This past summer, Xinyue Zong taught Grade 3 and Grade 4 Mandarin immersion students in St. Paul Public Schools using the MCEE Mathematics & Economics curriculum. Over the course of the summer, her students' test scores and understanding increased; what's more, the students loved the activities in each lesson and worked hard to complete them.

For a split class of students (where both 3rd and 4th graders shared a classroom), the students responded enthusiastically to activities where they got to make decisions and interact as in a marketplace. Interestingly, some students couldn't judge or decide between options to select which was better; ending the lesson early, she was able to prepare future sessions to discuss rational decision-making and opportunity cost to help my students understand how and why they make decisions. To be able to teach scarcity to 9- and 10-year old students is not something Xinyue could do with any other curriculum.

By the end of the summer session, her students remained engaged and frequently looked forward to each economics lesson. Through team activities and lesson simulations, Xinyue taught her students about fractions, decision-making, productivity, opportunity costs, efficiency, and more using a problem-solving framework that will serve students well throughout their future studies and careers.

"MCEE economic curriculum gave me great ideas for planning my lessons with well-thought [out] activities."