What Does This Mean For Economics Education?

By:The USF Stavros Center

Overview of the Initiative

State-led and developed common core standards for K-12 in English/language arts and mathematics

Focus on learning expectations for students, not how students get there.

Why Now?

• Different standards across states

• Student mobility

• Global competition

• Today’s jobs require different skills

Key Shifts in ELA/Literacy

• Balancing informational and literary text• Building knowledge in the disciplines• Complex Texts and Close Reading• Text-Based Answers• Writing From Sources

– Argumentative– Short and sustained research projects

• Academic Vocabulary

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Balancing Informational & Literary Text

• In economics K-5, use of:– Social Studies textbook– Non-fiction & primary sources– Literary texts (literature/fiction)– Digital (websites, photos, videos, etc.)

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Building knowledge in the disciplines

• In economics, emphasize reading to learn:– Learn from what they read – Do not summarize for them

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Staircase of Complexity/Complex Texts

• Students read the central, grade appropriate text (based on “lexiles” and other measures).– Economics textbooks need to be more complex– Include text plus primary source documents and

other complexities (graphs, charts, images, etc)

7CCSS, Appendix A, page 4

http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/

Texts

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Text-Based Answers

It’s all about the text! Ask good questions, based on reading.Expect answers, based on evidence from reading.For example, in Economics:– Economic Way of Thinking– Core Economics Concepts

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The Economic Way of Thinking

11http://www.kidseconposters.com/images/6core.swf

Common Sense Economics

Dwight Lee• Lexile® Measure 1450L• Demand and Supply

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http://commonsenseeconomics.com/

Writing From Sources• Writing uses evidence from different sources

– Writing to inform: use textbook and other documents (including photos, videos, primary sources, websites) to provide information.

– Writing to make an argument: use textbook and other documents (i.e. photos, videos, websites, maps, primary sources) to argue facts and persuade

*Use newspaper or magazine articles: The Economist, Time Moneyland, New York Times, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal (classroom edition) http://classroom.wsj.com/

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Primary Source Lessons from the Federal Reserve

• Lesson to Accompany the First Bank of the U.S.A.publication: http://www.philadelphiafed.org/education/teachers/lesson-plans/first-bank.pdf

• Myths, Tall Tales and Urban Legends: Facts Behind the Fed : http://www.frbatlanta.org/documents/edresources/MythsLessonCEE.pdf

• Free Silver Lesson: https://www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources/assets/lesson_plans/FreeSilverMovement.pdf

• Our Great Depression curriculum website also has links to primary source documents, videos, interviews, photographs, and FDR's fireside chats: http://www.stlouisfed.org/greatdepression/

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Data Resources

• FRASER: Federal Reserve Archives : http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/

• FRED: Customizable graphs --http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/

• GeoFRED- Geography based tool : http://geofred.stlouisfed.org/#

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Academic Vocabulary• Focus on general academic words: discourse,

generate, theory, compare/contrast.• Focus on discipline-specific words: economic

concepts and associated words– Economics Glossary:

http://www.econedlink.org/economic-resources/glossary.php

– Fifty Nifty Econ Cards: http://www.federalreserveeducation.org/resources/fiftynifty/ 16

What Should We Do?

• MAINTAIN NGSSS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES!• Leveling texts we have and creating new texts.• Attention to primary sources• Writing from sources: writing like an economist!• Reading complex texts: thinking like an economist!• Match materials to standards• Integrate literacy standards as tools to teach the content:

reading and writing about economics!• Provide Economics Activities that relate to standards

More Information

• Visit http://www.corestandards.org/ • Visit our home page for a link to more information:

http://stavros.coedu.usf.edu/ and click the common core message under What’s New or to to: http://globalliteracies.wordpress.com/common-core-for-global-literacies/