Teacher Resources

Economic Growth Examples: The Top 5 News Articles & Media (updated 2022)

These are the best videos, podcasts, and news articles that we have found to teach economic growth and development. They bring economics to life by showing students real-life examples and current events.
 

1.  24 Charts that show we are mostly better off than our parents | Full Stack Economics (June 29, 2022)

Do we eat more vegetables now? How many people have washing machines at home? How much time do we spend with our kids/parents? Full Stack examines the subtle ways life has changed over the last 40 years.
 

2.  What nails can tell us about how far we’ve come | NPR The Indicator (January 13, 2022)

Nails can tell us a lot about how the economy has grown.
 

3.  Hans Rosling's 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes | Joy of Statistics (November 26, 2010)

Who, apart from Hans Rosling, could muster this much enthusiasm for statistics? This is an oldie, but a goodie. For more up-to-date statistics have students visit GapMinder for themselves.
 

4.  The Hockey Stick of Human Prosperity | Marginal Revolution University (June 25, 2014)

Gain a new appreciation for your underwear. This video sums up the history of human prosperity and the specialized production processes that have created so much prosperity over the past 250 years.
 

5.  North Korea v. South Korea at Night | National Geographic (February 14, 2014)

The night lights photo of North vs. South Korea is a classic. It powerfully demonstrates the effects of different policies on growth over time. But to really show the importance of economic growth, play this TED talk from a North Korean defector.
 



Looking for recent news articles for class? We scour the internet for the best news, videos, and podcasts to illustrate economic concepts. We pair these articles with classroom activities and send them out in a weekly email called EconInbox.


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High School or University

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