INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — With inflation reaching a 40-year high and talk of a looming recession, high school students are coming of age during one of the most challenging economies in recent history. To help them make sense of how we got here, Poptential™ has expanded and updated its Common Sense Economics digital curriculum to include recent economic events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, and the current inflation crisis. Click to tweet.
“The last couple of years, and this year in particular, have seen huge shifts in U.S. and world economies that will have implications for years to come,” said Julie Smitherman, director of content management at Poptential. “The beauty of a digital curriculum is that it can be updated at any time, so we have been adding content to help explain these shifts.”
Poptential Common Sense Economics is a 15-week curriculum that is standards-based and developed by teachers. Topics are illustrated with pop culture media taken from sitcoms, movies, animations, cartoons, late-night shows, and other sources, to help students better understand and retain a specific concept.
Modules available to address current economic trends include:
● How the pandemic influenced consumer preferences—The pandemic profoundly impacted the supply and demand of many consumer goods. Module 2 of the eBook includes scenes from popular television shows, Superstore and This is Us, highlighting how consumer behavior changed at the beginning of the pandemic. To encourage critical thinking, the module also includes a video on price gouging offering an unconventional viewpoint.
● Why inflation snowballed— There are different theories about what cause …