Lesson 3: Production Possibilities Curve
Duration of Days: 3
Lesson Objective
Students will construct and interpret PPCs to explain scarcity, efficiency, and economic growth.
What does a PPC illustrate about an economy’s production possibilities?
How does the curve shift when resources or technology change?
C3: D2.Eco.3.9-12 (Analyze how economic systems allocate resources)
CCSS: RH.11-12.7 (Integrate quantitative information with text)
(DOK 3 – Strategic Thinking):
Students use PPC graphs to explore trade-offs, inefficiency, and growth. They learn how shifts in a PPC reflect changes in resources or technology and what points inside, on, and outside the curve mean.
Provide graphing templates for practice
Pair students for peer explanation
Challenge extensions for advanced learners
Graphing task requiring students to draw and label a PPC and explain shifts