You are the Economy

See the economy from a whole new perspective—yours.

You Are the Economy is a set of six lessons and activities that explore economic and financial literacy and are designed to fit within social studies, history, geography, economics, business and career courses. The lessons are for students in Grades 7–12 (Secondary I-V).

Each lesson features interactive teaching strategies and uses data from the Bank of Canada and other trusted sources to get your students thinking and talking about economics and personal finances.

Use all the resources or choose the lessons that best suit your classroom. Each lesson has resources to help you walk your students through key concepts, and includes a discussion guide and a comprehensive answer key.

Lesson plans

Explore personal finances and national and global economics in fun and engaging ways.

It’s personal: economic and financial decision-making

Thinking like an economist

Learn how to think like an economist by exploring how economic concepts shape everyday decision-making.

Building budgets

Build practical financial literacy skills by balancing a monthly budget using realistic, real-world scenarios, and get some practical saving and spending tips along the way.

On target: the Canadian economy and the Bank of Canada

Connecting Canadian industries

Explore how Canadian industries are interconnected and how these relationships shape the Canadian economy.

Decoding Canadian economic data

Develop data literacy skills by interpreting charts of Canadian economic data.

The world and us: exploring the global economy

Tracing Canada’s place in the world

Use a data visualization tool to learn about how Canada’s place in the global economy has evolved.

Investing wisely

Introduce students to informed investment decisions and show how everyday spending and earning connect to the global economy.

Featured activities

Pick and choose from these resources about the economy and personal finance.