Revisiting Economics As A Social Science Lesson Plan for 11th Grade Example Students

Topic: Revisiting Economics as a Social Science

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to understand the importance of economics as a social science
• Students will be able to analyze the causes and effects of economic policies and practices

Materials

• Textbook on introductory economics
• Examples of economic policies and practices (e.g. minimum wage laws, welfare programs, debt-for-diploma programs)

Warm-up

• Ask students what they know about economics. Write their answers on the board.
• Explain that economics is the study of how people and societies manage their limited resources to meet their needs and wants.

Direct Instruction

• Review the definition of economics.
• Discuss the three main economic approaches: neoclassical, Keynesian, and Marxist.
• Introduce the key concepts and terms associated with each approach, including supply and demand, marginal utility, and artificial scarcity.
• Use examples to clarify the concepts and illustrate their applications.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a specific economic approach and its key concepts and terms.
• Have the groups work together to identify and discuss real-world examples that illustrate the concepts and terms.
• Encourage the groups to share their examples and insights with the class.

Independent Practice

• Divide the class into three groups and assign each group one of the economic approaches discussed in the class (neoclassical, institutional, or behavioral).
• Have each group prepare a brief presentation on their assigned approach, highlighting its key concepts and terms, and explaining how it can be used to analyze real-world economic issues.
• Allow time for all three groups to present their presentations to the class.

Closure

• As a class, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three economic approaches discussed in the class.
• Ask students to reflect on the relevance of economics as a social science and its importance in understanding and addressing issues related to scarcity, distribution, and growth.

Assessment

• Observe students during the discussion and during the independent practice to assess their understanding of the three economic approaches and their ability to apply the approaches to a real-life issue.
• Collect and grade the final presentations or written reports as directed by the teacher.