New Review: EMC Publishing’s Economics

EMC Publishing’s Economics: New Ways of Thinking (Second Edition) is a comprehensive, semester-long high school economics course available in print and eBook formats. Instruction introduces students to concepts in economics in the context of globalization and relevant current events. Content is organized in five units: (1) introduction to economics, including the free enterprise system, (2) the concepts of supply and demand, (3) microeconomics, (4) macroeconomics, and (5) trade and investment. Each unit includes an overarching project and ends with an activity in which students debate economic issues.

The course includes features that make connections between economics and students’ lives. The Why it Matters? feature establishes the relevance of content to students’ lives and Economics Around the Clock demonstrates the day-to-day applications of concepts. Resources also support student understanding and engagement. The “A Student Asks” feature anticipates many of the questions students may have as they read and provides answers. “Economics in the Real World” poses questions that link economics to culturally relevant topics and events (e.g., Can Big Macs Predict Exchange Rates?). “Your Personal Economics” demonstrates how economics connects to individual students (e.g., the power of saving), “Economic Facts and Fallacies” clarifies common misconceptions, and “Thinking Like an Economist” asks students to examine problems from an economist’s point of view. The course culminates in a multi-day, multimedia group research project in which students examine the effects of a financial crisis.

Teacher Editions include comprehensive resources to support instruction, including a pacing guide for 50-minute and block schedule courses and a correlation to the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics. Teacher materials include suggestions for cross-curricular activities, Internet research projects, and collaborative learning experiences.