Otaniemi Upper Secondary School – Sustainable Future Project
Course code, full name, and status (C/EC/OP)
YH2 Economics (C)
Topic
Economy and Sustainable Development
Duration
30-75 min
Objectives (directly from the National Core Curriculum):
The objective of the module is that the student
- understand news about the economy and become interested in following them
- are familiar with the concepts and basic premises of economics
- are able to interpret statistics and graphs related to the economy
- understand the significance of work and entrepreneurship in the economy and society
- are able to make reasoned financial decisions as well as manage and plan their personal finances
- are able to consider economic questions also from an ethical viewpoint, understanding how Finland is connected to the global economy
- are able to evaluate critically the arguments presented in a discussion on economics as well as analyse different options for economic policy decisions as well as their background and impact.
Content (directly from the National Core Curriculum):
National economy and its actors
- basic economic concepts and the nature and construction of knowledge about the economy
- circular flow of the national economy and interaction between households, enterprises and the national economy
- management of personal finances: saving, consumption, and debt
Markets, economic conjunctures, and economic life
- free competition and pricing in the market
- work, entrepreneurship, and enterprises
- Finland as part of the global economy
- financial markets, saving, investing, and risk management
- economic disruptions; economic cycles, their backgrounds and their consequences
Economic policy
- the basis, advantages, and problems of sustainable economic growth
- public economy and fiscal balance
- actors, means, and challenges of economic policy
More detailed description of content if necessary
The study module introduces the functioning of Finland’s national economy within the global economic context. The changing economy is also examined from the perspective of sustainable economic growth: how it may be possible in the future to combine economic growth, employment, and environmental benefits.
Key topics include:
- The impact of the circular economy and sharing economy on the production and consumption of goods
- The Green Deal agreement for a climate-neutral EU by 2050. The EU supports environmentally friendly solutions related to industry, transport, and housing.
Key concepts
Economic growth, Productivity, Commodity / Good, Global economy, Free trade, Protectionism, Circular economy, Sharing economy, Platform economy, Greenwashing, Climate compensation / Carbon offset, Robotics, Climate neutrality, Carbon neutrality, Tangible and intangible investments, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Gini index / Gini coefficient, Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), Human Development Index (HDI), Green Deal program, Infrastructure, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Multiplier effect
Connections within the subject
YH1, YH3, HI1, HI2, HI3