New Slide Added: Connecting Lesson 4.6 to the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics

We've added a new slide to Unit 4's Technological Innovation and Economic Growth lesson (Lesson 4.6) that connects the lesson directly to the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

Slide 18 now highlights that Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt won the prize for their theory of sustained growth through creative destruction; that is the same tension between short-term disruption and long-run growth that students explore during the lesson's simulation and debrief. 

This gives you a built-in, current-events hook to show students that the question they're debating in class — what are the costs and benefits of technology in the short and long run? — is the same question economists are actively researching right now.

Where This Came From

We're always keeping an eye on the news for ways to bring current events into our lessons and make it clear to students that economics isn't abstract; it's actively being studied to answer questions they care about, like whether AI is going to make jobs irrelevant or harder to find.

Megan, our Executive Director, was flipping through the AEA's published lectures from the newest Nobel laureates when this one jumped out as a perfect fit for Lesson 4.6. It's a good reminder that some of the best updates come from staying curious about what's happening in the field.

Have a suggestion of your own? We're listening. Share your thoughts using the feedback form.

Bonus Teaching Tip

Current events are one of the fastest ways to make economics feel relevant. When a headline connects to a concept you're already teaching, it hands students proof that the subject matters outside the classroom, and it can turn a familiar lesson into a timely one with just a few minutes of framing.

When you encounter a news story, ask yourself: What concept from my curriculum does this connect to? Would sharing this change how students see the relevance of what we're learning? Is there a natural place in an existing lesson, like a discussion question or debrief, where I could weave this in?

You don't need to build a new lesson around it. Sometimes a two-minute mention or a single added slide, like the one in Lesson 4.6, is enough to make the connection stick.