The first day of Economics class can feel like a gamble.

Some students signed up because they’re curious about the economy.

Others heard it was “an easy senior elective.”

A few are there by accident, mistaking it for Accounting or Personal Finance

The best way to kick off an on-level or AP Economics course?

Not with a lecture.

Not with a syllabus read-aloud.

And definitely not with an exhaustive overview of “opportunity cost” on slide 12 of a 30-slide PowerPoint.

Start with an activity.  

Something that gets kids to do economics—before they even realize it.

Here are three first-day activities that do that.

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1. Let’s Build a Zoo!

What it teaches: Scarcity, opportunity cost, trade-offs, decision-making

Time: 45–60 minutes

Best for: Any high school Economics class (on-level or AP Micro)

If you want students to feel scarcity and make real economic decisions right away, this is the one.

Here’s how it works: Students work in small groups to design their own zoo—with one major constraint: space. They have 25 acres and a menu of animals, each of which requires a different amount of land.

But animals don’t like being alone, so they’ll need more than one of most animals. A lion takes 2 acres. An African elephant takes 15. Monkeys only need ½ acre, but how many monkeys is too many?

When they’re done, students complete a guided reflection sheet that asks questions like:

• Why didn’t you include every animal?
• What was the last animal to make the cut?
• Did everyone in your group agree on the final design?
• What kind of elephant did you choose. Why?

You connect their decisions to key economic concepts. Think scarcity, trade-offs, and opportunity cost.

Why it works:

• It feels like a game, but it is economics
• It gets students to justify their decisions using reasoning they’ll rely on all year
• It’s perfect for setting up your first unit
• It lets you model how you’ll introduce and reinforce economic concepts in the course

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2. “Needs vs. Wants” Real-Life Brainstorm

What it teaches: Scarcity, limited resources, basic economic problem

Time: 20–30 minutes

Best for: On-level Economics or intro day in AP Micro

Start with a real-world curveball:  

“You’ve been dropped in a brand-new country. You have no money, no connections, and only what’s in your backpack. What do you do first?”

Have students make two lists:

• Needs (essentials for survival)
• Wants (things they want, but could live without)

Then debrief:

• What was on everyone’s “needs” list?
• Did anyone disagree about whether something was a need or a want?
• What happens when there aren’t enough resources to meet even the basic needs?

Why it works:

• It grounds economic concepts in human experience
• It sets the stage for understanding scarcity, choices, and priorities
• It helps you introduce the economic problem and essential questions for the course

Want to level it up for AP? End with a short reading or mini-lecture on the “Economic Problem” and the role of incentives in decision-making.

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3. “$100 Dilemma” Budget Simulation

What it teaches: Opportunity cost, marginal benefit vs. marginal cost, utility

Time: 20–40 minutes

Best for: AP Microeconomics or any class focused on decision-making early on

Pose the challenge:  

“You have $100. You can spend it any way you want—but once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Give students a list of 20+ items with prices (or let them brainstorm their own). Some essentials, some splurges.

• $35 concert ticket
• $10 for lunch out
• $25 toward savings
• $15 for new shoes
• $5 coffee run
• $20 for a gift for a friend

Then ask them to:

• Rank their purchases
• Calculate what they gave up when they chose one item over another
• Reflect on what they valued most

Follow up with a quick discussion:

• What was your biggest “opportunity cost”?
• What did you almost buy but didn’t? Why?
• Would you make the same choices tomorrow?

Why it works:

• Students practice marginal thinking right away
• It’s a personal activity that helps them see economics in everyday life
• It’s adaptable into a full lesson or quick icebreaker

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Final Thought:

The first day of Economics class doesn’t have to be a lecture.

And it definitely doesn’t have to feel like a list of definitions.

Start with activities that let students do economics.

You’ll hook them early, build buy-in, and set the tone for a course that’s relevant, rigorous, and actually fun.

Whether you’re teaching AP or on-level, these activities do more than capture students’ attention. They show them that economics is everywhere, and it starts with the choices they make every day.

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