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Watch this clip and consider the impact of the Baby Boom generation on the US labor force in the 1970's-1980's. How would this change in the adult labor force impact the production possibilities curve?

This lesson plan explores real world examples of events that could impact an economy’s ability to produce. These changes in productive capacity can be depicted using an economic model known as the production possibilities curve. Students will view videos from the C-SPAN library that will demonstrate either changes to existing factors of production (land, labor, capital) technology or changes to available factors of production/technology. Students will utilize these examples to practice graphing skills using the production possibilities curve.

This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handout and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

You can also save and share the following Google resource for students to use with this lesson.

Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Docs).

In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

Students will read a brief summary from their textbook or an online resource summarizing the basic concepts related to the production possibilities curve. Students should be able to define the following terms: production possibilities frontier, scarcity, opportunity cost, efficiency, inefficiency, growth, full-employment output, concave, linear, constant costs, increasing cost

Alternatively, students can be assigned the following videos in AP Classroom or they can be viewed as a class (requires log-in):

Introduce the topic of production possibilities curves with a review of the core definitions from the warm-up. Discuss the difference between movements along the curve, output positions (on the curve, within the curve, outside the curve), and shifts in the curve.

Remind students of the three key assumptions in the model (ceteris paribus):

Students will view the following video clips on the Production Possibilities Curve Handout (Google Doc) to graph the production possibilities curve based on various examples:

Using the last portion of the handout as a guide, students will work in pairs or small groups to find a contemporary example that could influence the production possibilities curve.

After completing this section of the handout, students will post a link to their example on an interactive whiteboard or Padlet.

As a class, display the students' examples and practice graphing the changes to the production possibilities curve.