JA Exploring Economics™
Through hands-on classroom activities, JA Exploring Economics™ fosters lifelong skills and knowledge about how the economy works, including micro-, macro-, personal, and international economics.
Following participation in the program, students will be able to:
- Synthesize and evaluate how fundamental economic concepts and principles guide the U.S. and global economic systems.
- Identify the role and impact of government within the market economy.
- Demonstrate an understanding of economic principles that guide personal and business decisions.
Session Titles and Summaries
Session One—Economic Systems: Who Makes the Big Decisions?
Students examine how the economic system that a society uses for production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services significantly affects the individuals in that society.
Session Two—Supply and Demand: What’s It Worth to You?
Students illustrate the impact of supply and demand on the economy by participating in an economic situation using real-life examples.
Session Three—Supply and Demand: The JA Market Game
Using an experiential game format, students demonstrate the interaction of supply and demand and how market forces affect the price of products.
Session Four—Saving and Investing: Risks and Rewards
Students explore concepts related to saving and investing. They compare the characteristics, risks, and rewards of several saving and investing options.
Session Five—Government’s Role in the Market
Students analyze the effect of government on the economy, including intervention through the production of public goods and services, taxes, and its role in protecting private property.
Session Six—Money, Inflation, and the CPI
Students learn about inflation and its effect on prices, consumer purchasing power, the willingness of financial institutions to loan money, and how the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is used to monitor inflation.
Session Seven—International Trade
Students see the advantages of international trade through a simulation based on the increased utility (satisfaction) of global interaction.
JA Worldwide® (Junior Achievement) gratefully acknowledges MetLife Foundation for its dedication to the development and implementation of the high school program JA Exploring Economics. JA Worldwide appreciates its partnership with MetLife Foundation to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. JA programs encourage self-confidence and motivate young people to achieve their personal, educational, and career goals.
For additional information on this and all Junior Achievement programs, please visit www.ja.org