Shmoop Launches Economics Curriculum
Digital education resources publisher Shmoop has kicked off the online beta of its new economics curriculum, which uses games and multimedia in an effort to make the subject more engaging for middle school and high school students.
Economics joins the roster of subjects to receive the Shmoop treatment, a list that includes United States history, civics, American and English literature, and music. Faculty members from economics graduate programs at Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley have provided the facts and insights on supply and demand, production and consumption, international trade, etc. for the curriculum.
The Shmoop economics curriculum includes nine roleplaying games that require the student to play economic policy maker; discussions of the myriad of current events that all relate, directly or indirectly, to economics; and commentary that's intended to be humorous and even songs that are designed to make economic terminology easy for students to learn, recall, and integrate into their broader thinking.
"Shmoop's expert writers strike the right chord with our students by blending intellectual rigor, wit, passion, and pop culture," said Kate MacMillan, coordinator of library services at Napa Valley Unified School District in Napa, CA.
The beta version of the economics curriculum is accessible free of charge at the Shmoop economics page. The company's other tools, study guides, and AP exam prep courses are available here.
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Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.