Economics Alive! Immersive Simulations & Role-Based Learning for High School Economics

Economics Alive! explores immersive, role-based instruction as a tool for teaching high school economics. We often hear that students disengage from economics because it feels abstract and distant from their lives — but economics simulations change that. When a student has to negotiate a trade, defend a policy, or make decisions as a central bank governor, the content becomes immediate and personal. Educators will walk through five complete lesson activities and receive a full Teacher Toolkit of ready-to-use materials. The session closes with a practical planning framework participants can use to design their own immersive lessons. Walk Away with Ready-to-Use Lessons — No starting from scratch. Teachers leave with a complete toolkit of five fully-built, standards-aligned lesson plans — simulations, role plays, and stakeholder summits — they can drop into their classroom the very next day. Re-Engage Students Who’ve Tuned Out — Traditional economics instruction loses students fast. This workshop shows teachers how to flip the script by putting students inside the content — as traders, policymakers, and negotiators — so the concepts stick because students lived them, not just read them. Reach Every Learner in the Room — From high-performing students who need a challenge to students with IEPs who need a clear entry point, every lesson comes with built-in differentiation strategies so no student gets left on the sidelines of the simulation.