Finding the Demand Curve - AP Economics Activity

We want students to discover and wonder about the world around us. That is at the core of social science education. How do we explain the world around us? Kids need to explore and try to figure things out. They need to problem solve. They need to think. That is where this lesson comes from....

AP® Macroeconomics: FRQ Rules of the Road

Let’s face it, poorly answered free response questions are hard on both teachers and students. Most students shudder at the thought of answering the free response questions in AP Macro because it requires them to gather all their knowledge AND apply it. When teachers see poorly answered FRQs, we...

Adding Variety to Your AP Econ Class

Here we are. The middle of the year. The students you had hooked ever since your first week of activities are now starting to feel the grind of the school year. Economics is equipped to be the “dismal science,” and this helps feed everyone’s feelings this time of year. Your fun activities now seem...

Hitting the Ground Running: Top Tips for a Beginning AP® Macro Teacher

Teaching Advanced Placement^® classes can be daunting. You’ll ask yourself questions like “what is the rigor?”; “How do I test them?”; “Should I stick closely to the book, or can I deviate?”; “How much writing do they need to do?”; “What is the graphing requirement?” and so on. If you’ve never...

AP® Macro: Tying it All Together

Over the years I’ve come to realize that, like any other subject, Macroeconomics is best retained when connections are made. It is for this reason that I find myself consistently connecting the new graphs that we introduce to the ones taught prior—production possibilities curve, business cycle, and...

Cramming (the Right Way) for the AP® Economics Exams

There is less than a month until the AP^® Econ exams. It is crunch time for students—especially those taking multiple AP^®exams. These exams can be a very stressful time for everyone (I am sure you are getting anxious as well). A year’s (or semester’s) worth of work comes down to a few hours in May...

Top 5 Tips for the AP® Econ Exams

So, it’s almost time for the AP Economics exams. Hopefully, you have started a countdown. If not, that is step one. You want to remind students (so long as it doesn’t increase their anxiety) how many days of studying there are before the exam.

Students and teachers have worked so hard all year,...

AP® Macro: The Pen Auction—A Lesson in Inflation

Inflation is defined as a rise in the general level of prices over time. For some students, it can be difficult to comprehend unless they actually see it in action. It is an aspect of economics that can critically affect all types of decisions that people, governments, and businesses make. It is an...