Browse lesson plans, videos, activities, and more by grade level

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: How engaging diversity made Xerox a company to copy

Xerox, a $22 billion company, is the first Fortune-500 corporation to have a female CEO. Its commitment to a diverse...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Goods and Services, Producers

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: More part-time workers suffer instability, long hours to make ends meet

As employers seek more control over labor costs, the number of part-time jobs has soared in the post-great recession period....

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Employment and Unemployment, Income Distribution…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Women's fund seeks share of prosperity for female-focused firms

One of the major causes of the financial crash of 2008 was the insularity of the "good old boys" network...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Economic Systems, Financial Markets…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Could Brooklyn hipsters help save the middle class?

Frozen ginger slushies, tea-based pro-biotic drinks, a bed bug-killing steam machine -- these are just a few of the locally-grown...

Key Concepts: Decision Making/Cost-Benefit Analysis, Division of Labor/Specialization, Entrepreneurs…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Year Up raises employment odds for young adults by teaching job-ready skills

Year Up, a career development program for urban young adults, starts with a six-month crash course in job skills like...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Income Distribution

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Low-wage jobs drive gains in U.S. employment

The BMW factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is luring workers with a program that offers part-time work, an all-expenses paid...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Employment and Unemployment, Income Distribution

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Hefty child care costs present catch-22 for working parents

In most of the country, child care is the most expensive part of the family budget. Infant care now costs...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Economic Development, Market Structures…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Good news in jobs report bolstered by shrinking workforce

The jobs report released Friday finds that employers added 288,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate fell to 6.3...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Employment and Unemployment, Income Distribution

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Seattle restaurant industry caught in the middle of $15 minimum wage debate

Seattleâ€™s push to raise the minimum wage to $15 has left owners and workers in the cityâ€™s restaurant industry conflicted....

Key Concepts: Budgeting, Division of Labor/Specialization, Income Distribution…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Why obsessing over economic indicators may hinder economic improvement

The monthly jobs report is big news on the first Friday of every month, swaying the financial markets and prompting...

Key Concepts: Business Cycles, Coincident Indicators, Division of Labor/Specialization…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: In 'second machine age' of robots, it's time for humans to get creative

Robotic technology is increasingly infiltrating our everyday world, and as robots become more capable of human labor, people will likely...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Economic Development, Entrepreneurs…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Is academia suffering from adjunctivitis? Low-paid adjunct professors struggle to make ends meet

Juggling multiple part-time jobs, earning little-to-no benefits, depending on public assistance: This is the financial reality for many adjunct professors...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Economic Development, Goods and Services

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Weak job growth, unemployment drop signal 'unwinding' of labor participation

The December jobs report showed a gain of just 74,000 jobs, while the drop in unemployment was due largely to...

Key Concepts: Division of Labor/Specialization, Employment and Unemployment

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Rosier-than-expected jobs report doesn't improve outlook for long-term jobless

The November jobs report boasted positive momentum, including gains in manufacturing and construction sectors. But economics correspondent Paul Solman reports...

Key Concepts: Business Cycles, Division of Labor/Specialization, Employment and Unemployment…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Bubble in the making? How the stock market might not reflect the current economy

At the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow ended above 16,000, another record high. Meanwhile, companies continue to report healthy...

Key Concepts: Balance of Trade and Balance of Payments, Division of Labor/Specialization, Economic Institutions…

Video

See Video

Grades 9-12

Making Sen$e with Paul Solman: Airport workers in suburban Seattle take on living wage debate at the ballot box

SeaTac, Wash., is aptly named after the airport located there. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the city's largest employer and...

Key Concepts: Budgeting, Credit, Division of Labor/Specialization…

Video

See Video

All Resources (by date)

Sign Up for Free Membership