PACED Pretzels
Learn about and apply the five-step PACED decision-making process.
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Curriculum Units
1 Hour+
Teaching Economics with Active Learning
OVERVIEW
Ten active learning lessons for your economics classroom to make your teaching stick!
Grade Level
Opportunity Cost
Using the PACED decision framework, students compare and rank different types of pretzels to illustrate economic decisionmaking.
Intro to Demand
In this activity, students learn about the law of demand. Students discover the relationship between price and quantity demanded by looking at their favorite beverage.
Minimum Wage Debate
In this activity, students engage in a debate about the minimum wage. They research issues, prepare arguments, think critically about issues, and formulate evidence-based opinions.
Market Structure
In this lesson, students act as firms in different market structures competing to sell their product to the teacher. The activity demonstrates that the number of firms in a market affects the price.
Trade
This simple trading activity demonstrates a key economic idea: Voluntary trade can make both the buyer and seller better off.
Unemployment
This activity is designed to show students how we calculate the civilian unemployment rate.
GDP
In this active learning lesson, students learn about gross domestic product (GDP) and its components using the expenditures equation.
Monetary Policy
In this activity, students participate in a demonstration showing how changes in monetary policy move the economy toward the Fed’s goals of maximum employment and price stability.
Choosing a Career
In this activity, students are assigned different jobs to see the connection between education, training, and experience in determining income.
Creditworthiness
Students become the credit providers in this simulation and get to actively assess a borrower’s creditworthiness!
More in This Series
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
1 HOUR+
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
46-60 MIN
How Many Beverages Will Consumers Buy? Lesson on Demand
Learn about the law of demand and discover the relationship between price and quantity demanded.
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
1 HOUR+
Using a Minimum Wage Debate in an Economics Class
This activity uses a classroom debate about the minimum wage to teach prices floors.
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
31-45 MIN
Teaching Market Structures with Gum
Highlight different market structures through a role playing game.
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
0-15 MIN
Is Trade a Zero-Sum Game?
Demonstrate that voluntary trade can benefit buyers and sellers.
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
0-15 MIN
How do we Measure Unemployment?
Demonstrate how we calculate the civilian unemployment rate.
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
16-30 MIN
Imports and GDP
Learn about gross domestic product (GDP)
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
0-15 MIN
How Fed Policy Transmits to the Economy
Show how changes in monetary policy ripple through the economy.
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
0-15 MIN
Career Choices
This activity highlights the connection between education, training, and experience in determining income.
LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
31-45 MIN
The Three C's of Credit (Lesson 9A)
Play the role of credit providers and assess the credit worthiness of an individual.
