Running a car wash Students decide the profit-maximizing level of production for a family business and must analyze shutdown conditions for different prices. Can have students complete individually, with think-pair-share or small groups, either before class or in class. In larger classes, student responses can be collected using clickers. Also similar: Selling CSA subscriptions ... View more

River Runs Red (Econ video, song by Midnight Oil) Song about environmental damage. ... View more

Real home values (context-rich problem) Students must use the CPI to determine whether a house has gained or lost real value. Could collect responses using clickers   ... View more

Public goods and sorting (experiment) Students vote on provision of a public good; in subsequent rounds, students may move to different communities with different provision levels. ... View more

Privilege to Pee (Econ video, song from Urinetown musical) When water is in short supply, citizens must pay a tax for using the toilet, generating more profit for the monopolist controling toilet access. ... View more

Prisoner's Dilemma (experiment) Students must decide to collude or compete when faced with the standard Prisoner's Dilemma payoff matrix. [oligopoly] There are several sources/variations of this experiment (such as here, here, or here)   ... View more

Price Tag (Econ video, song by Jesse J) Singer says to 'forget about the price tag' but that can lead to debt, as in the last recession. ... View more

Price consulting (context-rich problem) Students advise two different companies on pricing strategies where it is easier for one of the companies to discriminate among customers. This is a good demonstration for large classes because the physical nature of the activity is easily observed by others.   ... View more

Preferences for Distribution of Income (experiment) Students decide on income payoffs with varying types of risk. ... View more

Pollution rights Students must find the least-cost method to arrive at target pollution levels. There are many variations/alternatives (see here and here) ... View more

Parking game (experiment) In the role of commuters, students choose among parking lots in multiple rounds with different forms of price discrimination. ... View more

Money Talks (Econ video, song by AC/DC) Lyrics list all the things one can do with money. Econ video notes money is a medium of exchange and store of value. ... View more

Money creation (experiment) By taking on roles as bankers, loan customers and business firms in simulated markets for loans and investment, students see how money is created. ... View more

Money and banking simulation (experiment) Students participate in a trading simulation, first without banks, then local banks and then a central bank.   ... View more

Masters of the Economy (experiment) Students make fiscal and monetary policy choices in order to maintain a target growth rate. Can be done individually or in groups for larger classes.   ... View more