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In this lesson, students play the role of producers in two fictional countries, Acca and Dur. Students use production cards to construct production possibilities tables and graphs. These tables and graphs are used to discuss productivity, opportunity costs, and comparative advantage. Producers in each country discover that if they specialize and trade, they are able to produce and consume more goods than they would have been able to produce and consume on their own.

In this Classroom ECONnections webinar, recharge your elementary classrooms with engaging ways to teach economics and personal finance using resources from several Federal Reserve banks. Specialists from the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland, Kansas City, and St. Louis explore new elementary classroom resources including online courses and videos, classroom-ready activities, and more.

A ¥en to Trade is a set of lessons for students in the middle grades—grades 6-8. These lessons are written to help students understand the basic rationale for making trades, the gains that are possible from trade, and how trading is done between people of different countries. Each lesson teaches fundamental economic concepts such as scarcity, economic wants, resources, goods and services, opportunity cost, and money, as well as international trade concepts such as exports, imports, tariffs, quotas, exchange rates, and trade routes. Most lessons employ simulations and other active-learning strategies to engage students in the learning process and to provide experiences to help them discover why things happen as they do. Students do everything from taking on the role of traders in the real markets to jumping hurdles (to learn about trade barriers) and tossing a ball (to learn about trade routes). Activities integrate other curriculum areas including math, language arts, and geography.

This simple trading activity demonstrates a key economic idea: Voluntary trade can make both the buyer and seller better off. Students first receive a piece of candy randomly.

In this course, learn about the production possibilities curve, a graphic representation of output combinations that can be produced given an economy’s available resources and technology. With their new-found wealth, Andy and Jack have acquired islands, Los Andeles and Jackramento, giving Jack the perfect opportunity to teach Jack about production possibilities, opportunity cost, and the efficiencies of trade according to comparative advantage.

In this course, students learn about the production possibilities curve, a graphic representation of output combinations that can be produced given an economy’s available resources and technology. With their new-found wealth, Andy and Jack have acquired islands, Los Andeles and Jackramento, giving Jack the perfect opportunity to teach Jack about production possibilities, opportunity cost, and the efficiencies of trade according to comparative advantage.

In this course, use your knowledge of the production possibilities curve to determine how specialization in production can yield greater global consumption. Specifically, Andy and Jack grow potatoes and strawberries on their islands, Los Andeles and Jackramento. When trying to find the mix of potato and strawberry production that will satisfy the islanders’ wants, they happen upon a solution that provides greater strawberry and potato consumption – specialization and trade.

In this course, students use their knowledge of the production possibilities curve to determine how specialization in production can yield greater global consumption.Specifically, Andy and Jack grow potatoes and strawberries on their islands, Los Andeles and Jackramento. When trying to find the mix of potato and strawberry production that will satisfy the islanders’ wants, they happen upon a solution that provides greater strawberry and potato consumption – specialization and trade.

In the Comparative Advantage courses, students meet Jack Of All Trades, a most awesome superhero. I

In the Comparative Advantage courses, you will meet Jack Of All Trades, a most awesome superhero. In all tasks, Jack can do everything better and faster (he has absolute advantage), but does that mean he must do everything while the rest of the people stand around helplessly? Find out if justice is served when a formerly idle citizen, Andy, wades through the depths of opportunity cost and the benefits of comparative advantage.