FlowingData.com has a fantastic guide to understanding our current economic mess. How did we get here? Follow the arrows on their diagram. It’s a very cool look at the issue.

Unfortunately, I can’t find any indication if you’re allowed to reprint their diagrams either by crossposting them or running them off for your class. You could still have your students look things up (or project the site on the wall with a projector) and proceed from there.