For high school economics teachers, things haven't been this good since the Great Depression.

It takes, apparently, a plunging stock market, rising unemployment, falling home prices and a $700 billion Wall Street bailout to capture the attention of today's high school students.

"This is the best time it's ever been to teach economics just because there's so much going on," said John Zehnder, economics teacher at Elk Grove High for the past 32 years.

"Kids are asking questions. I don't have to pry it out of them."

"Every day is a current event," said Ponderosa High teacher Brian Shank, who incorporates breaking economic news into his curriculum at the Shingle Springs school.

Since 1985, California high school students have been required to take a semester of economics to graduate. But for many, economics is considered the "dismal science," boring and tedious.

That perception may be changing, however, as the national economic crisis unfolds and polls show a substantial majority of Americans are nervous about the economy.

In the past, even strong teachers like Zehnder and Shank have struggled to make economics more relevant, but now they're finding a new level of interest among students.

And it's about time, according to Jim Charkins, executive director of the California Council on Economic Education.

"Most people don't understand economics and its impact on kids," Charkins said.

He argues that high school economics should be "empowering" to students.

"It's not as important as English or math – it's more important. It gives students a reason to learn everything else," said Charkins, a professor of economics at California State University, San Bernardino.

"Here's what a lot of kids don't understand: We're all in this together," he said of the economy.

Students in Shank's AP economics class appear to be getting the message.

"I think both students and adults should take economics. It should be (required) like jury duty," said senior Melanie Jones.

On a day-to-day level, Shank's students – all seniors – have other reasons to understand basic economics.

"A big one for us is college, where we will be applying," said Brianna Juhrend.

Classmate Brian Wells said the rising cost of college is a concern, and he's learned a lot about student loans, including the risks.

At Elk Grove High, Zehnder said the student interest level has been "an eye-opener."

"They're not just looking at their own problems, they're asking questions about the overall economy," he said.

Unlike some social studies teachers who've found themselves teaching economics with only a rudimentary understanding of the subject, Shank is a specialist and president of the California Association of Economics Teachers. It's reflected in the way he teaches.

Recently, his students compared decisions made by former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and current Chairman Ben Bernanke.

"I want them to understand the world around them and the world of decision-making," Shank said.

Zehnder said he's also using a lot more current events in his economics classes.

"I'm teaching a unit on money and banking, and we're talking about FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.) and the bailout," Zehnder said.

Zehnder's students also play "The Stock Market Game," a computer program based on a real-life simulation of the stock market.

At Ponderosa High, student teacher Breanne Horton, 23, is teaching an economics class under Shank's supervision. She has added motivation to do a good job.

"I like the idea I'm teaching these kids," she said. "And they'll be running the country when I'm retired."

Call The Bee's Walter Yost, (916) 321-1146.