Sweet trade

Indiana was candy corn, Sweden was chocolate and Alaska was gummy fish.\nThis was the scenario Wednesday morning at Marlin Elementary School when five IU students from the recently established Economics Club developed a lesson to teach more than 20 fourth-graders basic economics.\nIn their first club activity of the year, the members planned a game – involving candy – for the elementary students so they could learn the potential benefits of trading.\n“This activity is really living out our club’s mission,” said sophomore Jessica Keckhaver, the club’s secretary. “Our goals are to involve community service and also to inspire passion in people studying economics.”\nThe fourth-graders were divided into six groups and given plastic baggies filled with one type of candy, such as mini boxes of Nerds and Hershey’s Nuggets. The club members explained to them that, in three rounds of less than two minutes, they should swap what was in their bags for the type of candy that was their favorite. Sophomore Adam Molon, the club’s president, explained to the class how this demonstrated the ways that states and countries benefit from trade practices. \nAnnalise Haldemon, 9, got the gist of it after bargaining her gummy fish for two Bon Bons and some Andes mints.\n“When you trade things, you can get a lot more of what you want,” she said, munching a chocolate mint.\nShe said she learned new things from the Economics Club’s visit. “Indiana doesn’t just trade corn, they trade cars and other things,” she said.\nKeckhaver said spreading this type of knowledge is important to the club, which is seeking more members by next school year. The club has eight members and has been mostly brainstorming for future activities at their meetings so far. She said it was herself \nand a fellow club member,\nsophomore Aaron Lifford, who came up with the idea to teach young students.\n“One of our main missions is to spread economic knowledge to all ages and to anyone of any time of background,” Keckhaver said. “It helps develop analytical and problem-solving skills.”\nAfter the demonstration Wednesday, group members expressed interest in holding similar events, impressed that the students listened to their explanation of the trading game.\nStill, 9-year-old Desmond Moriarty, with a desk full of gummy fish, was honest about what he learned: “Just that candy’s good.”\nFor more information about the Economics Club, or to become a member, contact the club’s sponsor, professor James Self, at jkself@indiana.edu.