Our standard of living depends on the pace of economic growth. That pace can be enhanced through increased productivity brought about by investment in physical and human capital and advances in technology. In this module, students will learn about these tools to increase productivity and advance our standard of living. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

What can be done to get people back to work? Students get the answer to this and other questions — including why education might be the best way to avoid unemployment in the future — in this short online module. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

Young children are not likely to think past their piggy banks when it comes to safe places to set money aside for those special items. In this short module, your students will learn that a bank account offers security and a return on their savings. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

It's never too soon to begin teaching basic financial concepts, such as human capital, decision-making, saving, and using credit, to young students. Ella's Adventures allow your students to follow young Ella as she learns important life lessons.

“How Daniel Got What He Wanted” is the fifth video in the Explore Economics animated series. It will help students understand that people have to save to get the things they want. Daniel wants a new bike helmet and must earn income and save to reach his goal.

This video from the Explore Economics series helps kids understand what productivity is and how we can increase productivity. Kids learn that productivity is a measure of output per worker per unit of time. They learn that we can increase productivity through division of labor, investment in human capital, and using new capital resources.

Explore Economics is a series of short videos that introduce elementary-age children to economic concepts.

Students can investigate the consumer price index for all urban consumers. The resource includes an interactive graph and information about the index.

With files in many categories, FRED offers a wealth of historical US data on interest rates, business indicators, balance of payments, exchange rates, and lots more.

The Federal Reserve uses its monetary policy tools to achieve its Congressional mandate—maximum employment and price stability. However, its tools have changed. Prior to 2008 the Fed used open market operations as its primary tool for adjusting the federal funds rate. Today, the Fed uses interest on reserves as its primary tool. Learn all about the Fed’s new tools and the way it uses them to move the economy toward maximum employment and price stability.

Meet Oscar Ostrich. In this fable, Oscar Ostrich is taught to think about his future needs and set financial goals to become more confident about his financial future. The story is centered on the moral: "If you set and reach financial goals, your needs will be met in the future."

Inflation, unemployment, recession, and economic growth affect people in real ways. Through interactive lessons, this module teaches students about fiscal policy, the avenue by which Congress and the president attempt to influence the economy. Three modules that would further students understanding of the content are GDP and Pizza, The Unemployment Short Modules, and The Fed's New Monetary Policy Tools. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

Inflation, unemployment, recession, and economic growth affect people’s lives. This module teaches students about fiscal policy, the avenue by which Congress and the president can attempt to influence the economy. Other modules that would further students understanding of the content are GDP and Pizza, Government Budgets, The Story of Unemployment, and Monetary Policy. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

GDP and Pizza: Economics for Life is designed to help students in civics, economics and other social studies classes grasp challenging economic content - and to explain why these topics are important for citizens to understand.

Section One covers:

the definition Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
the components of GDP
per capita GDP

Section Two covers:

real vs. nominal GDP
levels vs. percentage change
importance of a growing economy
trend growth rate
uses for GDP data
automatic stabilizers

The module includes numerous interactive checks for understanding, video clips of a Fed economist explaining concepts and everyday examples that will make sense to students. In addition, students complete a pre- and post-test to assess learning. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

GDP: Measurement and Growth is the second short module in the GDP and Pizza: Economics for Life series. This series is designed to help students in civics, economics and other social studies classes grasp challenging economic content - and to explain why these topics are important for citizens to understand.

GDP: Measurement and Growth assumes students already understand the basics of GDP as well as GDP per capita and standard of living. It covers:

real vs. nominal GDP
levels vs. percentage change
importance of a growing economy
trend growth rate

The module includes numerous interactive checks for understanding, video clips of a Fed economist explaining concepts and everyday examples that will make sense to students. In addition, students complete a pre- and post-test to assess learning. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

GDP: Policy is the third short module in the GDP and Pizza: Economics for Life series. This series is designed to help students in civics, economics and other social studies classes grasp challenging economic content - and to explain why these topics are important for citizens to understand.

GDP: Policy assumes students already understand the basics of GDP as well as GDP growth and measurement. It covers:

uses for GDP data
automatic stabilizers

The module includes numerous interactive checks for understanding, video clips of a Fed economist explaining concepts and everyday examples that will make sense to students. In addition, students complete a pre- and post-test to assess learning. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

GDP: What Is It? Is one of three short modules that are part of a series GDP and Pizza: Economics for Life. The series is designed to help students in civics, economics and other social studies classes grasp challenging economic content - and to explain why these topics are important for citizens to understand.

This first short module, GDP: What Is It? covers:

the definition Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
the components of GDP
per capita GDP

The module includes interactive checks for understanding, video clips of a Fed economist explaining concepts and everyday examples that will make sense to students. In addition, students complete a pre- and post-test to assess learning. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

Using some form of credit is a necessity for most adults. Unfortunately, some misuse credit, and the consequences can be devastating. The earlier young people learn about credit, the more likely they are to use it responsibly as adults. In this short module, your students will learn what credit is, why people use credit, and how interest can affect the final cost of a good or service when bought on credit. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

The federal government’s budget is in the news almost every day. We hear about programs being implemented and others being reduced or eliminated in lawmakers’ attempts to agree on a final budget. Regardless of the decisions being made, peoples’ opinions and wants vary. As you can imagine, a federal lawmaker’s job is not easy.

In this module, your students will play the role of a freshman lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives trying to serve his or her constituents’ goals and the long-term goals of the United States. Along the way, they’ll learn about the federal budget process and how federal government initiatives and programs are funded. This content from Econ Lowdown also features alignment to national Financial Literacy and/or Economics standards.

History holds many economic lessons. The Great Depression, in particular, is an event that provides the opportunity to teach and learn a great deal about economics-whether you're studying the economic reasons that the Depression took place, the factors that helped it come to an end or the impact on Americans who lived through it. This curriculum is designed to provide teachers with economic lessons that they can share with their students to help them understand this significant experience in U.S. history.