National Standards in Economics

Below are the National Standards in Economics that most closely relate to the following lesson. Switch to National Standards in Personal Finance


LESSON

Theme 1: Lesson 2 - The Economic Way of Thinking

Grades: 9-12


STANDARDS

Standard: 2

Grades: 4-12

  • Decision Making
  • Students will understand that: Effective decision making requires comparing the additional costs of alternatives with the additional benefits. Many choices involve doing a little more or a little less of something: few choices "are all or nothing" decisions.
  • Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Make effective decisions as consumers, producers, savers, investors, and citizens.

Standard: 1

Grades: 4-12

  • Scarcity
  • Students will understand that: Productive resources are limited. Therefore, people cannot have all the goods and services they want; as a result, they must choose some things and give up others.
  • Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Identify what they gain and what they give up when they make choices.

Standard: 4

Grades: 4-12

  • Incentives
  • Students will understand that: People usually respond predictably to positive and negative incentives.
  • Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Identify incentives that affect people's behavior and explain how incentives affect their own behavior.

Standard: 5

Grades: 4-12

  • Trade
  • Students will understand that: Voluntary exchange occurs only when all participating parties expect to gain. This is true for trade among individuals or organizations within a nation, and among individuals or organizations in different nations.
  • Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Negotiate exchanges and identify the gains to themselves and others. Compare the benefits and costs of policies that alter trade barriers between nations, such as tariffs and quotas.

Standard: 6

Grades: 4-12

  • Specialization
  • Students will understand that: When individuals, regions, and nations specialize in what they can produce at the lowest cost and then trade with others, both production and consumption increase.
  • Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Explain how they can benefit themselves and others by developing special skills and strengths.

Standard: 11

Grades: 4-12

  • Money and Inflation
  • Students will understand that: Money makes it easier to trade, borrow, save, invest, and compare the value of goods and services. The amount of money in the economy affects the overall price level. Inflation is an increase in the overall price level that reduces the value of money.
  • Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Explain how their lives would be more difficult in a world with no money, or in a world where money sharply lost its value.

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