Market and Command: A Comparative and Contrastive Unit

Fred Whaples, World History, North Mecklenburg High School

Curriculum Unit (pdf)

Synopsis:

The ideas and concepts surrounding production, selling, purchasing, and trading have evolved over time taking on many labels and names.  This unit will explore two prominent modern economies, command and market, by allowing students to research, react, and respond individually, in small groups, and publicly.  Market and Command: a comparative and contrastive unit on the two economic systems that shaped the 20th century, will primarily focusing on the Cold War era of 1945-1991, and how the 20th century in turn reshaped both of them (primarily contrasting the original intent and structure to modern application). The unit will climax with a highly interactive, multi-day, and real world connection role play where students will create their own product (from concept to budget to development to marketing to market) in a simulation involving the entire school.