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Elementary
Resources
HIGH SCHOOL RESOURCE CATEGORIES:
AUDIOVISUALS: Note, some of the audiovisuals are available digitally (wma files), please let us know if you would prefer a flashdrive if available.
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10-J: The History of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
In the 1913, Congress created the Federal Reserve to bring financial stability to the nation after a number of banking panics. The Federal Reserve Act created a unique central bank. Regional offices located throughout the country and under the leadership of local directors blend with oversight from the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. to create a public-private partnership, mirroring the value Americans place on the regional distribution of responsibility and the importance of checks and balances. This DVD explores the roots of this innovative banking structure.
Grades 4-12 38 mins. 
1990, Pacific Arts Video Publishing PBS
Watch Online |
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Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
When Alexander receives a $5 gift, a touching tale of saving and spending and a trail of fiscal misadventure follows. This will pro-vide children with the opportunity to think about needs versus wants. Request activities.
Grades K-5 14 mins. or 
1998, AIMS Media |
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 Basic Concepts in Social Studies
Five animated fantasies encourage children to use reasoning while learning how needs and wants shape economic and social institutions. Request teacher guide.
Grades K-3
1. Why We Use Money: Fisherman Who Needed A Knife
2. Why People Have Special Jobs: Man Who Made Spinning Tops
Grades 3-5
3. Why We Have Laws: Shiver, Gobble and Snore
4. Why We Have Taxes: Town That Had No Policeman
Grades K-5 approx. 7-10 mins. ea.
1970, Learning Corporation of America |
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Buy Me That: A Kid’s Survival Guide to TV Advertising
This video features clips of often-deceptive ads for familiar toys, games, foods and shoes. Revealing interviews with children who tested the actual products help students develop critical TV viewing.
Grades 1-5 28 mins. or
1990, Films Incorporated |
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Buy Me That Too!: A Kid’s Survival Guide to TV Advertising
Most children watch 30,000 - 40,000 television commercials a year, and can’t tell the difference between an advertising fantasy and reality. This video helps children weave through the maze of TV advertising by showing tricks advertisers use to fool viewers and revealing facts that ads don’t provide. Introduces clips from actual commercials, movies and video games and gives tips for spotting deceptive ads. Request teacher guide.
Grades 3-6 30 mins. or DVD
1992, Ambrose Video PublishingWatch online
Part 1
Part 2 |
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Chickenomics Series
1. Chickenomics: A Fowl Approach to Economics - Experiences the key aspects of a market economy: private property, consumer sovereignty, self-interest and competition.
2. Chickenpower: A Fowl Look at Energy Prices - Remembering the energy crisis of the 70’s, how prices affect supply/demand and demonstrates the folly of price controls.
3. Chickenfeed: A Fowl Look at Money - Demonstrates key aspects of money, exchange, money substitutes, supply and inflation. Grades 4-12 approx. 20 mins. ea. or
1985, WRI Education |
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Creating Our Economy
A comprehensive video-supported economics resource for fifth through eighth grade students. With real-life applications representing a range of industries and enterprises, the series explores key economic principles from the inside out. Go to the farm, get on the production line with manufacturing, and visit with education and the service sector.
1. International Trade
2. Markets and Competition
3. Markets and Prices
4. Monopoly and Competitive Markets
5. Productive Resources
Grades 5-8 Five 20-min. segments
2006, Agency for Instructional Technology |
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 Discovering the Hot Stocks Early: Successful Stock Selection Strategies
Wall Street brokerage firms spend billions yearly on research, seeking to divine the future of stock prices from the insights and observations of paid analysts who closely monitor the progress of American corporations, both large and small. However, in light of recent market scandals, how can you be sure whose research you can really trust? Learn from one of the best portfolio managers, Mitch Zacks as he reveals which subtle analytical factors actually provide the most accurate prediction of future stock-price performance.
Grades 4-12 60 mins.
2004, Marketplace Books |
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Econ and Me
This award-winning video series stars 4 children and their invisible friend, who helps them solve real-life economics problems. These 5 videos impart lessons of scarcity, opportunity cost, consumption, production, and interdependence. An introductory video explains how to use the video series. The teacher’s guide includes video program summaries, lesson plans, discussion questions, activities, tests, and student hand-outs.
Grades 2-5 approx. 15 mins. ea. or
1989, Agency for Instructional Technology |
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Economics: What’s It All About?
This unit is designed to teach students the basic principles of economics as they relate to our system of free enterprise. Such concepts as supply and demand, inflation, labor and management, and profit and loss are explained in an enjoyable, easy-to-understand manner. Using examples to which the youngsters will relate, these stimulating programs provide insight into the variety of roles they them-selves play as active participants in our economic system.
1. A Promise to Pay - Children learn about currency in this educational live-action program featuring real-world examples and an easy-to-understand format. The program presents money as a medium of exchange and demonstrates how it enables a value for goods and services to be set.
2. I Have It, They Want It - Children are introduced to the concept of supply and demand in this educational live-action program featuring real-world examples and an easy-to-understand format.
3. Buy Mine - This educational live-action program examines the basic concepts of the free enterprise system, using real-world examples and an easy-to-understand format.
4. I'll Pay Later - Children are introduced to the role of banks in a free enterprise sys-tem in this educational live-action pro-gram featuring real-world examples and an easy-to-understand format.
Grades 4-7 4-Volume Set 10 mins. Ea. or
2007, January Productions |
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Economics by Choice
Illustrate basic economics concepts for children with classroom activities that relate to their own lives. Produced in cooperation with the National Center of Economic Education for Children, this documentary, hosted by Dr. Lois Abeles, illustrates the concepts of unlimited wants, scarcity, choice, and opportunity cost. Request teacher guide.
Grades 3-6 18 mins.
1985, Disney Films |
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Economics for Children
From piggy banks to pineapples, everything we see, use and eat in our homes and com-munities can be linked to the economy. In this video series, scarcity, demand and other basic economic concepts are illustrated and explained through daily activities in the home and the community. Find out how making choices, budgeting and being a smart consumer are a necessary part of money management. Explore the differences between wants and needs, and see how goods and services are provides to communities in the U.S. and around the world.1. Saving, Spending & Investing Money - What do you mean, money doesn’t grow on trees? Discover the truth about money, its history and how the use of money through saving, spending, earning and investing is the backbone of our economy. Learn how hard work, budgeting and good decision-making are the keys to being able to buy the things you need and want. Students will see how financial institutions like banks can help them earn interest and how personal management of their money directly affects the
economy.
2. Staring a Business - Got a great idea? So do Chloe, Andy, Mia and Jamaal! Join them as they go from eating a cookie to starting their own cookie business! Discover how market research and a business plan can help you own and operate a business in your community. See how factors like scarcity, demand, advertising, the availability of resources, com-petition and location directly affect the price and sale of goods and services, and a business's ability to make a profit! See the connection between business owners and customers, and observe how decisions and events that affect one business can cause changes in dozens of other businesses in the economy.
3. U.S. Industries and Resources - Ever wonder how that coconut from Hawaii ended up on your kitchen table? Join us for an adventure in economics, and discover how natural resources in different regions of the United States have started different industries and how dozens of businesses have been created within those industries. Learn about the free market economy of the United States, its domestic and international trade, and how its people use both to satisfy their wants and needs.
4. What is Economics? - Did you know that economics connects and affects almost every person in the world? Everywhere in every community, local markets, natural resources, transportation and people work to provide goods and services. Explore the basic concepts of economics, and learn how people play an important role as both consumers and producers. Find out about wants and needs, goods and services, and scarcity and demand -- the basic building blocks of the economy!
Grades K-4 4-Volume Set, 23 min. ea.
2005, Schlessinger Media |
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The Foundations of Wealth
Most of us associate wealth with money but real wealth can only be achieved through the production and distribution of goods and services. This series of ten playful English segments will explain how society evolved in such a way to enable a huge increase in production to be achieved. Of course there were no television cameras or film crews available 10,000 years ago to record what happened, so this series uses cartoons to illustrate how things might have been all those years ago! Each cartoon section is followed by real-world images showing how this is relevant today.
Grades 5-8 115 mins.
2005, In the Classroom Media
Download Teacher Guide |
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Fox on the Job
Fox tries to earn the money for a new bicycle in several different jobs. He learns that jobs are difficult to come by and they re-quire hard work. In exploring the world of work, the host of the show, LeVar, shares his list of household chores. He also interviews a young man who has started his own business, a dog walker who manages to walk more than one dog at a time, an architect who designs large Lego displays, and a police officer who works on horseback.
Grades K-3 28 mins. or
1996, Reading Rainbow |
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From Poop to
Profits
What does it mean to be an entrepreneur? This is
the story of dairy farmer Brad Morgan, told in his own
words. When falling milk prices threatened his
business, Morgan didn't give up. He Innovated.
He came up with an idea for turning manure into
something he hoped consumers would value. He took
risks, worked hard, and - by serving consumer's needs -
succeeded far beyond his expectations.
Grades 4-12 11 mins.
2009, Izzit.org
Download Teacher Guide |
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Getting and Spending
Teaches money, getting, spending, jobs, producers, consumers and choices. 5 stu-dent books available upon request.
Grades 1-3 8 mins.
1977, Cyprus Publishing Corporation |
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Herschel’s World of Economics
Elementary age students will be charmed by Herschel, a feisty little puppet dog who thinks he knows a lot about economics, but still has a lot to learn. Dr. Day comes to the rescue and helps Herschel learn about important economic concepts identified in national and state standards.
1. Goods and Services - Herschel learns that it takes work to produce the goods and services that satisfy people’s economic wants.
2. Producers and Consumers - Herschel discovers that goods and services must first be produced. He also learns that consumers face many choices.
3. Productive Resources - Herschel learns about all the productive resources it takes to produce doggie treats. He even let’s Dr. Day know about his “secret” ingredient!
4. Scarcity - Herschel learns that he has a scarcity problem – he doesn’t have enough productive resources to produce all the doggie treats his friends want!
5. Trade and Money - Herschel has trouble trading his doggie treats and his “homework” rock for Dr. Day’s candy bar. What can Herschel do to get it?
6. Opportunity Cost - Herschel has a problem. He wants both of Dr. Day’s candy bars, but only has enough money for one of them!
Grades 1-5 10 mins. segements
2007, Purdue University |
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Money Rock
The same great songs you knew and loved as a kid are now available to a whole new gen-eration. Each volume in this special collec-tion features exclusive tracks of some of today’s hottest rock stars singing their favor-ite schoolhouse rock song! Learning about money is easy when you sing along with Money Rock.
Grades 3-6 30 mins.
1998, Disney Films |
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Scrooge McDuck and Money
In this musical animation Huey, Dewey and Louie stop by to see Scrooge McDuck and ask for advice on making their savings grow; he tells them the history of money and the basics of economics. Various segments ex-plain how much a billion is, budgeting and how to save.
Grades 1-5 16 mins. or flash drive
1975, Disney Films
Watch Online
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwk1MBRNUz0
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP3Rv-nib5M&feature=related |
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Stock Market Adventure
A fast-paced, eight-minute video designed to motivate students to learn about the world of stocks in our financial system. Sponsored by Fidelity Investments, it features Peter Lynch, legendary mutual fund manager, and includes a two-page teacher's guide.
Grades 4-12 7 mins.
Fidelity Investments |
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The Ultimate Resource: Eusebio's Dream
High in the Andes Mountains of Peru lie the ruins of Machu Picchu, the historic royal retreat of the Inca empire. Eusebio Mendez Atau and his family farm the land as did Eusebios father and grandfather for the last 100 years. Still, he is unable to hold legal title to the land on which his livelihood depends. Without legal title, Eusebio cannot get a loan to buy more seed or more land. He cannot borrow to educate his children or improve his home. Nor can he benefit from the sale of the property. Through the work of The Institute for Liberty and Democracy in Lima, which fights for property rights and the rule of law, Eusebios Dream has finally come true. Eusebio and his neighbors have received legal title to their land at last!
Grades 4-12 12 mins.
2002 izzit.org
Download Teacher Guide |
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The Ultimate
Resource: The People's Economy
For much of
the twentieth century, China was a poor communist
country. But over the past twenty-five years, 400
million people in China have escaped the dire poverty
of living on less than $1 a day. Average real incomes
have increased 440%. The city of Shanghai now stands as
a dramatic symbol of the fastest growing major economy
in world history. Hundreds of thousands of people work
in skyscrapers, some among the tallest in the world.
Privately owned designer boutiques line the city's
streets. It would seem that Communist China is using
free trade to reinvent itself--but not entirely. In The
People’s Economy we meet Shi Hai and his employees at
internet gaming company Snail Game. They are navigating
the delicate path between China's cultural traditions
and their bold, new ideas. China still faces many
challenges, including widespread poverty in the
countryside. One important question remains unanswered:
Will China's new economic freedoms lead to political
freedom for the Chinese people?
Grades 4-12 12 mins.
2010, Izzit.org
Download Teacher Guide
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The Ultimate
Resource: Victoria's Chance
In a small
fishing village in Ghana, a child is being celebrated.
A welcoming ceremony -- "Kpodziemo" or "Outdooring"--
is held only after the mother believes her child will
survive. This age-old ceremony is about the dreams of
all parents for all children. Joshua Korley has
been fishing his entire life. His most prized
possession is his outboard motor. He nets about 50
dollars a week, when the fishing is good. Joshua
believes his lack of education has been a setback in
his life. His daughter, 12-year-old Victoria, has a
dream: to become a doctor. Public schools in Ghana are
free, but overcrowded. There are 73 students in a
class. Joshua wants something better for Victoria.
Grades 4-12 11 mins.
2008, Izzit.org
Download Teacher Guide
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Ump’s Fwat
Cartoon caveman Ump turns his idea for a Fwat into a successful public company in this charming video that appeals to students in grades 3-8. Ump teaches students the principles of capital formation, including savings, investment, profit, employment, stocks, and dividends. Accompanying 24-page illustrated book available upon re-quest.
Grades 3-8 8 mins. or
1988, Figgie International |
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Unintended Consequences: Eminent Domain
In 2005, the US Supreme Court took on the most important property rights case in the history of our country. The Kelo case pitted homeowners in New London, CT against city officials who wanted to use the power of eminent domain to redevelop the area in the hope of creating jobs and increasing tax revenues. The homeowners resisted, arguing that eminent domain power should only be used for public projects like roads and schools. Ultimately, however, the Court upheld the city's right to turn over the homeowners' property to private land developers. Since that ruling, the use of eminent domain to transfer property from one private owner to another private owner has increased dramatically. The controversial Kelo v. New London decision sparked a nation-wide debate about the importance of property rights that continues today.
Grades 4-12 12 mins.
2007, izzit.org
Download Teacher Guide |
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Winnie the Pooh and the Value of Things
An excellent set of delightful short stories set…helps young students develop economics decision-making skills. 1. The Value of Things
2. What Does It Cost?
3. Plan Ahead
4. The Job Is Yours
5. You Can Bank on It
6. Money Matters
Grades K-3 approx 13 mins. ea.
1978, Disney Films |
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Yours and Mine: The Lesson of 1623
Did the Mayflower pilgrims wear black with brass buckles? Did they survive by sharing, having commonly owned property? Filmed at the Plimoth Plantation Living History Museum in Massachusetts, this short drama sets the record straight by explaining what really happened there in 1623. Includes teacher’s guide.
Grades 4-9 12 mins.
2006, izzit.org
Download Teacher Guide |
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