Focus

The "Focus" series, part of the National Council on Economic Education's (NCEE) EconomicsAmerica program, uses economics to enhance learning in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and personal finance, as well as economics. Activities are interactive, reflecting the belief that students learn best through active, highly personalized experiences with economics. The lessons are correlated explicitly to NCEE's "Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics" and "A Framework for Teaching Basic Economic Concepts." This lesson guide highlights and examines basic concepts and issues in international economics. It presents 20 lessons organized around several major content themes: international economics, global production and competition, exchange rates and issues in international finance, free trade vs. protectionism, international economic development, and economic systems. Student activities focus on such topics as: why people and nations trade, interpreting trade data, trade barriers, balance of payments, where to locate a factory, foreign currency and exchange rates, should developing countries have free trade, the debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and privatization around the world. (Author/BB)