Economics

Essays by other people.  Like I, Pencil, which is freely available on the internet and I could mention a couple of other really good ones.  There are some EXCELLENT writers out there today trying to get the economic message out there that have really, really displayed some creativity.  There is an essay that I think might still be on a blog, I’ll look, that showed a bunch of kids trading Halloween candy and one kind of candy developed as a “money” and they all traded on the basis of that–very well done!  It is in a book on Mises.org called “It’s a Jetsons World” which is also outstanding, but like Stossel more of a topical book than a traditional exposition of principles. 

I’d suggest for money What Has Government Done to Our Money from http://www.mises.org  The same site has a PHENOMENAL 40 minute video called Money, Banking, and the Federal Reserve, and it does cost, but it is only five dollars, and it is extremely well done, very high-interest.

Do consider getting the most recent Stossel free video, and look up the Edgar the Exploiter video on Youtube sometime.  They are a lot more  high-interest than the Khan videos, which are solid, the ones I’ve seen, but not exactly exciting.  Also, John Stossel has a weekly program on Fox Business, if you get TV.  You DO need to preview the topic for the night, as once we wandered in and turned it on to discover an hour long program promoting deregulating prostitution (whatever the merits on economic grounds, I wasn’t about to watch that with three teen boys!!!)  Also he does periodic specials on Fox News and they are usually terrific.

You’re right, there IS a tremendous available online now!

Bookworm – Thanks for the feedback.  I’m beginning to look into some of your suggestions…don’t know how much I’ll be able to use b-4 graduation fro my oldest in a few weeks – but hopefully I can give her some ideas to pursue further knowledge on the subject afterwards as well.  I’m so glad for the converging of minds here.  I learn a lot.  And its always good to get a reality check from someone more well-educated than myself.  I just often find it too late to implement well with my oldest kids.  Sometimes they joke that they’re the guinea pigs – and I’m afraid there’s more truth in it than I’m comfortable with sometimes!

Julie

I found this link – http://www.homeschoolforhighschool.com/Courses.html

I would love something so well laid out to work through over the next 6 years. Anyone?

I’m working on my long-tern schedule for Economics, too.

Some resources I’m looking at using:

…Penny Candy

Common Sense Business for Kids

Capitalism for Kids

Economics: A Free Reader

Lessons for the Young Economist – Robert Murphy

Economics in One Lesson – Henry HAzlitt

Basic Economics: A COmmon Sense Guide to the Economy – Thomas Sowell

Economics for Everybody : http://www.classicalhistorian.com/economics-for-everybody.html

Economics in a Box : http://www.economicthinking.org/curriculum/EconomicsinaBox/index.html

Thinkwell and/or Great Courses

I think the SCm Business course would fit in around 6th? I don’t know, you’ll have to look. I do think 5th is too young for Penny Candy.

Sonlight has an economics package.

Libery Fund Books has classic, free-market economics books available.

Also, Adam Smith and Bastiat. Maybe some writings of Alexander Hamilton to mix things up a bit since he was a high-Federalist and our first Treas. Sec. It’d be interesting to compare and contrast ideas.

Bumping. I would still like to have a 6th-12th plan of some sorts. Bookworm? Others?