Economics is a discipline of social studies that helps us understand how to make choices given limited resources—an inquiry vital to personal and societal success in today's world. Introducing economic thinking at the elementary level can provide students early with knowledge and skills that transcend the classroom, preparing each child to fulfill many different types of economic citizenship, including the ability to make sound personal decisions, to participate in collective action, [and] to struggle against economic inequality.

In this article, we share an idea we created to purposefully integrate economic thinking into elementary curriculum by exploring the economic principles in a popular children's book series—books that many teachers are already using in class- rooms. We also provide examples from Ms. Holloman's fourth grade classroom in North Carolina— where our Animal Hats and Economics unit of study was first piloted.