On Demand Thursdays: Pandemics Past, Present and Future in Young Adult Literature

In this economics webinar, discover recently published books that examine pandemics, crises, and societies’ responses to them.

From Philadelphia’s Yellow Fever Plague at the end of the 18th century to the fictitious epidemic in the “Hunger Games,” investigate interrelated economic concepts found in popular young adult books, such as bartering, costs & benefits and scarcity. We will also engage students by touching on current events.

See lessons on how societies deal with allocating limited resources, how markets are affected and how governments do or don’t response to a dire situations. Featured  titles include “Fever, 1793” by Laurie Halse Anderson and “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins.

Presentation Slides

Fever 1793 Teacher’s Guide

American Plague Lesson Plans

The Black Plague classroom simulation

Hunger Games Economic Systems

Pandemics in Children’s Lit Bibliography