FEATURES:
[Instructional Resources & Professional Development] [Recommended Web Resources] [Featured Teachers][TEA Approved PFL Resource List] [2008 Jumpstart Survey] [National Financial Literacy Challenge]
The Fall program dates for the Stock Market Game (SGM) are September 29 through December 5, 2008. New on-line curriculum materials provide teachers and students with core concepts, enrichment activities, and assessments.
The Stock Market Game is a ten-week Internet based stock trading simulation offered in the fall and spring. It encourages students to learn about the American economic system and the stock market while applying math, social studies, business, language arts and technology skills.
Instructional Resources & Professional Development
International Economics & Marketing
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Location: State Capitol Legislative auditorium
Cost: $15
The week of Nov. 17-21, 2008 has been designated International Awareness Week. In recognition of this, the Texas Council on Economic Education has planned a conference featuring International Economics and Marketing.
The day includes presentations on transportation, marketing, basic economics, globalization and the US economy, international markets, world food trade, the role of our nation's ports, and others. The workshop features state and national speakers focusing on the interdependence of our economy as it is affected by factors around the world. Speakers include Todd Staples, Texas Agriculture Commissioner; Robert Duvall, President of the National Council for Economic Education; and Steve Cobb, Director of the Center for Economic Education at the University of North Texas.
Attendees receive the Focus Globalization publication of lesson plans, a Virtual Economics CD-ROM with more than 1200 lessons, and other classroom materials. Professional Development credits will be awarded for participation.
Click here to register!
Click here to download flyer.
19th Annual
Dallas Fed
Essay Contest
2009 Theme:
"Once Upon A Time...
in Economics"
Deadline: March 4, 2009
1st place - 1,000 Series EE savings bond
2nd place - $500 Series EE savings bond
3rd place - $250 Series
EE savings bond
4th - 12th place - $100 Series EE savings bond
For more details and to download student entry form, click here.
Evening at the Fed Registration Now Open
Join your Economics colleagues this December for dinner and a discussion of current economic
issues. The dinner meetings will feature a Dallas Fed economist
addressing national economic growth, global expansion, the U.S.
housing bust and general credit conditions, but with a focus on the
region where each presentation is held. El Paso (Dec. 2), Houston (Dec. 4), Dallas (Dec. 9), and San Antonio (Dec. 10) will each be examined closely in
terms of recent performance, the roles they play in the national and
regional economy and the major economic drivers that make these
cities work.
The speaker will be either Bill Gilmer, Vice President and Senior Economist, or Keith Phillips, Senior Economist and Policy Advisor.
For more information and to register for Evening at the Fed online, click here.
Hot off the Presses:
Econ Alive! Program Preview
Be the first to get the Program Preview for Econ Alive! The Power to Choose.
You will get to experience "Chapter 2: Economic Decision Making."Download the chapter from T.C.I.'s Preview a Lesson page. Print it out and use it in your classroom.
Alternatively, you can call Customer Service at 800-497-6138, ext. 0 and the good folks at T.C.I. will mail you one!
November Financial Literacy Challenge Update
Will your students pass the personal finance portion of their requirements to graduate high school?
Are they concerned about current economic conditions?
Now is the perfect time for you and your students to participate in the National Financial Literacy Challenge.
The National Financial Literacy Challenge is a 35-question, voluntary test offered to high school students throughout the country. As a public service from the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Education, it is offered at no charge.
The Challenge was first offered in the spring of 2008, with more than 46,000 high school students participating. For the fall, students demonstrating satisfactory levels of financial literacy will once again earn certificates of recognition. Students demonstrating exceptional levels of financial literacy will be recognized with the 2008 National Financial Literacy Challenge Award, a medal. High school students enrolled in any subject matter from any U.S. high school may participate. Apart from the recognition students and teachers can earn from the U.S. Treasury, Charles Schwab Foundation offers college scholarships to students with the highest scores.
WHAT'S NEW FOR THE FALL:
- Currently enrolled high school students who participated in the spring version of the Challenge may once again compete in the fall Challenge, with one exception: Previous medal winners will not be awarded a second 2008 National Financial Literacy Challenge Award, and are therefore ineligible to compete in the fall Challenge.
- For the fall, students will receive their scores electronically immediately after completing the Challenge. Winners will not be determined, however, until the close of business Nov. 26, 2008.
HOW TO REGISTER: Teacher registration and instructions for the challenge are posted on the website.
GET ON THE E-MAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST: If you are a high school teacher who did not participate in the spring Challenge and would like to be placed on the teacher distribution list, please click here.
FEDERAL RESERVE Resources and Upcoming Events
Be sure to investigate the following upcoming 2008-09 Professional Development events offered by the Federal Reserve of Dallas.
What's New on the Federal Reserve Site?
The Federal Reserve Website houses several interactive tools and resources for educators, students and parents. Teachers, be sure to visit the Teachers Resources section. Here are a few new items:
Economics
Curriculum Resources:
Federal Reserve System Resources
Federal Reserve Classroom and Academic Resources
Personal Financial Education
Request to be added to the Dallas Fed's Economic Education mailing list
Subscribe to the Dallas Fed's Economic Education email alerts
Federal Reserve system & resources powerpoint
New Lessons on Money
Now that the redesigned $5 bill is in circulation,teachers can educate their students about President Abraham Lincoln and the bill's new security features with the help of two new lesson plans developed by the St. Louis Fed. The first lesson, Abraham Lincoln and the $5 Note, includes instruction about Lincoln, thecharacteristics of money and the newly designed note for grades 5-8. The second lesson, Currency and the Fed, is for grades 9-12 and explains the functions of money and the Fed's role in currency.Benjamin Franklin and the Birth of a Paper Money Economy
This new publication tells readers about Benjamin Franklin’s role in the debate over devising a system of paper money in the colonies and his monetary philosophy. It is based on a lecture presented at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and co-sponsored by The Library Company of Philadelphia.Great Minds Think About Money
"Great Minds Think: A Kids Guide to Money" is a free, self-directed activity book that teaches the basic concepts of financial decision making in a fun way. Covered topics include earning, spending, saving, and opportunity cost. A certificate is included so children can celebrate when they complete the activities. The book is designed for children ages 9-12. To order free copies, e-mail learningcenter@clev.frb.org
TREASURY DEPARTMENT SITE ADDRESSES CREDIT ISSUE
The U.S. Department of Treasury and the Ad Council have developed a campaign to combat the issue of excessive debt and financial illiteracy. The Treasury urges young adults to take control of their financial decisions by directing them to "The Bad Credit Hotel", that is, controlyourcredit.gov which provides information about credit and personal finance.
Specifically, controlyourcredit.gov features an interactive, educational game to explain the importance of having a good credit score and how it can be improved.
Great Resources Provided by A+FCU
Dawn Ambuehl-Sadek, Financial Education Specialist of A+FCU,
has some exciting news for Austin ISD's Economics teachers,
The Brass magazines provided by our friend Dawn Ambuel-Sadek, Education Specialist at A+FCU continue to be popular with our students. The magazine's website is awesome too and you're sure to get great ideas while browsing its pages.
Says Dawn, "A+FCU is here to assist you by providing the following free resources:
- Financial education materials in English and Spanish
- On-site training for teachers
- Interactive classroom presentations and activities
- Exclusive online resources
- Partnership opportunity for research and development (focus groups)
- Grants for educators
- Scholarships for students
- Download flyer, "COMMON CENTS" to view more A+FCU resources
I encourage you to visit the Education Center of the A+FCU website to learn more!"
FEATURED TEACHERS
LBJ LASA TEACHER & CLASS FEATURED IN STATESMAN
The Saturday, October 4th issue of the Austin American Statesman featured a front page story in the Metro & State section about Austin ISD teacher Malhaz Jibladze and his advanced placement economics course at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy at LBJ High School. We extend our congratulations to Mr. Jibladze and his class for the flattering article and commend him for the ideal Social Studies classroom described in the article. The article describes how Malhaz routinely draws from the headlines for teaching material relevant to his students' lives as well as the rigorous and engaging content-focused dialogue students clearly understand to be the norm in his classroom.
"Jibladze, 32, first came to LBJ as an exchange student from Georgia in 1992, a year after the Eastern European republic declared its independence from Russia. He returned to the academy as a teacher in 2004. The Russian tanks that rolled into his home country this summer were stark illustrations of economic and political expenses of war for Jibladze's class. Jibladze considers it a badge of honor to teach free-market economics, having come from a formerly communist country...."
To read the full text of the article, click here.
Teacher-recommended Web Resources
Virtual Economics is the CD-ROM for K-12 economics and social studies teachers originally created by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) and the Nebraska Council on Economic Education, with a grant from the National Science Foundation. A completely updated edition, V 3.0, is now available from the NCEE. A range of materials for economics lessons from the Federal Reserve Banks can be read or acquired via this web page as well as lesson plans in .pdf format.
Be sure to check out the excellent online high school economics lessons found on the James Madison University site.
PERC--the Property and Environment Research Center - is the nation's oldest and largest institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through markets and property rights. Research is at the heart of PERC’s work followed by outreach and education.
Formed more than 25 years ago, PERC applies economic thinking to environmental problems. Located in Bozeman Montana, PERC pioneered the approach known as free market environmentalism (FME)
Other recommendations:
TEXTBOOK SITES:
McConnell Brue,
Economics, 15 ed.
MeasuringWorth is a service for calculating relative worth over time. A loaf of bread sold for seven pennies in 1915; what is its "value" today? Your great-grandfather's estate was $1000 in 1900; what is that worth today? What was the GDP in 1947? What was the interest rate in 1976? What is the U.S. Dollar exchange rate against any of 41 different currencies? For the answer to these questions and more check out MeasuringWorth.com.
Send your recommendations to the webmaster.
T.E.A.-approved PFL resources
The T.E.A.'s Social Studies Social Studies Center has made a few additions to the approved list of PFL Resources. This handy chart lists resources approved by Texas Education Agency and indicates which of the Personal Finance Literacy components each resource addresses.
The Stock Market Game
The Stock Market Game™ (SMG) gives students the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an on-line portfolio. They think they're playing a game. You know they're learning economic and financial concepts they'll use for the rest of their lives.
NCEE
A premier source of classroom tested, Internet-based economic lesson materials for K-12 teachers and their students.
The National Council on Economic Education
invites you to check out their new online E-Catalog.
It's a great way to find the newest materials and lesson plans for your classroom this fall. Plus you can:
- Download sample lesson plans
- Preview the Table of Contents
- Quickly and easily place your order online at the NCEE Store
Jump$tart RELEASES 2008 Survey
According to the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy's biennial survey of high school seniors, financial literacy
Are your students up for the challenge ? Click here for the RealityCheck from JumpStart Coalition for Personal Finance Literacy. is still declining among high school seniors.
The financial literacy scores of the 2008 high school senior class rank lower than their 2006 peers - 48.3% vs. 52.4 %. Results of the first ever Jump$tart Survey of college students shows higher scores, from 59% in the freshman year of college to 65% in their senior year. "The data suggest that not only age, but problem-solving ability are important factors in students' abilities to grasp and apply financial information," said Laura Levine, executive director of the national coalition. "This year's survey underscores that while we must continue teaching personal finance to high school students, reinforcing and repeating financial literacy efforts at the college level yields positive results."
Copies of both the 2008 high school and college survey questionnaires, showing detailed responses, are posted on the Jump$tart Web site at www.jumpstart.org in the Downloads section.
The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy maintains an online database of national Training Programs to assist educators, parents, students and others in gaining personal finance knowledge and skills.
Economics
Curriculum Resource:
HotChalk's LessonPlansPage has over 3,500 free lesson plans!
To find lesson plans that match your criteria, begin by selecting a subject, recent additions, or seasonal lessons, or search for specific topics.
For example, In this marketing lesson, students develop a company, product, marketing plan and advertisements
Visit the parent site, HotChalk.com for free 
online teacher toolsand thousands
of additional teacher resources.
Major topics in the Jump$tart Program include
INCOME, MONEY MANAGEMENT, SAVING AND INVESTING,
SPENDING, including consumer credit.
© AISD, 2008 /