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Lesson Plans & Activities

Red Envelope E-mail Alert for Middle-School Lesson Plans & Activities

High School | Middle School | Elementary

Economics Lesson Plans

My Side of the Mountain

After reading the book My Side of the Mountain, students discuss the human capital that Sam possessed, the investments in human capital that he made and why these investments were important. Students work in groups to create a four-fold chart to help them define and understand the meaning of investment in human capital. Students use a KWLH chart to create a plan for investing in their human capital. (Book written by Jean Craighead George / ISBN: 0-14-240111-0)

Ten Mile Day

In this multidisciplinary lesson, students work in small groups ("work crews") while participating in a production activity. Students learn about competition, division of labor, and incentives. They also demonstrate how division of labor and incentives help lead to greater productivity. (Book written by Mary Ann Fraser / ISBN: 0-8050-4703-4)

What Is Unemployment, How Is It Measured and Why Does the Fed Care?

In this lesson, students read and interpret choropleth maps, which contain unemployment data. They compare verbal descriptions of the labor market from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book with the mapped data. In addition, students compare unemployment data for different years. Students access or observe how to access this data online.

Economics & Geography Lesson Plans

GeoFRED™ is a data-mapping tool that displays color-coded data on the state, MSA and county levels. For example, GeoFRED can display unemployment, labor force and population for all U.S. counties. Users can select among 19,000 FRED® data series and customize these printable maps according to size, scope and detail. The following lesson plans are based on data found in GeoFRED.

Fractile vs. Equal

Students work with data that represent the ages of 24 people to learn the difference between categorizing data in fractile intervals and equal intervals. Students discuss dividing bonus points among class members to understand what per capita means. Then students look at per capita personal income by state using the GeoFRED mapping tool. They compare per capita personal income displayed with data in equal intervals and with data in fractile intervals.

The Geography of the Fed

Students visit the FED101 web site to learn about the structure of the Federal Reserve. They recognize that there are 12 Federal Reserve districts. The students use the GeoFRED web tool to identify those districts and use a map from Purposes and Functions of the Federal Reserve to identify the states or parts of states included in each district. Students rank the districts according to population size and geographic size. Students compute range, mode, median and mean for the population data.

What Is Unemployment, How Is It Measured and Why Does the Fed Care?

In this lesson, students read and interpret choropleth maps, which contain unemployment data. They compare verbal descriptions of the labor market from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book with the mapped data. In addition, students compare unemployment data for different years. Students access or observe how to access this data online.

Economics & History Lesson Plans

Abraham Lincoln and the Five-Dollar Note

Students participate in a puzzle activity to identify leadership characteristics that Abraham Lincoln possessed. They review the changes in the redesigned $5 note and consider how Lincoln’s leadership characteristics contribute to the fact that he is pictured on the $5 note. Students look at a timeline of Lincoln’s life and identify significant events in his road to the White House. They play a game to review content learned in the lesson.

The Federal Reserve Lesson Plans

Currency and the Fed

Students consider who is pictured on the different denominations of U.S. currency and why. They participate in an activity to identify functions of basic, everyday items and then identify and explain the functions of another basic, everyday item—money. Students learn some basic facts about money as well as some basics about the Federal Reserve System. In addition, they describe the Federal Reserve’s role in the distribution of money by identifying features of the $5 note.

The Geography of the Fed

Students visit the FED101 web site to learn about the structure of the Federal Reserve. They recognize that there are 12 Federal Reserve districts. The students use the GeoFRED web tool to identify those districts and use a map from Purposes and Functions of the Federal Reserve to identify the states or parts of states included in each district. Students rank the districts according to population size and geographic size. Students compute range, mode, median and mean for the population data.

Money & Banking Lesson Plans

Abraham Lincoln and the Five-Dollar Note

Students participate in a puzzle activity to identify leadership characteristics that Abraham Lincoln possessed. They review the changes in the redesigned $5 note and consider how Lincoln’s leadership characteristics contribute to the fact that he is pictured on the $5 note. Students look at a timeline of Lincoln’s life and identify significant events in his road to the White House. They play a game to review content learned in the lesson.

Currency and the Fed

Students consider who is pictured on the different denominations of U.S. currency and why. They participate in an activity to identify functions of basic, everyday items and then identify and explain the functions of another basic, everyday item—money. Students learn some basic facts about money as well as some basics about the Federal Reserve System. In addition, they describe the Federal Reserve’s role in the distribution of money by identifying features of the $5 note.

Just Sign Here: Bottom-Line Personal Finance Myths

Consumers must make many financial decisions, from basic spending and saving to complex investment choices and retirement planning. What does an individual need to do or know to be financially literate? At a minimum, consumers must be able to keep track of their cash resources and their payment obligations, and they must know how to apply for a loan. This lesson helps students develop a basic understanding of credit and the importance of a credit history. Students will learn how a credit history affects their lives. From the Inside the Vault article, "Just Sign Here: Bottom-Line Personal Finance Myths."

Personal Finance Lesson Plans

Just Sign Here: Bottom-Line Personal Finance Myths

Consumers must make many financial decisions, from basic spending and saving to complex investment choices and retirement planning. What does an individual need to do or know to be financially literate? At a minimum, consumers must be able to keep track of their cash resources and their payment obligations, and they must know how to apply for a loan. This lesson helps students develop a basic understanding of credit and the importance of a credit history. Students will learn how a credit history affects their lives. From the Inside the Vault article, "Just Sign Here: Bottom-Line Personal Finance Myths."

Ten Mile Day

In this multidisciplinary lesson, students work in small groups ("work crews") while participating in a production activity. Students learn about competition, division of labor, and incentives. They also demonstrate how division of labor and incentives help lead to greater productivity. (Book written by Mary Ann Fraser / ISBN: 0-8050-4703-4)