The Classroom Economist features video and PowerPoint content designed to clarify and enhance teacher understanding of core economic and Federal Reserve topics. This content provides lesson demonstrations and resource ideas to help teachers bring the economic topics to life in the classroom.
In a special video segment, Gary Tapp, director of economic education at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, discusses the goals for the Classroom Economist series. He also introduces the current quarter's topic.
Videos
PowerPoint Lesson—This voice-over PowerPoint lesson helps you give your students a clear understanding of the history of central banking in the United States, from the First Bank of the United States to the Second Bank of the United States to today's Federal Reserve System.
SMART Board Lesson on central banking—Teachers with interactive whiteboards will appreciate the SMART Lesson on the history of central banking. This lesson provides an additional opportunity to get students actively involved in the lesson. (.notebook, 17.8 MB)
Lesson procedures (63 KB PDF)
Test Your Knowledge—This short PowerPoint-based quiz will gauge students' understanding, or your own, of events in the history of central banking in the United States, up to an including the role of the Federal Reserve in the Great Depression.
You can also use this piece for review or as a basis for creating your own evaluations. (If PowerPoint does not launch in slideshow mode, select slideshow mode to take the quiz.)
Resources Guide—This guide provides links not only to the demonstrated lesson but to other free lesson plans, publications, and other resources to supplement your unit on central banking.
Videos
PowerPoint Lesson—This voice-over PowerPoint lesson helps you give your students a clear understanding of GDP.
SMART Board Lesson on GDP —Teachers with interactive whiteboards will appreciate the SMART Lesson on gross domestic product, which provides an additional opportunity to get students actively involved in the lesson. (.notebook, 2.5 MB)
Lesson procedures (63 KB PDF)
Test Your Knowledge—This short PowerPoint-based quiz will gauge students' understanding, or your own, of factors related to gross domestic product, including how to measure it and its components.
You can also use this piece for review or as a basis for creating your own evaluations. (If PowerPoint does not launch in slideshow mode, select slideshow mode to take the quiz.)
The Fed Explains Real Versus Potential GDP—The latest in the Atlanta Fed's The Fed Explained series is a video that explores real versus potential gross domestic product, or GDP. Using an engaging animated format, the video defines what GDP means to an individual and its relationship to Fed policies.
Resources Guide—This guide provides links not only to the demonstrated lesson but to other free lesson plans, publications, and other resources to supplement your unit on GDP.
Videos
PowerPoint Lesson—This voice-over PowerPoint lesson helps you give your students a sharper understanding of unemployment.
SMART Board Lesson on Unemployment—Teachers with interactive whiteboards will appreciate the SMART Lesson on unemployment, which provides an additional opportunity to get students actively involved in the lesson. (.notebook, 2.5 MB)
Instructions (63 KB PDF)
Test Your Knowledge—This short PowerPoint-based quiz will gauge students' understanding, or your own, of factors related to unemployment, including what the labor force is and how the unemployment rate is determined
You can also use this piece for review or as a basis for creating your own evaluations. (If PowerPoint does not launch in slideshow mode, select slideshow mode to take the quiz.)
Jobs Calculator—Calculate the net employment change needed to achieve a target unemployment rate after a specified number of months. You can adjust the target unemployment rate, the number of months, and the assumed labor force growth.
Resources Guide—This guide provides links not only to the demonstrated lesson but to other free lesson plans, publications, and other resources to supplement your unit on unemployment.
Videos
PowerPoint Lesson—This voice-over PowerPoint lesson helps you give your students a sharper understanding of monetary policy.
SMART Board Lesson on Monetary Policy—Teachers with interactive whiteboards will appreciate the SMART Lesson on monetary policy, which provides an additional opportunity to get students actively involved in the lesson. (.notebook, 2.5 MB)
Test Your Knowledge—This short PowerPoint-based quiz will gauge students' understanding, or your own, of the Fed's role in setting monetary policy. You can also use this piece for review or as a basis for creating your own evaluations. (If PowerPoint does not launch in slideshow mode, select slideshow mode to take the quiz.)
Resources Guide—This guide provides links not only to the demonstrated lesson but to other free lesson plans, publications, and other resources to supplement your unit on monetary policy.
Videos
PowerPoint Lesson—This voice-over PowerPoint lesson provides deeper insight into the role of banks, the fractional reserve banking system, monetary expansion, and the role of the Federal Reserve.
SMART Board Lesson on Fractional Reserve Banking—Teachers with interactive whiteboards will appreciate the SMART Lesson on fractional reserve banking, which provides an additional opportunity to get students actively involved in the lesson. (.notebook, 3.5 MB)
Test Your Knowledge—This short PowerPoint-based quiz will gauge students' understanding of fractional reserve banking—or your own. This piece can also be used for review or as a basis for creating your own evaluations. (If PowerPoint does not launch in slideshow mode, select slideshow mode to take the quiz.)
Resources Guide—This guide provides links not only to the demonstrated lesson but to other free lesson plans, publications, and other resources to supplement your unit on money and banking.
Videos
Lesson on Money—This lesson reinforces key money concepts. Use it to prepare teachers for the classroom or to teach students.
SMART lessons—These two lessons cover the functions, characteristics, and types of money. Early American Money introduces students to the foundations and principles of money in colonial America, and highlights the economic problems a country experiences from having too little money in circulation. What is Money? demonstrates the relationship between the supply of money and nominal interest rates, and explains the Federal Reserve's role in that process.
Test Your Knowledge—Use this quiz to test your own comprehension of money or assess student learning. (If PowerPoint does not launch in slideshow mode, select slideshow mode to take the quiz.)
Resources Guide—This guide provides links to additional resources and lesson plans to expand your knowledge and teaching skills regarding money.
Videos
Lesson on Inflation—This lesson reinforces key inflation concepts. Use it to prepare teachers for the classroom or to teach students. Interactive Whiteboard (.notebook, 8 MB)
Test Your Knowledge—Use this quiz to test your own comprehension of inflation or assess student learning. (If PowerPoint does not launch in slideshow mode, select slideshow mode to take the quiz.)
The Fed Explains Inflation—The first in the Atlanta Fed's video series on economic issues and the Federal Reserve focuses on inflation. In an engaging animated format, this brief video defines inflation and the price level and explains the difference between inflation and cost-of-living price increases.
Resources Guide—This guide provides links to additional resources and lesson plans to expand your knowledge and teaching skills regarding inflation.