Grade 9-12
,
Lesson
Do Businesses Have Social Responsibility?
Objective
Students will be able to:
- Compare and contrast views on the social responsibility of business.
- Evaluate the responsibilities of business.
Standard
National Standards in Economics
Decision Making
Standard: 2
- Students will understand that: Effective decision making requires comparing the additional costs of alternatives with the additional benefits. Many choices involve doing a little more or a little less of something: few choices "are all or nothing" decisions.
- Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Make effective decisions as consumers, producers, savers, investors, and citizens.
Scarcity
Standard: 1
- Students will understand that: Productive resources are limited. Therefore, people cannot have all the goods and services they want; as a result, they must choose some things and give up others.
- Students will be able to use this knowledge to: Identify what they gain and what they give up when they make choices.
![](https://preview2.econedlink.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/lesson-6-graphic.jpg 936w, https://preview2.econedlink.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/lesson-6-graphic-300x229.jpg 300w, https://preview2.econedlink.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/lesson-6-graphic-768x587.jpg 768w, https://preview2.econedlink.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/lesson-6-graphic-100x76.jpg 100w)
Description
Through a short simulation, a primary source discussion, and creating a verbal pitch for a company’s board of directors, students consider perspectives related to whether or not businesses have a social responsibility. This lesson is part of the Ethics, Economics, and Social Issues curriculum.
The simulation specifically uses volunteerism and charitable donations as examples of actions that might be considered social responsibility. Students experience how companies have competing interests in how to use their resources and what benefits and costs are involved with allocating resources to social responsibility.
Resources