Join the Purdue Center for Economic Education for a new series designed exclusively for high school economics, business, and social studies teachers. Whether you’re looking to refresh your classroom strategy, deepen your content knowledge, or bring more innovation into your teaching, this flexible professional development series has something for everyone.
Attend one session or all five — you pick what works for your schedule. Every workshop is practical, teacher-centered, and immediately classroom-ready.
This series is built with teachers in mind — bite-sized, high-impact, and designed to fit your busy schedule. You’ll walk away with:
And because we value your time, participation comes with thank-you incentives.
Choose how many sessions you want to attend — and earn Amazon gift cards as our way of saying thanks for the work you do.
Gift cards will be emailed in early March.
Presenters: Linda Sue Ficht & Erin Yetter, Purdue University
Explore how ethical reasoning and economic thinking intersect — and how to help students navigate complex social issues using both frameworks. This session features two lessons from the Council for Economic Education’s new Ethics, Economics, and Social Issues curriculum. Using the topics “Should We Allow a Market for Transplant Organs?” and “Should I Join the Sweatshop Boycott?,” participants will examine how to guide students in evaluating challenging dilemmas through both economic and ethical lenses. The session also highlights how interdisciplinary expertise in economics and ethics enriches classroom discussion.
Presenter: Dennise Grater, McCutcheon High School
Help students uncover the hidden economic trade-offs behind “free” digital tools while strengthening their digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness. This session connects the economic principle TANSTAAFL (there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch) to issues such as data privacy, identity protection, and the real costs of online platforms. Participants will explore ready-to-use, standards-aligned lessons and engage with a creative simulation in which students must navigate a suddenly offline world and assess the economic consequences of digital dependence. Educators will leave with practical strategies for integrating economic reasoning and cybersecurity concepts into any classroom.
Presenters: Melanie Fox (Purdue University) & Eric Dodge (Hanover College)
Strengthen your students’ performance on the AP Micro and AP Macro exams with strategies grounded in recent exam trends and Chief Reader insights. This session focuses on the most common points of confusion for students and effective ways to address them. Participants will learn how to interpret exam reports, target difficult concepts, and improve student responses to free-response questions. Classroom-ready tools and practical tips will help teachers build student confidence and success on test day.
Presenter: Dennise Grater, McCutcheon High School
Transform traditional instruction by incorporating game-based learning practices that enhance engagement and deepen understanding of economic concepts. This session highlights low-prep, high-impact strategies for turning worksheets into interactive games, using digital tools like Marginal Revolution University activities, and creating collaborative challenges that promote motivation and critical thinking. Participants will leave with ready-to-use templates and online interactives that can be implemented immediately.
Presenter: Carl Coates, University of Chicago
Discover innovative instructional resources from the Economics4Everyone (E4E) initiative, designed to make economics more intuitive and accessible for all learners. This session introduces a teaching framework centered on optimization, equilibrium, and empiricism, emphasizing conceptual understanding over rote calculation. Participants will explore a variety of materials from the E4E Educator Hub — including lessons, videos, and Special Topics such as the Economics of Charity, Gender Disparity, and Behavioral Economics — and leave with new tools to enrich classroom instruction.
Registration is quick, free, and flexible. Sign up once — attend as many sessions as you choose.
Zoom links will be sent to registered participants only.
