Program Overview

Center for Economic Education

The Center for Economic Education is a key player in the state delivery of the "Reading Makes Cent$" program sponsored by the Virginia Council on Economic Education and Virginia 529. This program includes free economics-related books for libraries, associated instructional materials, and competitions for students.

Lessons

The following lessons are available, authored by Lynne Stover and edited by the Virginia Council on Economic Education:

• Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
  • Grades: K-12
  • Concepts: Opportunity Cost, Saving, Spending
• Booker T. Washington: "Fifty Cents and a Dream"
  • Grades: K-5
  • Concepts: Capital, Capital Resources, Decision Making, Economic Growth, Human Resources, Income, Job, Productive Resources, Scarcity, Specialization
• Bunny Money
  • Grades: K-3
  • Concepts: Goods, Interest, Long-term goals, Saving, Savings goal, Short-term Goals, Spending
• The Colonial Worker's Web
  • Grades: 4-8
  • Concepts: Goods, Services, Producers, Consumers, Self-sufficiency, Specialization, Interdependence, Barter
• The Goat in the Rug
  • Grades: 1-3
  • Concepts: Natural Resources, Human Resources, Capital Resources, Intermediate Goods, Producers
• How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
  • Grades: 3-5
  • Concepts: Production, Interdependence, Global Market
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
  • Grades: 1-3 (revised to) 1-3 (no change, but for clarity) Concepts: Unlimited Wants, Goods, Services (no change, but for clarity and proper grammar, the following was added) The lesson focuses on the concepts of unlimited wants, goods, and services, providing an engaging way to introduce these economic principles to young learners. However, the original text did not explicitly state the lesson's focus, so the information was rephrased for better understanding.
• Money, Money, Honey Bunny
  • Grades: K-3
  • Concepts: Wants, Spending
• One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
  • Opportunity Cost Lesson
  • Grades: 3-5
  • Concepts: Borrow, Entrepreneurship, Income, Money, Profit, Save
• The Pickle Patch Bathtub
  • Grades: 3-5
  • Concepts: Opportunity Cost, Saving, Saving Goal, Saving Plan
• Potato, A Tale of the Great Depression
  • Grades: K-3
  • Concepts: Barter, Consumers, Goods, Income, Money, Wants
• Saturday Sancocho
  • Grades: 3-5
  • Concepts: Barter, Coincidence of Wants, Money
• Saving Strawberry Farm
  • Grades: 3-5
  • Concepts: Banks, Goods, Services, Saving
• Something from Nothing
  • Grades: 3-5
  • Concepts: Changes, Opportunity Cost
• What Pet Should I Get?: Dr. Seuss and Decision Making
  • Grades: K-5
  • Concepts: Choice, Cost/Benefit Analysis, Decision Making, Goods, Opportunity Cost, Scarcity, Services

About the Center

The Center for Economic Education is located at 220 University Blvd., MSC 5503, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807.

James Madison University

James Madison University is located at 800 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.