Mathematics and Economics: Connections for Life, 6-8 is a set of 12 lessons that demonstrate how mathematical processes and concepts may be applied to the study of economics and personal finance. In this volume, mathematics educators will find lessons connecting mathematics instruction to practical problems and issues that students will encounter throughout their lifetimes.

In the study of these problems and issues, economics and mathematics are natural intellectual allies. Economics is the study of people's attempts to make good decisions in an uncertain world endowed with limited resources. The tools that economists use gain power, elegance and visual appeal as they are represented mathematically in models. Indeed one might think of economics as "first quadrant math" because economic magnitudes only rarely take on a negative sign. Research indicates that students with a strong background in mathematics are more likely than others to succeed in introductory college-level economics classes. However, the lessons presented here are not designed solely for use with students who are college-bound. These lessons are designed to provide economic skills and knowledge that all students will use as savers, investors, consumers, producers, and informed citizens.