Economics in US History

My economics lesson, (click on title to view), will be used for the the settlement period in US or Kansas History. The settlement period saw high prices due to short supply and high demand. Prices only leveled off when the amount of suppliers became more plentiful. This in turn caused the weeding out of businesses who were not creative or savvy enough to make it in a high supply average demand situation. These price fluctuations are most vividly seen during the Oregon Trail period with its extreme prices and later during the settlement period of early Kansas, during Territorial and early Statehood. More specifically the concepts of supply and demand will be applied. Additionally, the concepts of opportunity cost will be applied through the concept of the sale and sales description. I have used a lesson similar to this one in the past, but never quite like this. I am anticipating using this lesson in my classroom this up coming school year. I think the enthusiasm generated by the lesson will benefit my students understanding of economics within history.