Louis Lesson 1 - Youth in the Economy Adolescents, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or gender participate in the economy. This lesson helps students understand that they take similar roles in the economy as consumers, workers, savers, and investors. In this lesson, students interview a partner to complete a survey that examines their economic behavior and the choices they make as participants in the economy. The survey information provides a basis for discussing their roles in the economy. By participating in a survey activity and analyzing the results of the survey, students learn how the U.S. Constitution affects their own, as well as their families', daily lives.
Students learn about the broad social goals of the United States.
They analyze the trade-offs that are made among goals when a particular policy or program is undertaken. Students recognize that these trade-offs are made because our population is diverse. People's beliefs about these broad social goals and the programs or policies designed to achieve them depend on the people's ages, race, gender, cultural background, religious beliefs, current employment, education level, and many other factors. To make these decisions, the members of government must determine what the goals of citizens are, which resources are available to meet these goals, and how best to allocate resources to meet these goals. Communities, states, and the United States have diverse citizens who have different priorities and goals.