Economics curriculum blending

Bookworm or anyone else that knows:

I am teaching a co-op 1/2 credit economics class this year.  I am definitely using Lessons for the Young Economist because I enjoyed reading it the most and feel all the kids ninth through twelfth will enjoy it.  My question is can I somehow add in better activities, maybe from A Bluestocking Guide or somewhere else?  All the kids have read Whatever Happened to Penny Candy but none have done the activities.

We will get together once a week to discuss and turn in homework.  I can assign homework.  I only have an hour and fifteen minutes in class so I don’t want to “waiste” that time.  We have 14 weeks.

Thoughts and ideas about how to best use our time in class together and their time (4-5 hours a week) on their own?

I will suggest but not require the extra reading that has been metioned in previous threads. Not all the kids are readers like I am.

Thank you!