Class discussion and small group task identifying six economics functions of government and examples of these functions using current events. Other Web Sites - This page lists web sites offering a wealth of lesson plans for teaching economics, in addition to these lesson plans. In their roles as responsible citizens, students learn to consider both the costs and the benefits related to public policy issues. This lesson uses budgets and a decision tree to structure student analysis of taxing and spending issues. If This, Then That - Using a flow chart, students study the costs and benefits of economic government policies.
Students gain insight into ways in which government regulations affect the behavior of producers.
An Interactive Center for Economic Education, Version 2 - Each exhibit includes teaching tips, background information, a list of lessons, and video and audio clips that give additional information about the topic. Students learn about property rights and how property rights can affect the way markets allocate resources. Privatization Around the World - Students review and evaluate the approaches most widely used to privatize public enterprises and services. Scroll down the linked pages to locate the grade 8 benchmarks.