Making Sen$e with Paul Solman

Goods and Services: Some are Private, Some are Not

The role of government is to provide for the common defense, define and protect property rights, and enforce contractual arrangements. Throughout the 20th and early 21st century, government has increased its role in economic life. The role of government has expanded to address so-called market fa...

Grades 3-5, 6-8

Marketplace: Doing Business in Afghanistan

In May 2002, delegates from governments, international companies, and financial institutions met at a United Nations conference in Tehran to discuss the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Afghanistan's officials say that to create a viable economy and a stable society, the country must recreate basic...

Grades 6-8, 9-12

Tax Time Scavenger Hunt

Income taxes can be confusing, but there are a lot of online resources to help us understand them! This lesson takes students through four useful sites, asking them to look for specific information that will broaden their understanding of how income taxes work.

Grades 9-12

Transportation: They Say We Had a Revolution (Part 1)

Advancements in transportation have played a key role in the growth of our nation. U.S.government policies have also had a considerable impact on the development of transport as we know it today. In this series of three lessons,the students examine transportation and its impact on our nation (and...

Grades 6-8, 9-12

Henry Ford and the Model T: A Case Study in Productivity (Part 3)

When Henry Ford announced he was going to produce an automobile that would be affordable to the masses, it is doubtful even he realized the far reaching impact such an achievement would have on life in the U.S. and eventually, the world. Ford’s use of mass production strategies to manufactu...

Grades 6-8, 9-12