EconomicsintheMovies
Overview
Economicsreliesheavilyonabstractconceptsandmathematicalanalysis,whichmanystudentsfind
particularlydifficulttomaster.Asaresult,studentsareoftenintimidatedratherthanstimulatedbylearning
economics.Theuseoffilmstosupplementeconomicsmaterialhelpstoalleviatethisissue.Inthisactivity,
studentswillreviewmajoreconomictopicsbyapplyingtheprinciplestoapopularmovieortelevisionshowof
theirchoice.
Grade
10
NCEssentialStandardsforAmericanHistory:theFoundingPrinciples,Civics&Economics
Specificobjectiveswilldependonstudent’smoviechoice.Broadcurriculargoalsforlessoninclude:
• FP.E.1.1-Comparehowindividualsandgovernmentsutilizescarceresources(human,naturalandcapital)
intraditional,command,marketandmixedeconomies.
• FP.E.1.4-Analyzethewaysinwhichincentivesandprofitsinfluencewhatisproducedanddistributedina
marketsystem.
• FP.E.3.3-AnalyzeorganizationsintermsoftheirrolesandfunctionsintheUnitedStateseconomy.
EssentialQuestions
• Howdoesscarcityaffectthedecisionsofindividuals,businesses,andthegovernment?
• Howdoindividualsweightrade-offsandopportunitycostwhenmakingeconomicdecisions?
• Whataretheadvantagesanddisadvantagestoconsumerswhenthegovernmentintervenesinthe
economy?
• Whyistheprivateownershipofresourcesavitalpartofthefreeenterprisesystem?
• Whatrolesdosecurityandfreedomplayinthefreeenterprisesystem?
• Howdoesthegovernmentprotectindividualinitiativeandwhataretheadvantagesanddisadvantagesof
theseprotections?
Materials
• MovieProposalForm,attached
• EssayPrompt,attached
• GradingRubric,attached
Procedure
1. Asawarm-up,ontheboardprojectthequotebyeconomistAlfredMarshall,“Economicsisastudyofmen
astheyliveandmoveandthinkintheordinarybusinessoflife.”Askthestudentswhattheythinkthe
quotemeans.Howdoesthequoterelatetotheeconomicprinciplesthathavebeencoveredinclassso
far?Inwhatotherwaysdohumansstudyandportrayeverydaylifeinlessacademicvenues?Leadthe
studentstoconsiderhowmoviesandtelevisionarealsoaportrayalofthebusinessoflife.Tellthe
studentsthatmoviesofteninvolveeconomicdecisionsandthemescentraltotheplot.
2. Informthestudentsforthisessayassignmenttheywillfirstselectamoviethatdemonstratesoneormore
importanteconomicprinciplestheyhavecoveredduringthecourse.Iftheyareunabletocomeupwitha
film,theycanwritetheessaybasedonatleasttwoepisodesofatelevisiondramawithteacherapproval.
Thestudentsshouldconsiderthefollowingquestionswhenchoosingandreviewingtheirfilm.Ifthe
studentanswersmostorallofthefollowingquestionswithano,anothermoviemaybenecessary.
• Arethereeconomicprinciplescoveredinthefilm?
1
•
•
•
•
Arethecharacters'decisionsshapedbyeconomicconcepts?
Doscarcity,trade-offs,andopportunitycostaffectcharacters’decisions?
Didcharactersutilizecost-benefitanalyseswhenmakingdecisions?
Arethereincentivespresentedtothemaincharacterspresented?
3. Havethestudentsbrainstormpossiblemovies.Writetheideasontheboard.Popularmovieswith
economicprinciplesandthemesmayinclude:
• CharlieandtheChocolateFactory
• Monster,Inc.
• ABug’sLife
• You’veGotMail
• TradingPlaces
• It’saWonderfulLife
• ThePursuitofHappyness
• ErinBrockovich
• ACivilAction
• ForrestGump
• GonewiththeWind
• CastAway
• TheHudsuckerProxy
• Tucker:TheManandHisDream
4. PassouttheMovieProposalForm.Informstudentsthattheyshouldusethislistasastartingpointto
chooseamovietowatchoutsideofclass.Theproposalformmustbecompletedandreturnedtothe
teacherbeforetheessayassignmentcanbecompleted.Alsoreviewandabidebyanycountyorschool
policiesregardingfilms.Eitherduringthesameperiodoraftercollectingtheproposalform,passoutthe
essaypromptandgradingrubric.Theassignmentcanbecompletedentirelyoutsideofclassorclasstime
canbeusedforawritingworkshopduringwhichstudentsplananddrafttheiressays,critiqueone
another’sessays,etc.
Differentiation
Studentswithspecialneeds
• Haveawritingworkshoptoassiststudents.Requirestudentstobringinaplotsummaryandroughoutline
fortheiressayandshareinsmallgroups.
AIG
• Havestudentsexpandtheiressaysintoapresentationthattheysharewithclass,teachingabouttheirfilm
andtheeconomicconceptsillustrated
2
Name:_________________________________
EconomicsinMotionPictures:MovieProposalForm
Usewww.imdb.comoranotherinternetresourcetocompletethefollowing:
MovieTitle:________________________________
MPAARating:________________________________
BriefPlotSummary:
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
EconomicPrinciplesCovered:_________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Parent/GuardianConsent
AfterreadingtheEconomicsinMotionPicturesEssayPromptandreviewingaboveinformation,I
___________________________________approveofmychild’sviewingoftheabovefilmrated
G/PG/PG-13(circleone).
Parent/GuardianSignature:______________________________Date:________________
Parent/GuardianContactInformation
RelationshiptoStudent:______________________________
Email:__________________________
DaytimePhone#:___________________
EveningPhone#:___________________
3
EconomicsinMotionPictures:EssayPrompt
AftercompletingtheMovieProposalFormandwatchingyourselection,respondtothefollowing
promptinessayformat:
Moviesarefilledwithaction,mystery,romanceand—wouldyoubelieve?—economics.Economicsis
oftendescribedasthescienceofdecisionmaking.Usethebasicprinciplesofeconomicstoanalyze
thedecisionsandeventsinthemovieofyourchoice.Usethefollowingquestionstoguideyour
analysis:
• Whatprinciplesofeconomicswerecoveredinthefilm?
• Howdoesscarcity,trade-offs,andopportunitycostaffectcharacters’decisions?
• Didcharactersutilizecost-benefitanalyseswhenmakingdecisions?Ifnot,howwouldthe
outcomeofeventshavebeendifferent?
• Whatincentivesarethemaincharacterspresentedwith?Howdotheyreacttothese
incentives?
• Areindividualsandbusinessesallowedtocompetefreelybasedonself-interestinthefilm?
• Whatroledidthegovernmentplayintheeconomiclivesofthecharacters?Howcanyoutell?
• Howwouldthemoviehavebeendifferentifthemaincharactersweretrainedeconomists?
• Doesthefilmillustrateatruthabouteconomics?
• Doesthefilmcontainfalseoroverlysimplisticeconomicthemes?
Asyouwriteyouressay,rememberto:
• Clearlystateandsupportyouropinion.
• Considerthepurpose,audience,andcontextofyouressay.
• Organizeyouressaysothatyourideasprogresslogically.
• Includerelevantdetailsthatclearlydevelopyouressay.
• Edityouressayforstandardgrammarandlanguageusage.
• ReviewtheGradingRubric
4
EconomicsinMotionPictures:GradingRubric
4
3
2
1
MovieProposalForm
Studentreturned
completedmovie
proposalformon
thedateitwasdue.
Studentreturned
completedmovie
proposalformmore
than2dayslate.
Focus
Maintainsfocuson Mayexhibitminor Mayloseormay
Mayfailtoestablish
topic/subject
lapsesinfocuson exhibitmajorlapses focuson
throughout
topic/subject.
infocuson
topic/subject.
response.
topic/subject.
Organization
Organizationisa
logicalprogression
ofideas/eventsand
isunifiedand
complete.
Thereisalogical Oneormoremajor
progressionof
lapsesinthelogical
ideas/eventsandis progressionof
reasonably
ideas/eventsis
complete,
evident.
althoughminor
lapsesmaybe
present.
Ideas/eventsare
presentedina
randomfashion
Support
Supportconsistsof
specific,developed
detailsfromfilm
andmaterial
coveredinclass.
Supportconsistsof
somespecific
detailsfromfilm
andmaterial
coveredinclass.
Supportconsistsof
generaland/or
undevelopeddetails,
whichmaybe
presentedinalistlikefashion.
Supportissparse;
almostnodetails
fromfilmand
materialcoveredin
class.
Comprehension
Exhibitsskillfuluse
ofeconomic
vocabularythatis
preciseand
purposeful.
Exhibits
reasonableuseof
economic
vocabularythatis
preciseand
purposeful.
Exhibitsminimaluse
ofeconomic
vocabularythatis
preciseand
purposeful.
Lacksuseof
economic
vocabularythatis
preciseand
purposeful.
CreativityandCritical
Analysis
Essayshowshigh
levelcriticalanalysis
andreflection
leadingtomany
original
propositions.
Essayshowsa
Essayshowsalow
moderatelevel
levelcriticalanalysis
criticalanalysisand andreflection
reflectionleading leadingtofew
tosomeoriginal
originalpropositions.
propositions.
Mechanics
Nogrammatical,
Almostno
Afewgrammatical Manygrammatical,
spellingor
grammatical,
spelling,or
spelling,or
punctuationerrors. spellingor
punctuationerrors. punctuationerrors.
punctuationerrors
Sources
Sourcesare
accurately
documentedinMLA
format.Atleastone
sourceformovie.
CATEGORY
Studentreturned
completedmovie
proposalform1
daylate.
Studentreturned
completedmovie
proposalform2days
late.
Essayshowsno
criticalanalysisand
reflectionleadingto
nooriginal
propositions.
Sourcesare
Sourcesarepresent, Sourcesarenot
documented,but butnoformat
present.
notinMLAformat. whatsoever.Atleast
Atleastonesource onesourcefor
formovie.
movie.
5