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Good High School Economics Curriculum


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Are you comfortable with the subject matter at all?  If so, you might consider the McConnell-Brue college text; old editions abound on half.com and similar for a couple of dollars plus shipping.  I also used the study guide that was made to go with (the SG was invaluable) it and a syllabus I found online from an actual AP economics teacher.  I used the syllabus only for figuring out which chapters to cover and in what order, but it also divided the chapters into micro- and macroeconomics in case you wanted to cover one but not the other.  Then we just went through the text and study guide.  I made up tests for a while (though I think there were some available online), and then we used old AP exams.  It is not "economics in a box," (and I think there is actually a curriculum by that name), but if you have any background in economics, it isn't difficult to teach.  

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We're going to use Economics in a Box (via MFW).

 

I also think the Teaching Company economics course by Timothy Taylor is good.  It's pretty long and doesn't go up to the most current situations (probably few programs do?). 

 

I like some of Dave Ramsey, although it could never be considered a full "economics" since it doesn't cover very much national and no international (maybe he's more personal finance, now that I think about it).

 

I wouldn't use Uncle Eric as a full course, either.  His stuff is pretty theoretical (i.e. no one has ever put it into practice) and single-model (extreme libertarian).  You could add some John Stossel clips for similar theories but he finds vignettes that seem to show them put into practice.  And you  might add some other worldwide economic systems?  (Economics in a Box does some of this.)

 

Julie

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Are you comfortable with the subject matter at all?  If so, you might consider the McConnell-Brue college text; old editions abound on half.com and similar for a couple of dollars plus shipping.  I also used the study guide that was made to go with (the SG was invaluable) it and a syllabus I found online from an actual AP economics teacher.  I used the syllabus only for figuring out which chapters to cover and in what order, but it also divided the chapters into micro- and macroeconomics in case you wanted to cover one but not the other.  Then we just went through the text and study guide.  I made up tests for a while (though I think there were some available online), and then we used old AP exams.  It is not "economics in a box," (and I think there is actually a curriculum by that name), but if you have any background in economics, it isn't difficult to teach.  

 

Coursera's online Microeconomics course recommends the McConnell-Bruce textbook.

 

https://www.coursera.org/course/ucimicroeconomics

 

The same instructor has a Macroeconomics course as well.

 

I was just looking into these for my son. :)

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Are you comfortable with the subject matter at all?  If so, you might consider the McConnell-Brue college text; old editions abound on half.com and similar for a couple of dollars plus shipping.  I also used the study guide that was made to go with (the SG was invaluable) it and a syllabus I found online from an actual AP economics teacher.  I used the syllabus only for figuring out which chapters to cover and in what order, but it also divided the chapters into micro- and macroeconomics in case you wanted to cover one but not the other.  Then we just went through the text and study guide.  I made up tests for a while (though I think there were some available online), and then we used old AP exams.  It is not "economics in a box," (and I think there is actually a curriculum by that name), but if you have any background in economics, it isn't difficult to teach.  

 

Do you remember which text you used?  There are so many different ones listed on Amazon.  I want to create a strong economics class for my ds as he will need it for his college major.

 

Thanks so much

Chris

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Do you remember which text you used?  There are so many different ones listed on Amazon.  I want to create a strong economics class for my ds as he will need it for his college major.

 

Thanks so much

Chris

 

We used McConnell Brue's "Economics," (clever name, I know), Sixteenth Edition.  That was the penultimate edition at the time, two or three years ago, so it was very cheap.  The same book is available, I think, split into macro- and micro-volumes, but it is the same content as in the single volume.  I think any edition would work fine; it isn't as if much changes.  This is the study guide we used.

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Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations might be good, as it basically creates the framework for the way economics was understood and practiced for many years. If they're still interested after Adam Smith, you could try expanding into something by Thomas Malthus or David Ricardo, maybe working on up to Friedrich Hayek or Milton Friedman.

 

As a contrast, it would probably be worthwhile to study something at the opposite end of the spectrum -- maybe something by Karl Marx, like Capital (a good translation is important here, as he was a fairly complicated writer.) If this captures their interest, you might step back a bit by introducing them to John Maynard Keynes, maybe The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, and the works of John Kenneth Galbraith.

 

Just don't overwhelm them with too much at once -- economics can be a dense subject -- too much too soon has a way of squashing enthusiasm. ;)

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