This class introduces scientific, economic, and ecological issues underlying the threat of global climate change, and the institutions engaged in negotiating an international response. It also develops an integrated approach to analysis of climate change processes, and assessment of proposed policy measures, drawing on research and model development within the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

To understand why people trade, suppose you were limited to consuming only items you could find within walking distance of your house. Or, perhaps even worse, only items you could produce yourself. For most of us, this restriction would severely diminish the variety of goods and services we enjoy on a daily basis. Therefore, the simplest answer to the question is that people (or entire countries) trade because they will enjoy a wider variety of goods.

This course will focus on the emergence and evolution of industrial societies around the world. The student will begin by comparing the legacies of industry in ancient and early modern Europe and Asia and examining the agricultural and commercial advances that laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution. The student will then follow the history of industrialization in different parts of the world, taking a close look at the economic, social, and environmental effects of industrialization. This course ultimately examines how industrialization developed, spread across the globe, and shaped everyday life in the modern era. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: identify key ideas and events in the history of industrialization; identify connections between the development of capitalism and the development of modern industry; use analytical tools to evaluate the factors contributing to industrial change in different societies; identify the consequences of industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries in different societies; critique historical interpretations of the causes and effects of industrialization; and analyze and interpret primary source documents describing the process of industrialization and life in industrial societies. (History 363)

The world is becoming more and more interconnected. Globalization changes how people consume, work and live almost everywhere on the world. Today, many economic, political, cultural or ecological relationships are not explainable from a national perspective. At the same time, a controversial debate about the consequences of globalization has begun. But what are the main causes for globalization? In what areas it is most prominent? And who are the winners and looser of globalization?

Not sure what a word on our website means? Use the Glossary of Terms below to find the definition! You’re on your way to becoming an economist.

ŕThe Go-Around DollarĚŇ is a selection that combines two genres: realistic fiction and expository text. It provides an entertaining look at the journey of a dollar as it passes through the hands of various characters.

TED Studies, created in collaboration with Wiley, are curated video collections — supplemented by rich educational materials — for students, educators and self-guided learners. In Cyber-Influence and Power, activists, academics and statesmen come together at TED to delve into new ideas about how power and influence come about in the digital age. With them, we'll consider how communications technology is fueling transnational organizations and movements with inspiring and disturbing effects. 

Was Great Britain dependent on trade with the colonies? This inquiry will guide students through the impacts trade had on both Great Britain, the colonists and other countries during the late 1700’s. In this inquiry students will research and draw conclusions on how trading impacts relationships and dependency between countries. Resource created by Barbara Knopik, Centura Public Schools, as part of the Nebraska ESUCC Social Studies Special Projects 2024 - Inquiry Design Model (IDM).

Learn about the Great Depression using a crossword puzzle and word search. You can play online or print the activities. Also included are printable teacher's guides.

History holds many economic lessons. The Great Depression, in particular, is an event that provides the opportunity to teach and learn a great deal about economics-whether you're studying the economic reasons that the Depression took place, the factors that helped it come to an end or the impact on Americans who lived through it. This curriculum is designed to provide teachers with economic lessons that they can share with their students to help them understand this significant experience in U.S. history.

Learn about the Great Depression using a crossword puzzle and word search. You can play online or print the activities. Also included are printable teacher's guides.

All inflation isn't bad—a moderate amount can signal a healthy economy. But high inflation, such as that during the Great Inflation, can lead to a vicious cycle where expectations of higher inflation lead to further increases in the price level. Read the October 2012 issue to find out what caused the Great Inflation, how tough (and painful) policy brought it to an end, and two key lessons learned.

A grocery store marketing tour I developed for my 10-year-old nephew after noticing that he was interested in how money (particularly buying/selling) worked. The tour took about 1 hour and then about 15-30 minutes for him to pick and purchase the items he wanted with the $10 I gave him. The information in this guide is a compilation of industry stories from primary and secondary sources. I encourage you to do your own research to confirm the accuracy of these stories.I also encourage you to use this as a guide and be ready to adapt and use different examples, different products, etc. depending on what the student is engaging with and what is available at your local grocery store. 

This course examines the economic, political, social, and spatial dynamics of urban growth and decline in cities and their key component areas (downtown, suburbs, etc.). Topics include impacts of industrialization, technology, politics, and social practices on cities. Students will examine the role of public and private sector activities, ranging from zoning and subsidies to infrastructure development and real estate investment, in affecting urban growth and decline. Readings are both theoretical and empirical, with considerable thought paid to comparative and historical differences.

An online brain dominance inventory provides students with information on their brain dominance and information processing style. This relates to perception and learning styles.

The professor sells an announced number of M&M packets (or other inexpensive good) through an auction to derive a classroom demand schedule. The resulting demand schedule is displayed as a "curve" and facilitates discussion of consumer demand.

The US government debt is now bigger than the debt of any other government in human history. It is so big, that it is hard to comprehend just how big it is. This immersive 360 degree video helps illustrate the scale of the debt while Professor Antony Davies from Duquesne University breaks down the debt and explains its implications.

Offered during MIT’s Independent Activites Period (IAP), this short course covers the poker concepts, math concepts, and general concepts needed to play the game of Texas Hold’em on a professional level.
IAP is a special 4-week term in January that provides members of the MIT community including students, faculty, staff, and alums with an opportunity to organize, sponsor and participate in a wide variety of activities and topics that are often outside of the regular MIT curriculum.
Faculty Advisor: Paul Mende

This film chronicles the introduction of the hula hoop, a toy that set off one of the greatest fads in United States history. According to Wham-O, the manufacturer of the hoop, when the toy was first introduced in the late 1950s, over 25 million were sold in four months. This short scene illustrates the difference between a movement along a demand curve and a shift of the entire curve, a subtle point that many students struggle with.