Utilizing Bob's Burgers to Illustrate Economic Concepts in Introductory Economics Classes

Abstract

Teaching economics with real-world examples that students can relate to increases understanding, interest in economics, engagement, and retention. We provide four lesson plans in which we utilize scenes from the sitcom Bob’s Burgers to illustrate fundamental economic concepts such as production, product differentiation, market structures, profit, dominant strategy, and Nash equilibrium. The selected clips relate to several topics, and therefore, help students make connections. Each lesson plan presents a summary of the related clips, learning objectives, direct instructions for instructors, and assessment questions that economics educators can easily incorporate into their curriculum.

Keywords: foundational economic concepts, sitcom, teaching economics, active learning

JEL Classification: A20, A21