Project Description: This project focuses on economic indicators and their use as measures of an economy’s strength. Student teams will gather historical and current economic data, analyze these data, and use their findings to determine the current phase of the business cycle. Then, each team will predict the health of the U.S. economy over the next 12 months, including which phase(s) of the business cycle the economy will experience, and based on this forecast, determine what industry would be best for a venture capitalist to invest in during that time. Each team will develop charts and tables that contain its research findings and economic forecast, develop a short report of its recommendation, and present its work to a venture capitalist, economic development coordinator, or local entrepreneur. The attached project document (found in the Resource Library) includes step-by-step instructions, templates, briefings, resources, and rubrics to help in executing this project.Driving Question: What phase(s) of the business cycle do you expect the U.S. economy to experience over the next 12 months, and what industry should a venture capitalist invest in during that time? Timeframe: 2 weeks

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to
Define investing and distinguish it from saving and trading.
Identify reasons for investing, including outpacing inflation.
Analyze how compounding builds wealth over time.
Reflect on how investing contributes to wealth inequality.

Approximate Time
Lesson length: 90 mins