High School Economics

Why do prices rise? What makes a market fair? How do tiny choices ripple through entire societies? At Grey Eyed Owl, we approach economics not just as a system of numbers and models, but as a discipline rooted in big questions—about value, justice, labor, and the nature of human desire.

Our students study economics as both a social science and a philosophical tradition, tracing ideas from Adam Smith’s invisible hand to Karl Marx’s critiques of capital; from Bentham’s utilitarian calculus to Keynes’s vision of state intervention; all the way to 21st-century debates on inequality, globalization, and behavioral economics. Along the way, they encounter thinkers like David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill, Thorstein Veblen, and Milton Friedman—voices that have shaped how societies understand wealth, power, and progress.

Through rich readings, case studies, and dialogue, students come to see economics not as a distant abstraction but as a living force—one that shapes how we govern, vote, work, consume, and dream. Whether debating the ethics of a minimum wage, examining the cultural roots of consumerism, or exploring the economic logic behind climate policy, GEO students develop not only analytical skill, but a deep sense of context and responsibility. They leave not just ready for AP exams—but ready to ask better questions about the world we all share.

  • Students explore the individual elements of economic theory, including market dynamics, demand and supply, price formation, and the role of government in regulating economies. Here, they step into the logic of everyday choices — why we buy what we buy, how businesses set prices, and what happens when markets fail. With a clear, structured approach to supply and demand, elasticity, and cost-benefit analysis, students learn to think like economists and evaluate real-world trade-offs with insight and clarity.

  • Zooming out, students explore the vast currents of national and global economies — GDP, inflation, unemployment, and fiscal policy.  This course introduces students to the broader economic factors such as national productivity, total national income, and the overall levels of prices and employment. With an emphasis on cause and consequence, they learn to track the signals of economic health and instability, gaining a framework for interpreting headlines, market shifts, and government decisions.

  • This course offers a focused study of the economic decisions made by individuals and firms. Students learn about supply and demand, elasticity, labor markets, and government interventions, developing fluency in economic modeling and marginal thinking. Real-world applications and problem sets prepare students for both the AP exam and thoughtful engagement with economic policy.

  • Zooming out to the national and global scale, AP Macroeconomics introduces students to indicators of economic health, including GDP, inflation, and unemployment. Students learn how monetary and fiscal policy function, and explore the effects of trade, currency, and global market forces. With practical examples and rigorous analysis, students gain a keen awareness of the economic forces shaping the modern world.

  • This interdisciplinary course traces the evolution of economic theory and its entanglements with political philosophy and moral reasoning. Students examine thinkers from Adam Smith to Karl Marx to Milton Friedman, exploring how ideas about value, labor, and power have shaped the modern world. It’s a rich tapestry of economics in conversation with politics and philosophy — ideal for the intellectually adventurous.