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Program Descriptions |
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Go to the Center for Economic Education
Go to the Workshop Schedule
Workshops & In-Service Program Descriptions
For information on affordable K-3 In-services click here
For all other in-service questions, please call our center at 434.395.2461 or call Dr. Melanie Marks, Director at 434.395.2372.
Around the World the Econ Way order this publication by clicking here M and M publishing order form.pdf
Add your students to the list of budding Wall Street wizards. This game available for 4th to 12th grade classrooms gives teams of young investors a real taste of purchasing power. Students are required to do research and select investments while building a stock portfolio and managing it for 10 weeks. The game is Internet based and can be used to address other disciplines such as math and technology. Participants will learn how to understand stock information, research performance, and play the game.
Grade levels:4-12
Hear the Once-ler reveal his tale of Abiggering his business and Thneeds for sale! Children love Dr. Seuss and so will you when you see how easy he makes teaching economics. This unit, created by a local elementary school teacher, incorporates economics, math, reading, science, art, music and technology with social studies for the teacher who has too much to teach in too little time.
Grade levels:K-3
Ever make a hamburger out of clay? Activities with play dough will provide concrete, hands-on learning, which cover the following economic concepts: goods and services, production, scarcity, opportunity costs, trade, capital, specialization and much more. Your students will have so much fun, they won’t know they are learning.
Grade levels:K-3
Merge economics and environmentalism in your classroom! This workshop applies economic concepts to environmental issues such as population growth, the endangered species act, air pollution, garbage, recycling, and environmental regulation. This material is particularly useful for teaching science, government, or social studies. Teachers will receive a book of activities and lessons that sell for over.
Grade levels:8-12
Too much to teach? Too little time to teach it? This workshop will help you integrate economics, geography, and literature through the use of high-interest, child-tested activities. Our hands-on approach will focus on how changes in latitude bring changes in attitude about needs, resources, jobs, specialization, interdependence and more! Help your students navigate the world of economics by signing up for Economics and Geography today.
Grade levels:K-5
From counting money to making money count - this workshop will give you loads of ideas for teaching the concept of money to your elementary students. All new hands-on activities will focus on smart spending, saving, decision-making, credit, checks, barter, and investment. We'll also show you some exciting new ways to simulate the exchange of money for goods and services in your classroom! Make "cents" of your math and econ SOLs!
Grade levels:K-3
Understanding the Macro Economy
Struggling with those high school economics SOLs? Having trouble understanding the “big picture”? Learn exciting ways to teach your kids about macroeconomics. Participants will learn how to create their own classroom consumer price index. They will also learn about activities to address topics including inflation, interest rates, price, and monetary markets. This hands-on approach will help students make sense of abstract concepts. Teachers will receive a book of activities and curriculum units that sells for over.
Grade levels:9-12
Economics in Children's Literature
Alexander used to be rich, but where did his money go? George the monkey gets a job, but is he curious to keep it? What will it take Mama Berenstain to be successful in her new quilt shop. Learning economics through some of the most popular storybooks as well as exciting hands-on activities will allow the students to understand economic concepts while reinforcing reading and comprehension skills. Participants will be shown how to implement creative activities to introduce the new concepts while using familiar characters and stories as well as ones that are new to them. Topics addressed include saving, spending, decision-making, scarcity trade-offs, marketing and advertising. Curriculum is easy to incorporate into your classroom.
Grade levels: K-3
If your SOL scores weren't quite what you thought they should have been give this workshop a shot! This program focuses on understanding the economic forces that made our state and country what they are today. We will explore the economics of colonization, westward expansion, slavery of the 19th century and race in the 29th century. You will learn how to help your students think about how things might have been different had other choices been made. Activities for this workshop are specifically correlated to the Virginia SOL objectives for 4th and 5th grade students.
Grade levels: 3-7
Kermit may think its tough being environmentally minded, but your students will love our fun-filled activities that each them about economics and the natural environment. A variety of activities will be presented in an action-packed day so that you can pick and choose what will work best for your grade level. Most activities can be easily adapted for all ages. Wonderful for those teaching business, economics, government or science.
Grade levels: K-12
With the growing importance of the global market, it is essential for your students have an appreciation of international issues. This workshop is taught by a former high school economics instructor and award winning professor who will share his knowledge of global issues and will leave you in hands-on, real world activities that will help your students master the material.
Grade levels:8-12
Children in the Market place/ Econ & Me Video
Searching for tools to teach your class the basic concepts of economics? Look no further! This workshop will provide each participant with not one, but TWO fantastic economic units filled with lots of of practical, hands-on lessons your kids will love. Each participant will take home all materials needed to help introduce and reinforce those sometimes hard-to-explain concepts such as opportunity cost, specialization, and interdependence.
Grade levels:K-4
Whet your appetite with this tasty curriculum unit designed to sweeten your economics lessons. This program was designed by two dynamic Virginia educators and directly correlates to our state's SOL. Topics include resources, scarcity, trade/exchange, production, specialization, etc
Grade levels:K-12
Creating a Classroom Mini-Economy and Market Day
Everyone knows that students learn by "doing." So, come to this workshop and learn how to create economic system in your classroom and teach important "life skills." Have students act as both producers and consumers. They earn "money" from classroom jobs, pay expenses and taxes, and invest. Money that remains at the end of the week can be spent in a classroom store. Then, learn how to create an entrepreneurial spirit in your classroom through a Market day as students become vendors of products they create. Students will get a taste of marketing, advertising, negotiating, while learning to be smart consumers and successful producers. Workshop will culminate with a live auction where "Melly Bucks" can be redeemed for desirable prizes.
Grade Levels:K-7
Economics in Ancient Civilizations
Kill two birds with one stone by blending economics and history to helps our students understand the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, China and Egypt, as well as the changing face of Mali. This workshop combines hands-on activities and children's literature to help your students master these interesting yet difficult SOL concepts.
Grade Levels:2-6
You can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan. Help your students to become savvy participants in the labor market and better plan for their future. Teachers will explore this 10 unit curriculum package, designed to address the economics of the labor market. Lessons also explore how wages are determined and why some people earn more than others, how changes in technology impact certain professions, and the role of government in the labor market. Hands-on activities help students to master concepts and end of unit reflections help them to see the relevancy of the lessons to their future career choice. Participants will leave with a copy of this excellent curriculum package and the knowledge of how to use it in their class rooms.
Grade Levels:7-12
Plumbers, electricians, and sheet metal workers- how can economics possibly play a role in their lives? Let students explore the role of a tradesperson to learn why economics is important to all of us. This hands-on curriculum lets students explore the resources needed to erect things like buildings and bridges- from labor, such as electricians and plumbers, to capital, such as sheet metal and nails. Students will work with different resources and procedures used by tradespeople, allowing them to learn about different jobs and required skills. The unit also incorporates history by addressing the role of organized labor and the evolution of regulations that protect workers. Participants will leave with a copy of this very innovative, child-friendly curriculum and materials necessary to put it to work in their classrooms.
Grade Levels:2-4
Personal Finance in Children's Literature
One of the best ways to teach children about economics is by utilizing literature. This new curriculum unit uses many wonderful books to help students understand about the role of money, exchanging money for goods and services, earning income, smart saving and spending, and the importance of recognizing your opportunity cost. Lessons also address basic mathematical skills including addition, subtraction, basic graphing, counting, sorting and coin and currency equivalency. If you love children's literature, we promise you will love this unit. All participants will receive a copy of this new, innovative curriculum package for use in their classrooms.
Grade levels:K-3
Spending, Saving, Credit & Money Management. Economic principles that empower young people. Money in the Middle is a curriculum package that focuses on personal finance decision-making within an economic framework. Ten lessons provide key economic concepts including choice, costs vs. benefits, opportunity cost, tradeoffs, profit and interdependence, which help to enhance fiscally responsible decision-making skills.
Grade levels:5-8
Make the connection between Economics and Science. This workshop addresses basic economic concepts using an environmental theme. Since environmental resources are limited, we all must make choices and tradeoffs. Hands-on activities about rainforests, fishing, garbage and recycling, etc. will help your students to recognize that good economic logic is imperative for saving the environment.
Grade levels:K-5
Teaching Environmental Economics
Imagine mining for coal in a green Jell-o mountain or having to harvest wood from your plot of land without interfering with an endangered species. These are just some off the activities in this educator-oriented course, applying economics to environmental issues. Hands on activities and applications to literature make this material exciting for your students. Particularly attractive for science and social studies teachers. Material can be applied to all grades. Come join the fun!
Grade levels: K-12
Economics in the Elementary School Classroom
Teachers will learn how to make economics come alive in their classroom through use of innovative curriculum units. Learn how to teach young students important concepts in the Virginia SOLs including scarcity, production, consumption, opportunity cost markets, trade/exchange, personal finance, etc. The focus will be hands-on activities for young students. Perfect for new teachers of experienced educators who need to add some spice to economics!
Economics in the High School Classroom
This is not your father's economic course! Teachers will learn basic economic concepts (without getting too analytically rigorous) and we will apply them to topics of domestic and global issues. Hands on activities such as market simulations, public goods experiments, and students. Do not be alarmed if you have no previous economics training. We will start from the beginning. For teachers with some back ground, we think you will be excited by the activities we will teach you.
Financial Fitness for Life: Steps to Financial Fitness
Steps to Financial Fitness contains 15 action-oriented lessons where students make decisions about earning an income, saving and spending, using credit, and budgeting. Lessons include background information, preparation materials, student activities, and assessments to promote active learning. All lessons are tied to standards for personal finance, economics, literature, and mathematics literacy. A student Workbook highlights topics covered in each lesson and a Parent's Guide allows for additional reinforcement in the home. This is a special offering of Steps to Financial Fitness due to the high costs of program delivery. Participants will receive all materials associated with this unit, which are valued at over $80. Interested teachers should take advantage of this exceptional offering.
Grade Levels:3-5
Financial Fitness for Life: Pocket Power
Pocket Power is an enhanced learning system for personal finance economics education that appeals to young children at all learning levels. The 16 creative lessons include background information, preparation materials, student activities, and assessments to promote active learning. All lessons are tied to standards for personal finance, economics, literature, and mathematics literacy. An illustrated Student Storybook highlights topics covered in each lesson and a Parent's Guide allows for additional reinforcement in the home. This is a rare offering of Pocket Power due to the high costs of program delivery. Participants will receive all materials associated with this unit, which are valued at over $80.
Grade Levels: K-2
If you're looking for a way to teach and plan across the curriculum - look no further. This brand-new curriculum unit, written by the authors of Chocolate Economics, uses children's literature to teach economics, history, and geography to elementary school students. Teachers will help their students "Book a Trip Around the World" with these hands-on activities designed to help students understand that people all over the world are buyers and sellers, that resources are combined to produce goods and services, that people have been trading to get what they want for centuries... and much, much more! Featured in the unit is a special student passport to help students keep track of all the faraway places they visit during their study. You'll love these activities and your students will too!
Grade Levels: K-6
Blow, blow, blow the air, blow it through the hole. When it comes back to the ground, you stomp it with your sole. Your elementary age students experience the challenge of entrepreneurship, as they become producers of bubbles and bubble wands. As consumers, they can test various bubble products to see which ones are the most marketable. This curriculum unit ties into the economic concepts of producers, consumers, resources, goods and services, etc. along with measurement SOLs and children's literature all based around the student friendly theme of bubbles.
Grade Levels: K-3
Students will design a zoo in the classroom and in the process learn about goods and services, decision making, opportunity costs, resources, workers' skills and producers. Using cardboard boxes and lots of imagination, your classroom can be transformed into a tropical bird paradise, a reptile house, a big cat prowl, an elephant stroll and don't forget about the monkey island. The children will design everything to accommodate the animals (stuffed), that they will bring from home. The children will plan and implement special attractions - a small refreshment stand and a train ride using wagons. Excellent curriculum book included in fee.
Grade Levels: K-3
Are you a "moocher" like Matilda, or are you credit worthy? Can you identify money and safe places to store it or would you keep it in a pouch like Beatrice? If you wanted to buy pepperoni pizza in France, what would it cost you? Follow the money through this exciting new curriculum produced by the authors of Chocolate Economics and Around the world the Econ Way. This journey will show students the importance of understanding money and its history, the importance of saving, ways to be a smart spender, opportunities created trade/exchange, and investing. Wonderful connections to children's literature books are incorporated. Activities are easily adaptable to meet the different age groups.
Grade Levels: K-6
Go to the Workshop Schedule
Go to the Center for Economic Education
Please send any comments or questions to Melanie Marks