A Practical Guide to the U.S. Economy: Part 3
Unit 3 · Lesson 3.19 · Last updated June 2026
A 45-minute workday where students complete the Economic Dashboard portion of the unit summative assessment, analyzing all four macroeconomic indicators using real FRED® data and applying their findings to advise a young adult.
Overview
Students work on Part 3 (Economic Dashboard) of A Practical Guide to the U.S. Economy, introduced and distributed in Lesson 3.2. Students should have access to their class materials while working. The majority of Part 3 should be completed this lesson — in Lesson 3.20, students will have 15 minutes to finish any remaining work and/or revise Parts 1 and 2, then complete Part 4 (Reflection). Note: This lesson assumes students have completed the assessment introduction and Parts 1 and 2 (Lesson 3.8 and Lesson 3.13) and have learned about GDP growth, unemployment, inflation, and monetary policy.
Learning Objective
- Analyze macroeconomic data to inform personal, professional, and civic decision-making.
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Materials
- Instruction Slides (display during class period)
- A Practical Guide to the U.S. Economy (previously distributed in Lesson 3.2)
- Printable Student Assessment Template pp. 3–5 (1 copy per student)
OR - Electronic Student Assessment Template (provide each student with their own editable copy) + laptop or device (1 per student)
- Advice Recipients p. 6 (1 copy per student)
Optional
- Additional Advice Recipients p. 7 (for educator use — consider swapping in for future periods or semesters)
- Exemplar and Scoring Guide (for educator reference while scoring)
Lesson Sequence
Slides 2–4
- Display Slide 2 and instruct students to follow the instructions on the slide. (Additional educator tips and suggested answers are in the notes section throughout Instruction Slides.)
- Proceed to Slide 3 and allow students 2 minutes to complete the instructions. While students work, provide access to Student Assessment Template (electronic or printable). Pro Tip: Consider providing access only to Part 3 (Economic Dashboard) to prevent students from working ahead.
- Proceed to Slide 4 and introduce the learning objective.
Slides 5–10
- Progress through Slides 5–6. Remind students that the rubric is used to assess Part 3 and they should reference it as they work. Instruct students to review the Part 3: Economic Dashboard Rubric. (Additional explanation of the "Advanced" level is in the notes section of Instruction Slides.)
- Display Slide 7. Distribute 1 copy of Advice Recipients to each student. Instruct students to use this handout when they reach the "Navigating this Economy" portion. Pro Tip: Consider replacing Advice Recipients with Additional Advice Recipients for students in future periods or semesters.
- Proceed through Slides 8–9. Direct students to read Slide 9.
- Advance to Slide 10. Reinforce that students must locate and analyze recent data for each indicator. Links to FRED® graphs are included in the electronic version of the assessment. If using the printable version, provide access to links via your LMS or distribute printed data.
- Allow students the remainder of class to work on Part 3. Circulate to supervise and clarify instructions as needed.
- At the end of the lesson, remind students that the majority of Part 3 should be complete. In Lesson 3.20, they will have 15 minutes to finish any remaining work and/or revise Parts 1 and 2, then complete Part 4 (Reflection). Collect Student Assessment Template and Advice Recipients.
Aligned Standards
Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics
What Educators Are Saying
I had very few questions from my students as they were completing their work in class. This lesson and assessment allowed them to think like an economist!
This assessment was very applicable to the real world, which students will be entering in less than two weeks.
Students had choice on who they would give advice to — either based on something applicable to their lives, or a situation they felt comfortable offering advice on with what they've learned.