What is Econ Island?

The creator of Econ Island believes that the best way to teach economics and government is to remove the abstraction from the content and provide tangible examples of these concepts in the classroom. (see research)

To this end, Econ Island is a unique learning tool that uses an ongoing open-ended simulation to teach about economics and government. Students of any age (secondary through college)  become immersed in a educational simulation so engaging they'll forget they are learning. Econ Island provides a methodology in which students can work with theoretical concepts in a hands on way.

The simulation encourages your students to think economically and politically as they become island citizens with very real opportunities and challenges. Your students may become business moguls, politicians, or paupers struggling to find food, energy sources, and shelter. The simulation exposes your class to a litany of concepts from scarcity and opportunity costs to fiscal and monetary policy and everything in between.

Econ Island provides eighteen painstakingly crafted lessons (lessons and materials) written by real economics teachers who have tested these methods in their own classrooms. All told, these lesson provide up to 1000 minutes of classroom instruction. Econ Island also provides dozens of discussion questions to help the instructor reinforce the concepts on display and provide closure during the lesson. Econ Island is a meticulous designed and researched educational tool that has been vetted by years of classroom use. It can be used to augment a preexisting course or to teach economics and government from start to finish. It is comprehensive, and most importantly, flexible enough to match any teaching style.

Perhaps Econ Island's strongest characteristic is its sheer playability. Students lose themselves in the simulation as the game takes on a life of its own. It is a fun and refreshing method to present content that is as enjoyable to teach as is it to play. Although the game itself is represented by tokens, cards, and a game board, it will mean so much more to your class.  (lessons and materials) 


      

Testimonials
"Econ Island... combines sound economic principles with interesting and engaging activities that naturally motivate 21st century students. It is truly fantastic."
John


"Awesome!  Your simulation is amazing... I've actually been looking for good simulations for about 2 years.  I think I struck paydirt with you."
Russ


Econ Island Lessons and Materials