From the beginning of the school year, my students are immersed in our classroom economy. While it certainly runs itself after a while, students must first learn "What is an economy?"

I use trade books, online resources, and class discussions to teach my students a bit about the history of money and the purpose of an economic system. Before implementing an economy, students must first become familiar with the economic system we have in place in our country.

See my classroom economy book list for trade books that work well for introducing students to the concept of an economy, and read the full "Introducing the Classroom Economy" lesson plan.