Archive for 6 April 2007
Vertical Agriculture
| Peter Klein |
I’ve done some work on vertical integration in agriculture (e.g., this paper). But I learned only recently about vertical agriculture — growing crops inside a skyscraper. (HT: Creativity Exchange.)
At first I thought vertical farming couldn’t possibly be the highest-valued use of land in densely populated urban centers like New York or Hong Kong. Then again, if government ethanol subsdidies continue driving up the price of corn (poor people beware!), you never know.
Resources For Economics Teachers
| Peter Klein |
Old fogies like myself who teach economics to undergraduates need help to make the subject come alive to Generation Z (or whatever we’re up to now). Here are links to multimedia, popular song lyrics, in-class exercises, and other useful resources.
1. Common Sense Economics — accompanies the text by the same name by Jim Gwartney, Rick Stroup, and Dwight Lee. Look under “Really Cool Stuff” for some, well, really cool stuff.
2. AmosWeb — lots of of electronic resources for economics courses. Say the producers: “we take economics seriously, but with a touch of whimsy.” Much like our attitude here at O&M, but with more substance. (HT: Jan Dauve)
3. From ABBA to Zeppelin, Led: using music to teach economics — excerpts from popular song lyrics along with economic interpretations and classroom exercises. I’ve actually heard of some of the groups! (HT: Marginal Revolution)
4. Mises.org fun page — Austrian economics cartoons, crossword puzzles, and more. Be sure to scroll down for the Monty Python money song and Roderick Long’s Kant song.
Also, remember, lecturing is out, “learner-centered instruction” is in. You’re supposed to be the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage.
Organizations and Markets 
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