In recent years, the SSEC has not conducted projects that have resulted in published material. The National Science Foundation supported project to develop a series of economics investigations did result in a published product, which is included here.
Between 2003 and 2006, the SSEC received National Science Foundation funding to develop twelve economics investigations for high school students. The investigations were developed by teams of high school teachers and economics educators. They went through two rounds of field testing. The investigations are organized into three categories macroeconomics, microeconomics, and international economics. The investigations are very useful to support appropriate content in a high school economics course.
When completed, the investigations were published by Junior Achievement Worldwide in Colorado Springs, Colorado. You are encouraged to access the Junior Achievement Web Site for additional economics materials for students.
As you review the investigations, you will note that the data in the investigations may be somewhat out of date. In most cases, the data citation and the Internet link are included in the data citation, and you may wish to update the data for your students. However, the concepts addressed in each investigation are still powerful and the real world focus of the investigations will engage your students.
Click to download publications below (PDF format)
Economic Investigations #1
Women’s Wages: Do Women Earn Less Than Men?
Economic Investigations #2
Organ Transplants: Where Are The Missing Kidneys?
Economic Investigations #3
Minimum Wage: Does Raising the Rate Help Young Workers?
Economic Investigations #4
How Can a Family Be in Poverty and Not Be Poor?
Economic Investigations #5
Health Care: Who Should Pay The Cost?
Economic Investigations #6
Performance of National Economy: How Do We Measure the Economy’s Health?
Economic Investigations #7
Inflation: Are Higher Prices the Only Problem?
Economic Investigations #8
Employment Unemployment: How Can Both Rates Rise at the Same Time?
Economic Investigations #9
Fiscal Policy: Can Congress Diagnose and Treat an Ailing Economy?
Economic Investigations #10
Monetary Policy: Can the Federal Reserve Diagnose and Treat an Ailing Economy?
Economic Investigations #11
African-US Trade: What’s in it for Africa?
Economic Investigations #12
Imports: Does U.S. Employment Decline Because of International Trade?