Economics Curriculum?

[carol]

I am teaching govenment to my 9th grader this upcoming year since it is election year. My question
is: should I go ahead and teach economics? If
so what have you used and liked?

Carol

[LadyAberlin]

I personally like Richard Maybury's books at Bluestocking Press. But he is very conservative. So depending on your views, you may or may not like them.

[Faithr]

We decided to go with the same text our county's public high schools use. It looks solid and balanced and there's lots of extra teacher support at their website. It's put out by Glencoe and it's called Economics; Principles and Practices.

[DollyM]

I'm going to use "Basic Economics A Citizen's Guide to the Economy". Found a syllabus online. Comes with DH's hearty recommendation. But never used it before and have no actual experience. ISBN 0465081452

[carol]

The basic economics by Thomas Sowell looks excellent!
I am very impressed but I'm not sure it'd last a whole semester just reading. Is there a workbook, quiz book, etc. that goes with this
or do you think writing assignments?

Carol

[MIch elle]

economics program. Watch for it in their new catalog April 1.

[Kathy in MD]

You might also look at The Teaching Company Economic lectures. Another good supplement would be The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers by Robert L. Heilbroner.

I would recommend Richard J Maybury's books only after a well rounded course in economics and a good understanding of it. My observations are based on the one economic book of his that I've read, What Ever Happened to Penny Candy. In it, he does make a few good points, and he makes several other controversial points worth discussing. But in attempting to blame everything on the government, he sweeps all the basics of human nature, miscalculations, technological advances and other business factors under the rug. These are all aspects I studied in obtaining my MBA in finance and while working for a Fortune 500 company as a business analyst. BTW, that company is no longer a Fortune 500 company because of technological advances and several bad business decisions - including on how to sell the first true laptop computer.

[Laura in VA]

I'm going to use "Basic Economics A Citizen's Guide to the Economy". Found a syllabus online. Comes with DH's hearty recommendation. But never used it before and have no actual experience. ISBN 0465081452

Thanks a bunch!
:)

[Jean in Wisc]

Sowell
Hazlitt
Abeka
BJU

My dd looked them all over carefully and chose ABeka. It is written by a well-known economist, and it was interesting (dd says, "I enjoyed it.")

[Colleen]

I would recommend Richard J Maybury's books only after a well rounded course in economics and a good understanding of it. My observations are based on the one economic book of his that I've read, What Ever Happened to Penny Candy. In it, he does make a few good points, and he makes several other controversial points worth discussing

By no means would I recommend using his books as the primary source for studying economics. An addition, perhaps, to further discussion, but not the centerpiece. (Fwiw, I'm degreed in econ.)

[8FillTheHeart]

I used Abeka with my oldest. It is an excellent course and he learned a lot. I also added in a few other books, Penny Candy being one of them. Another was a biography of Adam Smith.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. However, being a Sowell fan.....I am going to look into that one!!

[CathieC]

We like the Bluestocking Press books. We supplement with internet sites of interest. We are currently doing this, and will have a final project (have not developed it yet).

[Dana in OR]

I bought the entire series of Richard Maybury books and was quite impressed with the first books. They provide a very clear portrait of how the economy works and would not hesitate to use them. I did not like the last couple of books in the series (too political, conspiracy-theory).

I prefer the economists Thomas Sowell and Walter E. Williams. The book "Basic Economics" by Sowell is excellent. I regularly read columns by Sowell and Williams on townhall.com and have often thought that their archived columns on that site could be a course in ecomonics in itself -- or at least some very interesting dinnertime discussions. The columns are short and to the point.