Project Based Economics
Project Based Economics features seven complete curriculum units developed by BIE that engage students in realistic problem-solving scenarios. Each unit addresses key content standards set forth in the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics in a rigorous and relevant, highly participatory way. The key economic concepts of scarcity, tradeoffs, and opportunity cost are emphasized in all units; please note which units are considered the "Essential" units for teaching micro and macro-economics concepts. Each unit described below contains:
- An overview of Project Based Learning and Teaching in a PBL Environment
- Make More Money? an activity to introduce students to the problem-solving process used in PBE
- Step-by-step directions for the teacher
- Student handout masters
- Content background materials for the teacher
- Assessment rubrics and multiple-choice tests
Field tests and experimental-design evaluation studies in a variety of classrooms have demonstrated the effectiveness of the units. In a recent study funded by the U.S. Department of Education involving over 7,000 high school students and 76 teachers from a variety of schools in California and Arizona, students whose teachers used the PBE units outscored their control group peers on the Test of Economic Reasoning.
The PBE units, including audio recordings and videos, are now available for purchase from Social Studies School Services.
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