Is this a Christian curriculum?
OIKONOMIA: Economics for Life and Flourishing (OELF) is based upon a Christian worldview. Because we wish to foster Christian unity and avoid discord, we purposefully encourage students and teachers to work through all Scripture references together. We do our best not to interpret Scripture in the curriculum, and instead leave this to your careful and thoughtful study.
Money, Greed, and God by Jay Richards (one of the main required texts) best reflects the economic philosophy of this course: free markets, limited governments, private property and the Rule of Law all working together to create a virtuous and free society.
OELF is directly informed by this perspective on work, stewardship, and collaboration. We believe these views glorify God well and magnify human flourishing. While we acknowledge our inability to present this material in a way with which every Christian will agree, it is our hope and prayer that through this course, God will be magnified, and your high school student’s life will be changed.
What grade is this curriculum designed for?
OELF should be considered a high school honors course. While 9th and 10th grade students have taken the course with success, we have found that 11th and 12th grade students are better able to manage, grasp, and appreciate the material.
What makes our course unique?
Oikonomia is the only free-market course that utilizes texts written by some of the most qualified and distinguished economists of our time, is written from a distinctly Christian worldview and teaches students to apply that worldview to the politics and economics they encounter everyday, and gives teachers the ease and flexibility they need to confidently teach one of the most important subjects a high school student will ever take. Oikonomia is truly a high school economics course born of classical ideas, a Christian heart, and a mission mind-set!
How much teacher preparation is required?
Required teacher preparation is minimal.
Ideally, the teacher would read the material and watch the videos; however, the Teacher Guide is thorough enough that parents or teachers can confidently assess students’ responses without having to read all the books and articles or watch the videos.
The Oikonomia Teacher Guide includes prompts (LOOKING BACK) to review previous content, give quizzes and exams, and follow up for the included Critical Thinking Assignments. In order to best prepare for the upcoming week’s material (LOOKING AHEAD), the Teacher Guide includes “teaser” discussion questions and answers. Also included are prompts for optional group activities (LET’S DO) that will require more teacher involvement; however, most can be done with no advanced preparation. The activities found in the *Group Activities book will require a limited amount of preparation, but include detailed instructions.
* The Oikonomia Group Activities Book is recommended for teachers who are teaching 10 or more students and can be purchased separately.
How much time is needed for students to complete daily assignments?
Students should plan to spend about an hour each day for reading, answering questions and viewing videos. Some days may be as little as 30 minutes, other days may require slightly more than one hour of concentrated effort. Generally, coursework should average 45 minutes per day.
Will this course satisfy my state’s Content Standards in Economics?
Yes. One of the core texts, Common Sense Economics (CSE) satisfies all 20 of the Voluntary National Standards in Economics. CSE is also the sole text used in several college and university courses and is also the sole text used for high school economics in the Detroit Public School system.
Can I Teach this curriculum in a traditional brick and mortar, private or Classical school?
Absolutely! This course can be best appreciated in a group setting, whether a group of 5 or 50, this course provides brilliant opportunities for group learning! To find out more click here.
What does Economics have to do with human flourishing?
So glad you asked! For an idea of how “human flourishing,” is impacted by economics, check out this excerpt from an article written by Joe Connors, co-author of OIKONOMIA: Economics for Life and Flourishing and Anne Bradley of the Institute for Faith and Economics click here.
