Recommendations from a Development Economist
Unit 4 · Lesson 4.15 · Last updated June 2026
A 45-minute summative assessment where students evaluate seven policy proposals and draft an evidence-based brief recommending which policy a fictional country should adopt and which to avoid, using principles of economic thinking and real data.
Overview
Students complete a summative assessment in which they evaluate seven policy proposals and make evidence-based recommendations aimed at improving the standard of living within a given country. Recommendations are justified using principles of economic thinking and economic data, with comparison to a U.S. Profile as a reference point. Note: This lesson assumes students were introduced to the assessment and rubric in Lesson 4.14 and have background knowledge from lessons throughout Unit 4. Review the Unit 4 Global Connections Overview to determine if this assessment is appropriate for your students. Watch for students who mistakenly provide recommendations to the U.S. instead of using the U.S. Profile as a comparison point for their assigned country.
Learning Objective
- Analyze and evaluate policy proposals aimed at promoting economic health and development in a fictional country.
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Materials
- Instruction Slides (display during class period)
- Instructions and Rubric pp. 4–5 (1 copy per student)
- Assessment pp. 6–9 (1 copy per student)
- U.S. Profile p. 10 (1 copy per student — for comparison only, not the country students are advising)
- Explanation of Policy Proposals pp. 11–13 (1 copy for educator reference)
Optional
- Exemplar (1 copy for educator reference — students may reasonably recommend any policies not shown; score on economic reasoning)
- Additional Country Profiles (for make-ups and/or retakes)
Lesson Sequence
Slides 2–6
- Students should clear their desks of all materials other than writing utensils. Introduce the learning objective and the day's agenda using Slides 2–3. (Additional educator tips and suggested answers are in the notes section throughout Instruction Slides.)
- Proceed to Slide 4. Distribute 1 copy of Instructions and Rubric and 1 copy of Assessment to each student. Use the information on the slide to remind students of the key components of the assessment.
- Display Slide 5. Remind students to read the rubric carefully before beginning and again before submitting. Distribute 1 copy of U.S. Profile to each student for comparison with the assigned country profile (included in Assessment). Note: U.S. Profile is the same profile students referenced during practice in Lesson 4.14.
- Proceed to Slide 6. Pause for any questions useful to the whole group and remind students they may ask questions during individual work time.
Slides 7–9
- Advance through Slides 7–8. Point out that the four suggested steps for recommending a policy (introduced in Lesson 4.14) are below the rubric. Direct students to follow the instructions on Slide 8 and begin working. Circulate to supervise and clarify as needed. Watch for students who mistakenly provide recommendations to the U.S. instead of using the U.S. Profile as a comparison point for their assigned country.
- Display Slide 9 when 5 minutes remain. Announce that students should begin wrapping up.
- Collect all materials and score assessments using the rubric and Explanation of Policy Proposals. Scoring note: Students may reasonably recommend any policies — score based on economic reasoning, not the specific recommendation. Be open to unexpected connections. The Exemplar shows one advanced response but is not a key.
Aligned Standards
Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics
What Educators Are Saying
Students were able to think of a policy that may be applicable to their community. By applying economic language, they were able to make solid arguments on whether or not to adopt certain policies over others.
The rubric is clear.
I love that they all connect to Google Docs and Slides so that I can edit and customize.