Freakonomics Lesson Plan

The (Un)Happiest Places on Earth

Kind of Activity:

Research

Objective:

Students will apply what they’ve learned in the text (about cheating and dishonesty) to contemporary global issues.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7

Structure:

Paul Feldman’s bagel data indicate that people are more moral and honest when they are happier, while people tend to cheat when they are unhappy. Does this translate to societies as a whole? Are happier countries, in other words, less corrupt? Are unhappy countries more corrupt?

Click on the following two links. One is the World Happiness Report, which lists countries according to their...