Twelfth graders learn what inflation is — a general rise in prices that shrinks the buying power of money over time — what causes it, and why a little is normal but too much is harmful.
Students will be able to…
Your grandparents paid a nickel for a candy bar. Today it costs over a dollar. Prices creep up year after year — what is inflation, and why does it make each dollar buy less?
Project this and change the inflation rate and years. Watch how inflation shrinks what $100 can buy over time!
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
A candy bar once cost a nickel; now it’s over a dollar. Why do prices keep rising?
Students investigate.
Students analyze.
Students communicate.
Students conclude.
Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (Economics).
Use data to explain the influence of changing rates of inflation on economic decisions.
Explain how a nation’s money supply and interest rates affect the economy.
Explain influences on economic conditions.
Construct arguments using economic reasoning.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students find the current inflation rate and calculate how much a family’s $2,000 monthly budget loses in buying power over a year. A printable inflation sheet is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.