Some Visual Resources for Middle & High School

Mike Fladlien, a colleague in Iowa, has a blog titled Mikeroeconomics. It's on my link list for a reason. He found a couple excellent resources that I think are appropriate for High School and Middle School.

The first is a simple visual depiction of what $1 Trillion dollars looks like. Despite all the discussion of stimulus, budgets and debt that reference that amount, it is hard for any of us to really fathom just how much money that is. We can joke - there was a congressman in the sixties who is reported to have said, "a million here, and million there and the next thing you know you're talking about real money." Or it may have been billion. Regardless, you can now help your students visualize a trillion. I can only say, it's a powerful and somewhat scary image.

The second resource is a clever YouTube video titled "Cash in the Hat." Mike has also embedded the video on his web site in case you can't access YouTube. It's a clever take off on a Dr. Seuss favorite that your students should be able to identify. The video (just under six minutes) talks about saving and credit in a fun way that could enhance a junior high or high school personal finance unit.

Thanks Mike.

This post relates to the following Keystone Economic Principles:
1. We all make choices.
3. All choices have consequences.
and
8. Quantity and quality of available resources impact living standards.