeting basic human needs; (2) to assist the child in looking closer at…

This unit, one in a set of elementary teacher-developed geography materials, is based on "Geographic Sample Study" and "Teacher's Manual for Geographic Sample Study" from the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, Austin, Texas. Intended for intermediate-level students, the inquiry-oriented case study unit on economic growth…

The primary objective of social science instruction should be to encourage and nourish the problem-solving ability of young people. The practice in analytical thinking necessary to achieve this objective requires practice and exercise over a long period of time. Economic education and education in the other social sciences must, therefore, be…