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Focus: Understanding Economics in U.S. History
One-Hour Workshop
1. What Does Economics Contribute to History (30 minutes)
• Provide a brief overview of the session.
• Explain that the student achievement levels in history are often criticized. Perhaps introducing students to the economic way of thinking in history may strengthen the teaching of history.
• Show the PowerPoint slides from the file titled: How Economics Can Strengthen the Teaching of History. This presentation provides an overview of the problems that face U.S. history teachers. It explains how stressing the economic way of thinking can be a powerful way to improve the teaching and learning of history. The presentation also includes an overview of the Table of Contents.
2. Demonstration of Lesson 5, Why Sell Yourself into Bondage? (30 minutes)
• Demonstrating Lesson 5 is an easy way to show the participants the power of applying economic thinking to historical problems. Many workers in colonial North America were indentured servants—people who signed contracts stating they would work for up to seven years in exchange for passage to North America. Some historians have likened indentured servitude to slavery. But for a period of time from about 1650 to 1780 young men and women from England eagerly committed themselves to terms of indentured servitude for work to be performed in the North American colonies. Why would people accept difficult jobs that they could not quit? Why would they sell themselves into bondage?
• Show the PowerPoint slides 1 to 4 from the file titled: Indentured Servants.
• Distribute and discuss Activity 5.1 A Contract for an Indentured Servant.
• Distribute and discuss Activity 5.2. This is a primary source document of an indentured servant contract.
• Distribute Activity 5.3. This is series of case studies of individuals who signed indentured servant contracts. Divide the participants into groups. Assign each group one case study. Ask them to discuss the costs and benefits that faced each individual. Ask each group to explain their analysis. You may wish to display PowerPoint slides 5 and 6 in Indentured Servants to guide the discussion.
• Do a brief review of the session.
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