Economics: Concepts and Choices

Economics Curriculum Grades 9–12

Why?
Features
Resources
HMH Professional Services
  • Why?

    Integrated, Relevant, Real-world Examples

    Economics: Concepts and Choices uses real-world examples, frequent concept application, and interactive applications to ensure that students both understand the concepts and can apply those principles in a variety of outcomes.

    Support Common Core with Rigor, Skills, and Document-Based Instruction

    With today’s emphasis on Common Core State Standards, it is more important than ever to have a social studies program that meets the rigor these standards demand. Economics exposes students to a wealth of primary sources and develops critical skills while analyzing a variety of perspectives and investigating key economic topics.

    Experience Social Studies with 21st-century Tools

    The digital generation of students today is like none before, so another way we help them experience success is to provide the capability to access their Economics book not only on a computer, but on a variety of mobile devices.

    Engage Students with Accessible Social Studies Content

    From reading support to differentiated instruction, Economics is filled with a variety of student-friendly features designed to enhance the learning experience. With this support, every student can understand how events in our making informed economics choices affect how we live our daily lives.

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    • Common Core

      With today’s emphasis on Common Core State Standards, it is more important than ever to have a social studies program that meets the rigor these standards demand. Economics: Concepts and Choices exposes students to the skills and understandings necessary for college and career readiness and helps them become literate, in all its forms, in the 21st century.

      The Grades 6–12 strand in Social Sciences promotes an interdisciplinary approach to literacy by:

      • Including primary source analysis and Common Core informational text reading
      • Incorporating literature and historical fiction selections
      • Utilizing higher-order thinking skills of text evidence, determining point-of-view, distinguishing fact from opinion, and more

      College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards

      Reading in History/Social Sciences

      Key Ideas and Details

      Using key skills like analyzing, evaluating, determining main idea from supporting detail, and drawing conclusions, students will actively look for text evidence in support of learning objectives. Complete skill lessons teach these explicitly, and ample assessment opportunities allow for demonstration of knowledge.

      Craft and Structure

      Economics: Concepts and Choices teaches students how to read social studies-based informational text with particular guidance and practice on understanding historical readings, developing historical perspective, and formulating historical questions. This focus allows students to understand and compare points-of-view, determine bias, and recognize propaganda as they interpret a variety of primary sources.

      Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

      Economics: Concepts and Choices offers students continuous opportunities to access a variety of sources—print, audio, visual, interactive media, and video—and in turn to analyze and assess them in 21st-century applications. Students can demonstrate their understanding through projects, proposals, presentations, and more.

      Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

      Economics: Concepts and Choices offers students a wealth of text genres in the Student Editions, related support material both in print and online, and related small volumes focusing on primary source collections, historical readings, literary collections, and historical literature.

      Writing History/Social Sciences

      Text Types and Purposes

      Economics: Concepts and Choices is committed to the student writing process with skills and lessons to support them every step of the way with ample and varied writing can be found in formative assessment, informal assessment, formal assessment, and portfolio opportunities.

      Production and Distribution of Writing

      Whether in print or online, Economics: Concepts and Choices offers a variety of writing opportunities and platforms for students to research and publish their writing.

      Research to Build and Present Knowledge

      Economics: Concepts and Choices teaches students how to analyze bias, determine point-of-view, and recognize propaganda, along with interpret print, visual, and Internet source material. The depth and variety of skills culminates in students critically reading and responding to text and supporting their written argument with critical analysis and text evidence.

      Range of Writing

      Economics: Concepts and Choices offers a variety of writing projects—both short term and long term—to support the different needs of today’s classrooms and schedules. Students demonstrate their knowledge for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

    • Scope and Sequence

      Preview the skills taught throughout each unit and chapter.

      Grades K–12 (7.9MB)

      Grades 6–12 (5.8MB)

    • Consultants

      Meet the team that has made Economics: Concepts and Choices one of the best-selling high school programs on the market.

      Sally Meek - Senior Consultant

      Sally Meek has been teaching economics, AP* microeconomics, and AP macroeconomics in the Plano Independent School District in Plano, Texas since 1987. She has served as an AP economics reader since 1998, and is currently a lead consultant for AP economics at Summer Institutes for universities across Texas and a member of the AP Economics Test Development Committee. Additionally, Meek serves on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Economics Steering Committee and as a test item writer. She served as president of the Global Association of Teachers of Economics and addressed the National Summit on Economic and Financial Literacy in 2005. In 2004, Meek cofounded the North Texas TINSTAAFL Society and was on the National Council on Economic Education (CEE, formerly National Council on Economic Education) Virtual Economics 3.0 Design Committee. She has received the Southwest College Board Advanced Placement Special Recognition Award and the GATE Distinguished Service Award. Meek earned her B.A. in political science at the University of Texas, Dallas and her M.Ed. in secondary education with a content emphasis on economics from the University of North Texas.

      John Morton

      John Morton - Senior Consultant

      John Morton is senior program officer for the Arizona Council on Economic Education. He taught economics for 31 years at the high school and university levels. Morton founded and directed the Center for Economic Education at Governors State University in Illinois for 15 years and founded and served as president of the Arizona Council on Economic Education for 4 years. He served as vice president for program development at the CEE (formerly NCEE) for 5 years. He has authored or coauthored more than 80 publications and chaired the advisory board of The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition from 1991 to 2000. Morton has won the Leavey Award from the Freedoms Foundation, as well as the Bessie B. Moore Service Award and the John C. Schramm Leadership Award from NCEE and the National Association of Economic Educators. He earned his M.A. from the University of Illinois and pursued postgraduate work at the University of Chicago.

      Mark Schug

      Mark Schug, Ph.D. - Senior Consultant

      Mark Schug is emeritus professor and director of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Center for Economic Education and serves as a senior fellow for the Council for Economic Education. He has taught for over 35 years at the middle school, high school, and university levels. Schug has written and edited over 180 publications. Additionally, he edited the Senior Economist for the CEE from 1986–1996. Schug often speaks and writes about economic and financial education, market- based reforms in education, and issues in urban schools, and has addressed local, state, national, and international groups. Similarly, he has done training programs for teachers in several states across the nation. Schug earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

      *AP is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these products.

  • Features

    Meeting the needs of all learners is no easy task. This is why Houghton Mifflin Harcourt created Economics: Concepts and Choices. Designed to engage students with the narrative while integrating rich technology, the program brings content to life for students and enriches their understanding.

    Teacher and student resources are available in print, online, and via mobile, providing the kind of anytime, anywhere access to resources that today’s learning environment demands. With leading-edge digital tools, Economics helps students connect to the content like never before.

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    • Reading Support and Accessibility

      In Economics: Concepts and Choices, reading support works seamlessly with the content, preparing students to learn with focused success.

      Concept Review

      Chapters open with Concept Review to activate prior knowledge, Key Concept to set the chapter focus, and Why the Concept Matters to determine relevance.

      Pre-Reading Support

      Pre-reading support in each section provides clearly stated objectives, key terms with page citations as to where they are defined, and note-taking graphic organizer.

      Narrative Structure

      The narrative structure is clean and simple by providing manageable “chunks” of information. This clear and consistent format, first covering the key concept, providing examples, and applying the concept, ensures students understand the concept before moving on. Thus, students see regular comprehension checks before they get to the larger section.

      Section Assessments

      Section Assessments provide scaffolded questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy.

      Economic Essentials

      Economic Essentials are eye-catching graphs and illustrations to summarize important economic concepts.

      Interactive Review

      Interactive Review gives students an interactive way to review important content with instant feedback through games, graphic organizers, flip cards, & summaries.

      Math Challenges

      Math Challenges offer chapter-specific math applications to key concepts.

      Math Handbooks

      A Math Handbook in the reference section teaches mathematical skills related to economics.

      Economic Skillbuilders

      Economics Skillbuilders provide chapter-specific skill applications, such as evaluating sources and synthesizing economic data.

      Skillbuilder Handbooks

      The Skillbuilder Handbook teaches skills for understanding economics and using sources.

      Consumer and Personal Finance Handbook

      Consumer and Personal Finance Handbook guides young people through the basics of budgeting, credit, making consumer choices, and financial independence.

      Reading Study Guide

      The Reading Study Guide offers on-level support through graphic organizers. The Reading Study Guide with Additional Support provides this and includes lower-level chapter summaries.

    • Engaging Students and Active Learning

      Economics: Concepts and Choices keep students interested and connected to studying economics with topical and current examples. Students are on the forefront of the latest economic news and information with updated information, statistics, reports, and presentation slides.

      Animated Economics

      Animated Economics allow students to review and practice applying economic concepts with fully interactive charts and graphs with step-by-step instruction.

      Economic Pacesetters

      Economic Pacesetters are biographical sketches of important economists and business leaders, both past and present.

      Your Economic Choices

      Your Economic Choices provides situations in which students are in the driver’s seat, asking them what they would choose when faced with a situation, from making choices to discretionary spending.

      Global Perspectives

      Global Perspectives introduce students to how events in other parts of the world can shape our nation’s economy.

      Case Studies

      Case Studies apply economic concepts to real-world scenarios to which students can relate.

      NCEE Student Activities Workbook

      NCEE Student Activities Workbook provides exemplary lesson plans and real-life activities to help students develop economic literacy in accordance with NCEE standards.

    • Differentiated Instruction

      Economics: Concepts and Choices provides a variety of teaching strategies and activities designed to reach all learners. The Teacher’s Edition and ancillary materials fully support differentiated instruction.

      Differentiated Instruction Teacher Planning Guide

      The Differentiated Instruction Teacher Planning Guide at the beginning of each chapter targets program resources to address the needs of struggling readers, English language learners, inclusion, special education students, and advanced/GATE students.

      Teacher's Edition

      The Teacher’s Edition provides point-of-use Differentiating Instruction activities for English language learners, special education students, learners having difficulty with the content, and advanced learners.

      All activities in the Teacher’s Edition wrap are labeled Below-, At-, or Above-level as well as Standard English Mastery where appropriate. Activities are also labeled with appropriate learning styles.

      Reading Study Guide

      The Reading Study Guide offers on-level support through graphic organizers. The Reading Study Guide with Additional Support provides this and includes lower-level chapter summaries.

      English Language Learner Strategies and Activities

      English Language Learner Strategies and Activities by Julie Chan provides support for social studies teachers who have English language learners in their classrooms. The activities and strategies have been designed to be used with English language learners at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced proficiency levels. It includes Skill Building Activities, Social Studies Theme Activities, and Graphic Organizers.

    • Document-Based Instruction

      What does it mean to read like a historian? Economics: Concepts and Choices teaches students to analyze written documents, photographs, political cartoons, documents, and more. By engaging students, the program motivates them to learn with a variety of primary sources to bring the content to life.

      Case Studies

      Case Studies apply economic concepts to real-world scenarios to which students can relate.

      Economic Skillbuilders

      Economics Skillbuilders provide chapter-specific skill applications, such as evaluating sources and synthesizing economic data. The Skillbuilder Handbook teaches skills for understanding economics and using sources.

    • Interactive Online Editions

      When is a book not a book? When it’s an Online Edition! Our Online Edition and Classzone.com contains the same Student Edition that you find in print, but with a host of additional resources and features.

      Online Book

      The online book allows students to interact with their text through a variety of modes: direct-read audio, highlighting and note taking within the narrative, and hotlinks to other resources.

      Classzone.com

      Free eResources on Classzone.com enrich student learning with six centers.

      Animated Economics

      Animated Economics engages students with eye-opening, interactive visuals that bring concepts to life.

      Interactive Review

      Interactive Review encourages students to play a variety of online games and activities as well as quizzes to help review chapter content.

      Economics Update

      Economics Update keeps students current with chapter content, case studies, and presentation slide updates.

      Research and Writing

      Research and Writing explore the topics of each chapter with research links and a Guide to Web Research.

      Activity Center

      Activity Center allows students to create games, play stock trading simulations, make your own graphs, and build presentations.

      Current Events Website

      Current Events Website enriches your classroom with subject-specific information from world history, world geography, American history, economics, psychology, sociology, civics, government, and African American history.

      Teacher Toolkit

      The Teacher Toolkit is only available for educators and includes additional online options like Best Practices podcasts and answer keys.

      For a free 120-day preview of the Student and Teacher Online Editions, please contact your Account Executive.

    • Available Digital Formats
      eTextbooks

      HMH eTextbooks

      eTextbooks include all of the content from the print textbook and are available across all grade levels and discipline areas. Suitable for most tablets, eTextbooks are portable and easily accessed, with some interactivity depending on the device.

  • Resources

    Explore Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s social studies resources that further develop students’ comprehension skills.

    Current Events Website

    hmcurrentevents.com enriches your classroom with subject-specific information from world history, world geography, American history, economics, psychology, sociology, civics, government, and African American history. It also spotlights today’s headlines with blogs, quizzes, activities, and web links.

  • HMH Professional Services

    Our Mission Is to Advance Yours

    HMH Professional Services forges student-centered partnerships with schools and districts in the belief that all learners deserve a quality education and the opportunity for lifelong success.

    HMH Professional Services includes teachers, leaders, and technologists. Our Professional Learning Consultants become part of your team, working right beside you to build and implement professional learning plans that respect the unique needs and culture of your school or district community. Through program, practice, and technical services, we work collaboratively to unlock the full potential of every student, teacher, and leader.

    Visit us at hmhco.com/professionalservices to learn more.


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