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YOU Need to Teach YOU Need to Teach Economics to Your StudentsEconomics to Your Students

Janet Mulder: 52nd Congressional District Coordinator Project Citizen & We the People

Anthony Zambelli: 51st Congressional District Coordinator Project Citizen & WTP

San Diego Center for Economic Education at Cuyamaca College

ObjectivesObjectives

Teachers will use a problem solving approach to create more student interest in the study of economics and how it affects our country.

ObjectivesObjectives

Students will experience real life situations of their choosing, applying economic principles, thus acquiring the skills necessary to become effective citizens.

ObjectivesObjectives

Students will become engaged in and learn the process of problem solving which they will use for the rest of their lives!

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What is Project Citizen?

Education for democratic citizenship Teaches students to monitor and influence

public policy Interdisciplinary instructional program for

adolescents• Focuses on state and local government• Applies learning to real world issues• Uses cooperative learning• Serves as a model performance assessment

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Why Use Project Citizen?

Project Citizen develops in students a commitment to active citizenship and governance. Provides the knowledge and skills required

for effective citizenship. Provides practical experience designed to

foster a sense of competence and efficacy. Develops an understanding of the

importance of citizen participation. Develops an economic way of thinking.

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What Does the Project Citizen Instructional Program Achieve?The instructional program helps students to:

Learn how to monitor and influence public policy. Learn policy making processes and their

economics consequences. Develop concrete skills and the foundation

needed to become responsible participating citizens.

Develop effective, creative communication skills. Develop more positive self-images and confidence

in exercising their rights and responsibilities.

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What is Public Policy?

Public policy can be defined as the agreed upon ways that government fulfills its responsibilities to protect the rights of individuals and to promote the general welfare by solving problems.

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What is Public Policy?

Public policies are contained in laws, rules, regulations, decisions, and practices created by executive, legislative, and judicial branches government bureaucracies regulatory agencies other public decision-making bodies

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What Criteria is Used to Select an Issue or Problem?

1. Does government have the responsibility and authority to act on this issue/problem?

2. Can positive or negative economic consequences be identified?

3. Is it reasonable to believe that a policy can or should be written that will resolve the issue/problem?

4. Is the issue/problem important to young people? Does it have a direct or indirect impact on them?

5. Will the class be able to find enough information to tackle the problem?

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Infusing Economics Into Project Citizen

As a class project, students work together to identify and study a problem in their community.

They propose a solution in the form of a public policy recommendation.

They develop an action plan for getting their policy proposal adopted and implemented.

Students display their work in a portfolio and documentation binder and present it in a simulated public hearing.

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Portfolio and Documentation Binder

alternative policies

the problem

documentation section

our class policy

our action plan

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Portfolio and Documentation Binder

Explanation of the problem

Evaluation of alternative policies

Presentation of proposed policy

Presentation of an action plan

Presentation of economic principles on each panel

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Project Citizen- Step I

Identifying public policy problems in communities

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Identifying Public Policy Problems

Students identify public policy problems in their communities by: discussing them with each

other interviewing family

members and other adults reading newspapers and

other print sources listening to news reports

on radio and TV

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Project Citizen - Step II

Selecting a problem for class study

Problems in our community

1. Drugs 3. Pollution

2. Violence 4.

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Selecting a Problem for Class Study

Students present and discuss the problems they have identified and then select one problem for their class project.

Students identify the economic consequences of the problem.

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Project Citizen - Step III

Gathering information on the problem

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Gathering Information on the Problem Selected

Students gather information on the chosen public policy problem from a variety of sources

Numerical DataInterviews and surveys

Printed sourcesRadio and television Libraries

InternetScholars and professors

Lawyers and judgesCommunity organizations and

interest groupsLegislative offices Administrative offices

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Project Citizen - Step IV

Developing

a class portfolio

Class Policy

ActionPlans

Alternate

PoliciesOurProblem

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Developing a Class Portfolio

Group 1 - Develops an explanation of the problem

Group 2 - Evaluates alternative policies Group 3 - Develops a proposed policy

consistent with constitutional principles

Group 4 - Develops an action plan

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What are the Instructional Advantages of Project Citizen?

Students connect with real world problems and events.

Students experience the economic way of thinking.

Students use many disciplines. Students relate assessment activities to

instructional activities.

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What are the Instructional Advantages of Project Citizen?

Students cooperate with peers in group settings

Students work with clear, attainable goals Students evaluate their own progress

through self-assessment Students benefit from the involvement of

parents and other community members

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Project Citizen - Step V

Presenting the portfolio

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Presenting the Portfolio

Public hearing before a panel of evaluators chosen from the community

Presentations by each of the four groups

•Opening oral presentations(4 minutes)

•Responses to questions(6 minutes)

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What are the Assessment Advantages of the Simulated Hearing?

Students connect with real world problems and events.

Students articulate relevant economic principles.

Students integrate a variety of related ideas and skills.

Students use many disciplines. Students relate assessment activities to

instructional activities.

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What are the Assessment Advantages of the Simulated Hearing?

Students cooperate with peers in group settings

Students work with clear, attainable goals Students evaluate their own progress

through self-assessment Students benefit from the involvement of

parents and other community members

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Step VI - Reflecting on the Learning Experience

Exercising the rights of citizens

Fulfilling the responsibilities of citizens

Learning the responsibilities of public officials

Learning the purposes of democratic government

Learning the organization & procedures of government

Learning the role of civil society

Acquiring Civic Knowledge

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Step VI - Reflecting

Intellectual skills• identify• describe• explain• evaluate a position• take a position• defend a position

Developing Civic Skills

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Step VI - Reflecting

Developing Civic Skills Participatory skills

• capacity to influence policies and decisions by working with others

• clearly articulate interests and make them known to key decision and policy makers

• building coalitions, negotiating, compromising and seeking consensus

• managing conflict

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Step VI - Reflecting

Principles Popular sovereignty Constitutional government• Rule of law• Separation of powers• Checks and balances• Minority rights• Judicial review

Experiencing Underlying Values and Principles

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Step VI - Reflecting

Individual responsibility Self discipline/self-governance Civility Courage Respect for the rights of other individuals Respect for law Honesty

Fostering traits of character

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Step VI - Reflecting

Open mindedness Critical mindedness Negotiation and compromise Persistence Civic mindedness Compassion Economic way of thinking

Fostering traits of character

Developing the Economic Way of Thinking

Trade-offs must be made Because the use of scarce

resources is costly, trade-offs must be incurred.

When dealing with scarce resources, an opportunity cost will be present.

Developing the Economic Way of Thinking

People try to get the most from their limited resources People should choose the option

that offers the greatest benefit at the least possible cost.

Developing the Economic Way of Thinking

Decisions are made at the margin. When making a choice people focus on

the difference between two alternatives, such as how much more one item cost than another.

This is also referred to as marginal decision making of "thinking at the margin."

Developing the Economic Way of Thinking

Acquiring information is costly. Information helps people make better

decisions and is, therefore, valuable. Time is scarce, making information

costly to gather. At some point people will decide that

additional information is not worth the additional cost of time.

Developing the Economic Way of Thinking

Economic actions often have indirect as well as direct or secondary effects that are only visible with time. One of the most common

economic errors is the failure to consider secondary effects.

Developing the Economic Way of Thinking

Incentives matter As benefits to making one decision

increase, people will be more likely to choose it. On the other hand, as costs to making one decision increase, people will be less likely to choose it.

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Key Findings

Students believe they can make a difference in their communities.

Students do make a difference in their communities.

Students develop greater understanding of public policy.

Students develop greater understanding of challenges facing policy makers.

Students learn how their government works.

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Key Findings

Students develop a commitment to active citizenship.

Students become involved in their communities. Students learn about specific community

problems. Students learn to work in groups. Students develop important research and

communication skills. Students learn the value of applying the

economic way of thinking to public policy issues.

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For more information contact

Janet Mulder3394 Beaver Hollow Road

    Jamul, CA 91935    (619) 588-5672    (619) 318-8923

    jmulder02@gmail.com

Anthony Zambelli900 Rancho San Diego Pky

El Cajon, CA 92019(619) 660-4318(619) 261-6129

anthony.zambelli@gcccd.edu

San Diego Center for Economic Education at Cuyamaca College

cceesandiego.org