The Cantillon Effect Reader's Theater Script | ECON 101.5 Series

This readers’ theater script, "The Cantillon Effect," spans 12 scenes in a modern high school classroom. Students probe why new money—like QE’s trillions—boosts banks before inflation hits wages, widening gaps teens notice, with Ms. Rivera, Emma, Liam, Noah, and Sophia. Experts Saifedean Ammous and Lyn Alden trace it from Cantillon’s 1700s gold flows to 2008’s $8 trillion Fed pump, fueling stock and housing bubbles while rent and groceries soar. Critics Paul Krugman and Janet Yellen defend the system, but Bitcoin emerges as a dodge. With 9 speaking roles, it fits grades 9-12, offering flexible casting.

The worksheet deepens analysis with varied questions:

• Short-Answer Questions (5): Test basics like “Why does Sophia blame Cantillon?” with quotes on savings versus rent.
• Long-Format Questions (5): Link concepts to life, like “How might Ammous affect your savings?” tying history to now.
• Economic Concept Questions (5): Add research depth, like “Find U.S. money supply 2008-2020” to probe QE’s cost, with data hints.
• Themes and Discussion Questions (2): Spark talks on winners versus losers, like “What’s a winner’s edge in your life?” connecting to teens.
• Application Focus: Students cite evidence (e.g., Krugman on jobs), link to today (e.g., $80 groceries), and weigh policies, building reasoning.

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What's included?

(a single PDF with links to Google Docs/Slides, if print format is preferred you can download from your Google Drive to word/pdf/ppt/etc)

1) Teacher's Guide & Answer Key

• Standards Alignment (CCSS Grades 9~12, CCRA)
• Teacher Tips
• Answer Keys for all worksheet sections
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• Format: Google Doc (7 pages)

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~9 Characters, 4700 words (NOTE: This script is bit longer than others in the ECON 101.5 series)
• Format: Google Doc (12 pages)

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Questions
• 5 Economic Concept Research & Extension Questions
• Format: Google Slides (22 Slides)

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about 50~60 minutes
• Depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.

Script Summary:

• Scene 1: The Cantillon Effect emerges as a hidden driver of wealth gaps teens see in booms.
• Scene 2: Saifedean Ammous defines how new money favors banks first, inflating assets before workers feel it.
• Scene 3: Inflation’s uneven ripple hits savers and workers last, shrinking their cash’s value.
• Scene 4: Lyn Alden ties QE’s $8 trillion post-2008 to stock and home price surges, not wages.
• Scene 5: Winners (banks, investors) contrast with losers (workers, teens), mapping Cantillon’s flow.
• Scene 6: Paul Krugman and Janet Yellen defend QE’s stability, but students highlight inequality costs.
• Scene 7: Cantillon’s 1700s gold insight mirrors today’s Fed, showing a timeless gap mechanism.
• Scene 8: Asset bubbles—housing, stocks—price teens out, driven by early money flows.
• Scene 9: Bitcoin’s fixed supply pitches a Cantillon dodge, bypassing bank advantages.
• Scene 10: Inflation’s daily fallout—groceries, rent—squeezes families late in the money line.
• Scene 11: Lyn Alden critiques QE’s bias; students debate rules versus Bitcoin fixes.
• Scene 12: Students reflect on Cantillon’s role in inequality, weighing personal action.

Will this meet your classroom's needs?

Try this FREE Globalization & Tariffs script from the ECON 101.5 series first :)