Because of the ever-increasing demand by faculty for realistic, experiential-learning exercises easily incorporated into the marketing curriculum, this article offers a new exercise that is based on Parlin's early work in marketing research with Campbell's soup: garbology. Garbology is an entertaining, experiential learning activity that serves as…

Describes a six-week economics project for high school students. Suggests teaching consumer economics by having students pretend they are broke and out on their own. Discusses activities, materials, and student essays demonstrating the use and understanding of basic consumer terminology, credit, insurance, budgeting, and housing. (DK)

Designed for intermediate and junior high level students, the handbook gives 11 lessons using newspaper activities for teaching consumer education. The activities help students (1) define consumer education terms and distinguish between wants and needs; (2) define the term "caveat emptor" and understand the concept of consumer…

This article describes a functional mathematics activity to help secondary students with mild disabilities develop critical thinking, calculation, and reasoning skills by evaluating the "rent-to-own" option for furnishing an apartment. Suggestions address needed materials, prerequisite skills, procedures, sample worksheets, and modifications. (DB)

Presents 13 active-learning activities designed for use in consumer behavior courses. The exercises involve students in brief activities, such as analysis of persuasion techniques in advertising, and follow-up discussion. Reports that students found the exercises enjoyable and worthwhile. (CFR)

Consumer decision-making and its consequences for individual consumers and societal groups are examined in this economic unit for secondary school students. Seven lessons focus on developing an understanding of the concepts of scarcity, supply and demand, resources, choice, price, and interdependence and on fostering an economic way of thinking.…

Lesson plans are provided for use with different populations of pre-K through senior high school students in four different areas of consumer education. Eight units in advertising are included: A First Look at Ads (pre-K-Grade 3), Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover (Grades 1-3), Fatal Distraction (Junior High), Package Labeling (Junior High), Product…

One of a series of units on business issues for high school students, this packet uses the example of hamburger wars ("price wars" between hamburger stands) to introduce students to the ways in which businesses operate in a competitive environment. A teacher's guide and student materials are provided in two separate sections. Following…

This curriculum guide is intended to provide classroom teachers with an easily adaptable consumer education program that is appropriate for use with students in grades K-adult. In the first part of the guide, various consumer educational concepts are listed by grade and then by subject area. Discussed next are the suggested scope and sequence of…

Recommends reviewing the 1958 debate between P. A. Samuelson and J. R. Minasian over the controversy involving tax-financed television versus pay-TV. This exercise is a lively way to introduce students to the issue of exclusionary devices for public goods. Includes graphical analysis and excerpts from the original debates. (MJP)

This guide for high school consumer mathematics (one in a set of curriculum guides developed by Louisiana statewide mathematics curriculum committees) contains a course outline, performance objectives, and coordinated activities designed to teach skills that students will need as citizens and consumers. Background on the development,…

A major assignment for twelfth grade social science students at a California high school deals with the basic components of survival on one's own. Students must simulate moving out of their parents' home, finding a job, making major household and transportation purchases, buying on credit, investing money, buying insurance, and getting involved in…

This course in consumer economics for high school students is organized around a semester-long simulation in which students assume the responsibilities of young adults in making decisions related to the economics of work and domestic life. During the simulation, the students: (1) set individual goals; (2) choose occupations based on their goals…

Designed to build up concepts presented in the Master Curriculum Guide volume "A Framework for Teaching the Basic Concepts," this collection of teacher guidelines and classroom lessons focuses on how economic concepts and an economic way of thinking can be incorporated into various units in consumer education courses or in courses at the secondary…

This curriculum guide was designed by the Coudersport, Pennsylvania, school system to be used in teaching 0-4 level mathematics skills to adult basic education students. The guide is intended to provide consumer-oriented, problem-solving material that correlates with those skills found in the Noonan-Spradley Diagnostic Program of Computational…