Kids learning about the economy

The economy and the $700 billion bailout plan has many people scratching heads. Wall Street is down a thousand points since the bailout plan was passed. Kids at Murray Middle school attempted to understand what is going on in the economy.

“All the people weren’t paying back their mortgages so we had to do a seven hundred bil… Was it billion?” said an unsure Cameron Cariney, a 7th grader at Murray. And yes, it was $700 billion.

“That’s a lot of money.” he said.

A few weeks ago, many of the students in teacher Chris Meek’s 7th grade class had never heard of 401k’s and IRA’s. He said his students need to know what is happening in today’s economy, so he puts it in terms they can understand. “One thing that the body can’t do without is water. Well the economy needs money to run through it, much like water, to survive.

Though students may hear about “tough economic times” and a “slow economy”, many do not know how it affects their family. “It might have effected them, but they haven’t talked to me about it,” Cariney said.

Meek hopes learning about the economy and the government response will encourage his students to find out what it means for their families. “Going home, they have an understanding of what might be discussed around the dinner table. And if they feel they have something they would like to interject into the conversation they can speak somewhat intelligently about it,” Meeks said.

While learning about the Great Depression during a weak economy can seem like the end of the world, Meek said learning about our current situation helps his students remain calm. “I don’t want them to panic. I don’t want them to think that there is some gloom and doom on the end.”

Now if we can only get the message to those guys on Wall Street.

Meeks said he enjoys teaching kids about the economy. He said his students feel comfortable asking him questions they might be afraid to ask at home. So far he thinks the students themselves have added a lot to his lessons.