1. Unit: Rebuilding Economies—Economic Growth
Susanna Pierce, International School of the Americas, San Antonio, TX
Lesson Title: Rebuilding Economies after Investment, Capital Goods, Infrastructure,
Natural Disasters Human Capital, Economic Growth,
Gross Domestic Product
Lesson Description:
Objectives: Students will:
In this lesson, students will discover the
Explain how natural disasters affect
importance of investment in countries
individual communities and the greater
suffering from disasters. After seeing the
economy.
aggregate benefits of investment through
Identify the sources of economic
economic models, students will strategize
the most beneficial forms of investment for growth.
individual communities. In groups, they will Draw the effects of economic growth
design an investment project in a particular on the aggregate model and a country’s
community in Japan. Their hope is to production possibilities curve.
convince the government to subsidize their Design an investment project that
project by explaining the short and long run would help rebuild an individual
benefits to the local citizens. community.
Convince the Japanese government to
Rationale: subsidize their project.
These lessons equip students with skills to Time Required:4 fifty minute class
ameliorate economies after disasters. After periods
learning the long term benefits of well-
planned investments on communities and Day 1: Explanation
overall economies, students internalize the Day 2: Design
need to assist other countries after natural Day 3/4: Presentations
disasters: it pushes students to advocate Materials:
for countries afflicted by disaster. It urges
student to unite in a universal quest for 15 photos from the aftermath of the
global partnerships for development. tsunami in Japan
Individual dry erase boards
Age Level: butcher paper
markers
AP Macroeconomics 12th
Handout One and Two
Laptops
Economic Concepts: Procedure:

2. Unit: Rebuilding Economies—Economic Growth
Susanna Pierce, International School of the Americas, San Antonio, TX
Day 1: Direct Instruction: As the students look at
the front board, the teacher will explain
Anticipatory Set:Each group receives an
that all of the photos are from the tsunami
envelope that includes various photos
disaster in Japan. The teacher will show
taken after the tsunami in Japan. After
satellite photos of specific places before
opening the envelope, students pass
and after the disaster found on the NY
around the photos to their group members
Times.
and answer the following questions. Each
person within the group answers one of the NY Times Satellite Photos
following questions on his/her dry erase
The teacher will explain the magnitude of
board:
the disaster across Japan. Then, the teacher
1. What do you see in the photos? will demonstrate the effects of the natural
2. What might have caused this disaster on both the Aggregate Model, as
destruction and where might it developed the previous day. Students will
be? internalize how less aggregate demand
3. How would this disaster affect after a disaster will decrease gross
the surrounding community? domestic product and increase
4. Why might limited response to unemployment.
the disaster negatively affect
Then, the teacher will go over the ways to
the citizens?
promote economic growth or development
5. How might you rebuild this
in an economy. He/she will explain how
community?
investment is one of the most important
After students have 5 minutes to components of aggregate demand in a
sort through the photos, the teacher will developing economy and also an economy
break into their discussions to allow for a afflicted by disaster.
whole group share out. Table by table,
The teacher will explain the types of
students will come to the front and tape
investment—capital investment including
their photos to the front board as they
infrastructure and investments in human
answer individual questions about their
capital (education). The teacher will
photos. By the end of the presentations,
connect all of these investments to the
there will be a large collage of images on
production possibilities curve and the
the front board.
aggregate model, explaining that both
increase to allow economies to produce
more goods.

3. Unit: Rebuilding Economies—Economic Growth
Susanna Pierce, International School of the Americas, San Antonio, TX
After, the teacher will check for of the importance of investments that will
understanding by having the students draw have the largest benefit with the smallest
the effects of various investments on the cost.
aggregate model and the production
Task Description: Then, the teacher will
possibilities curve.
introduce students to the task:
To conclude class, the teacher will play a
You have been hired by the Japanese
video clip of students in Japan singing, “We
government as a team to ameliorate the
are the world.” Students will fill out an exit
disaster-afflicted areas within the
slip about what investment they believe is
country. As a team, design an investment
the most beneficial: human capital, capital
project in a particular community that
goods, medical aide, or infrastructure. The
will help its economy recover from the
final question will urge students to explain
disaster. Explain the short-term benefits
how they could help a country afflicted by a
on the citizens and the long-term
disaster.
benefits on the entire economy of Japan.
Day 2: Your goal is to entice the government to
subsidize your project.
Anticipatory Set: The teacher will begin
the second day by showing a video clip The teacher will divide students into groups
about the Japanese tsunami: of 5 and have students select a role.
A Song for Japan Lawyer: Why is your project worthy of
funding?
After watching the clip, the teacher will
Economist: What are the economic
pose the following question, “As an
objectives of your project?
economist, how would you advise the
Engineer: How will your project be
Japanese government to respond to this
implemented?
disaster?”
Accountant: What will the costs are
The teacher will allow students two associated with your project?
minutes to think independently. Then, Doctor: How will the project affect the
students will pair with a partner to share health of citizens and the economy?
their thoughts. Finally, the teacher will
Then, teacher will model an investment
allow various groups to “share” their
plan that might have been implemented in
thoughts with the class.
Haiti after their earthquake. As a class, the
After hearing from several voices within the students will fill out a sample project model
classroom, the teacher will remind students together.

4. Unit: Rebuilding Economies—Economic Growth
Susanna Pierce, International School of the Americas, San Antonio, TX
After the teacher has made certain that The teacher will compile all of the
students understand the task, s/he will investment projects into a digital book for
allow students to begin their own research each group. The book could be a potential
of their topic. artifact in their senior portfolio.
The teacher will encourage students to Useful Websites:
have a digital representation of the benefits
of their investment project. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/201
1/03/pictures/110315-nuclear-reactor-japan-
Day 3/Day 4: tsunami-earthquake-world-photos-meltdown/
The first part of class, the teacher will allow http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/
groups to assemble their final projects. 13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-
Then, groups will present their investment and-after-tsunami.html
proposals to the Japanese governmental http://www.economist.com/node/21536600
officials (teachers from other content areas,
community members, administrators,
former students).
As each group present, other students will
track their thoughts to note key facts and
questions they have about every project.
After all groups have presented their
proposals, the panel of officials will select
the group whose proposal seems to be the
most beneficial to Japanese citizens.
Students who receive the subsidy from the
government will earn a 100 on their project.
The teacher will conclude the mini-unit by
allowing students to select the project they
feel will be most beneficial in addressing
the needs of the country. They will
conclude the activity by filling in the final
sentence with a thoughtful response:
I used to think…..but now I think…