Mr. Dalesandro's Civics Website

Economics and Geography

Learning goals:
Students will be able to identify the basic economic policies of the United States.
Students will understand the physical geography of the United States.
Benchmarks:
SS.7.E.1.3
Content Complexity: Level 2/Skills and Concepts
Review the concepts of supply and demand, choice, scarcity, and opportunity cost as they relate to the development of the mixed market economy in the United States.

Task 1: Economy Activities

1) With you partner, download and read the file to the right titled "Economy READING" and answer the questions below the file.  ​
2) Go through the "Practice scenarios" to the right to gauge your understanding and see how you would fare in economic situations. 
Economy READING
File Size: 631 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
​
  1. Define “consumer” as it relates to the economy:
  2. Define “producer” as it relates to the economy:
  3. What is a “market economy?”
  4. What are the benefits of having a market economy with competition?
  5. Write two sentences to describe the relationship between the following terms: “Supply,” “Demand,” “Prices”
  6. How is a “command economy” different than a “market economy?”
Practice Scenarios
File Size: 574 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Task 2: Economies around the World

Picture
Use an internet search to find information on the following questions:

1. What are some ways to measure the health of a country's economy?
2. What does "GDP" mean? 
3. What are the top economies in the world today?
4. What are some possible reasons why some country's might have a stronger economy than others?

Task 3: The People's Pie

​​Do you like to control your own money? In People’s Pie, you control the budget of the federal government! You choose how federal revenues should be raised and how taxpayers’ money should be spent. You must decide how to fund programs that are important to you, without setting taxes too high or borrowing too much money.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY!!

Task 4: The Economy and You

Now that you have a decent understanding of how the economy works, big picture wise, I want you to start thinking about your futures. BELOW you will find three games: Bank it or Bust, Rags to Riches, and It Costs What!?  With your team, decide on an adventure and see what kind of damage you can do!  Good Luck! :)