To increase economic literacy among students in grades 8-12, the guide offers activities, discussion questions, background information, and explanation of economic concepts. The document is presented in three sections. Section I examines the economic framework of the United States. Topics discussed include economic problems, making economic decisions, economic system development, production, income distribution, and economic exchange. Section II focuses on the four major types of non-government business organizations--proprietorship, partnership, investor-owned profit corporation, and user-owned cooperative corporation. For each type of organization, information is presented on major points, performance expectations, important concepts, and comparison with other types of organizations. Section III traces cooperative enterprises in agriculture and business-particularly in the fields of housing and health care. Information is presented on the principles of cooperatives, how cooperatives work, control, success factors, and buying power of cooperatives. Each of the three sections outlines the major points about each concept discussed and recommends additional teacher material, student material, student activities, discussion questions and answers, and a glossary of terms. Student activities include analyzing newspaper articles, charting sectors of the business economy, answering brief questions about the free enterprise system, analyzing local business enterprises, arranging speaking engagements by community business leaders, and forming a cooperative to purchase school supplies. (DB)