Making Sen$e with Paul Solman

Lean on Me -- We depend on each other!

The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate that the production of most goods can be broken down into a number of specific tasks (division of labor), with each of these tasks assigned to specific workers (specialization.)

Grades K-2, 3-5

Trouble is Brewing in Boston - "Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak"

It’s December 16, 1773 and many of the citizens of Boston are furious with King George’s new tax on tea. Young Ethan, a printer’s errand boy, has been given the task of conveying information concerning an upcoming protest meeting. As he makes his rounds through the city the reader is int...

Grades K-2, 3-5

The Trading Game

In this lesson, students will learn about the gains from trade. Students will participate in a trading game that will demonstrate that trade can make everyone better off.

Grades 6-8, 9-12

Henry Ford and the Model T: A Case Study in Productivity (Part 1)

When Henry Ford announced he was going to produce an automobile that would be affordable to the masses, he probably did not realize what a great impact his achievement would have on life in the United States and, eventually, the world. Ford’s use of mass production strategies to manufacture...

Grades 6-8, 9-12

The South's Decision to Secede: A Violation of Self Interest?

Your students will consider the following questions: In deciding to secede from the Union in 1861, did the South violate its own self-interest and thus disprove the basic economic principle that people seek to further their self-interest in the decisions they make? To get at the question, each ...

Grades 6-8, 9-12