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The Evidence Base for Social Studies: Economics
The Evidence Base for Social Studies: Economics
What This Means for Instruction
After a review of the
research, a number of classroom techniques or applications have been found to
be successful with children. Below are some general guidelines to help
educators plan and implement economic instruction:
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Enable students to experience economic concepts directly at all grade levels
through role-playing, classroom businesses, problem-based lessons (Maxwell et
al. 2001; Morton 1987).
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Present economic content in the primary grades as economic specifics and build
on these to develop abstract concepts by the middle grades (Brophy et al.
2003; Owens and Nowell 2001; Valentine 1994).
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Introduce instructional strategies such as using literature, role-playing or
television/newspaper ads that relate to students’ personal experiences
assisting them in exploring economic principles (Brophy et al. 2003; Schug
1991).
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Use literature as a way to introduce economic concepts to young children
(Hilke 1999).
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Distinguish between what "should be" and "what is", discuss values students
hold and the effects of alternate economic actions by the early middle grades
(Valentine 1994).
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Analyze the possible outcome of an economic policy change rather than whether
the policy change should happen (Valentine 1994).
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Enable students to be effective economic decision-makers by helping them
become intelligent readers of newspapers and magazines, perceptive watchers of
television, careful listeners to radio and critical observers of economic
events (Saunders and Gilliard 1995).
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Discuss competition and marketing by using ads for products students use most
such as pizza, videos, shoes, etc. (Hilke 1999).
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Provide opportunities for active participation by having middle and high
school students construct carefully labeled, accurate concrete and abstract
graphs of economic concepts (Highfill and Weber 1990).
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Help students build on their prior knowledge and lead them to develop more
sophisticated economic understanding, such as basic wants and needs to
constructing a supply and demand graph (Armento 1987).
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Encourage role-playing, debates and the development of alternative positions
to economic issues or problems (Armento 1987).
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Emphasize critical thinking skills in relation to economic issues (Morton
1987).
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Assist students in identifying the most important ideas from reading materials
including economics textbooks (Armento 1987).
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