Sign in with Google Standards for Forecasting Economics – Using Weather to Teach Wants
National Standards in Economics
Standard: 1
Name: Scarcity
Students face many choices every day. Is watching TV the best use of their time? Is working at a fast-food restaurant better than the best alternative job or some other use of their time? Identifying and systematically comparing alternatives enables people to make more informed decisions and to avoid unforeseen consequences of choices they or others make. Some students believe that they can have all the goods and services they want from their family or from the government because goods provided by family or by governments are free. But this view is mistaken. Resources have alternative uses, even if parents or governments own them. For example, if a city uses land to build a football stadium, the best alternative use of that land must be given up. If additional funds are budgeted for police patrols, less money is available to hire more teachers. Explicitly comparing the value of alternative opportunities that are sacrificed in any choice enables citizens and their political representatives to weigh the alternatives in order to make better economic decisions. This analysis also makes people aware of the consequences of their actions for themselves and others, and leads to a heightened sense of responsibility and accountability.
- 4-12: Students will understand that: Productive resources are limited. Therefore, people cannot have all the goods and services they want; as a result, they must choose some things and give up others.
- 4-12: Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Identify what they gain and what they give up when they make choices.
Common Core State Standards
Name: CCRA.L.6
Standard: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
Area: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
- Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.
Name: CCRA.R.1
Standard: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
Area: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
- Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Name: CCRA.SL.1
Standard: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
Area: College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
- Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
