COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Economics is a nine weeks required course for students that addresses essential concepts necessary for students to completely and effectively participate in a complex global society. Content encompasses both microeconomic and macroeconomic principles. Key elements include the study of scarcity, supply and demand, market structures, the role of government, national income determination, money and the role of financial institutions, economic stabilization, and trade. Students use knowledge and critical-thinking skills learned in previous social studies courses to analyze issues and problems and contemporary economic systems. They examine consequences of public policies and their impact on a free market economy. Mastering economics knowledge and skills enables students to anticipate changes in economic conditions and take appropriate action to improve not only their lives, but also society in general.
Course Goals:
Introduction To Economics
What is Economics?
Want v. Needs
Scarcity and Shortages
Opportunity Cost and Trade-Offs
Economic Systems
3 Questions Every Society must answer
Economic Goals
4 different types of economies
The Free Market
Supply and Demand
Laws of Supply and Demand
Elasticity of Demand
Determinants
Supply & Demand Curves
Changes in Price and Quantity
Production Possibility Curves
4.B. Economic Measurements:
Consumer Price Index
Inflation
Unemployment Rate
Gross Domestic Product (Real and Nominal)
The Business Cycle
International Trade:
Why countries trade
Comparative and Absolute Advantage
Trade Barriers (Protectionism)
Quotas
Tariffs
Embargos
Currency exchanges
Imports & Exports
Federal Taxes
Taxes, structures, bases, brackets
The 1040EZ tax form and scenarios
Federal dependency rules
Fiscal and Monetary Policy
Expansionary, Loose and Easy money
Contractionary and Tight money
Federal Reserve Board
Budgets (balanced, deficit, and surplus)
Required Materials:
Chromebook
Pen, pencil, and paper
Class Expectations:
1. Be kind & respect yourself, your classmates, and the teacher.
3. Come to class prepared and ready to learn.
4. Listen with the intent to learn & be actively engaged.
5. Be willing to collaborate and cooperate with all students in the classroom.
6. Be self-disciplined, submit assignments on time, and stay organized.
7. Clean up after yourself.
8. Ask questions & be an active participant in our classroom.
9. Communicate professionally to the teacher via email if you need help.
10. Profanity, in any way, is NOT acceptable.
11. Give the speaker your full attention, raise your hand before speaking, and do not talk while others are talking.
12. Always do your best!
Grades Policy/Practices:
Student progress is cumulatively assessed each nine weeks in the following way:
60 Percent: Major Grades - Major Tests, Projects, and Major Writing Assignments
40 Percent: Minor Grades - Formative Assessments, Quizzes, Journal Entries, etc.
10 Percent: Exams- Count as 10% or your final grade
Grading Scale:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 50-59
Late Work Policy:
Late work is defined as one of the following: Work students did not submit on time despite being in class or work missed due to student absence that has not been submitted within the 5-day make-up period
College Prep students may submit late work with the following point deductions:
Maximum score of 70% if submitted by the time of the next major assessment/end of the next unit
Example: A student turns in the assignment late and scores 100%. That student earns a grade of 70 (70% of 100)
Example: A student turns in the assignment late and scores 80%. That student earns a grade of 56 (70% of 80)
Maximum score of 60% if submitted by the end of the quarter
Example: A student turns in the assignment late and scores 100%. That student earns a grade of 60 (60% of 100)
Example: A student turns in the assignment and scores 80%. That student earns a grade of 48 (60% of 80)
Content recovery work after the end of the quarter: maximum score of 60%
Example: A student turns in the assignment late and scores 100%. That student earns a grade of 60 (60% of 100)
Example: A student turns in the assignment and scores 80%. That student earns a grade of 48 (60% of 80)
The grade floor for each quarter is 50
Make-up Work Policy:
Make-up work is defined as work students missed because they were not in school/class (for any reason). Any student who owes make-up work has a minimum of 5 school days to complete missed assignments with no grade penalty.
Students who miss tests should plan to make them up as soon as possible upon their return to school. If they are unable to make up tests immediately upon their return to school, they should work with their teacher to schedule a make-up time within the 5-day make-up period. For students who are out of school on the day a project is due, the project is due upon their return to school, especially if the student was in school on the date the project was assigned.
After 5 days, make-up work becomes late work and is subject to the late work policies.
Remediation Procedures:
CP and honors students will be provided a remedial opportunity for at least 2 major assignments per quarter of student’s choice.
Students may only retake and/or redo the chosen major assessment one time after completing required remediation.
Students must complete remediation and retake before the end of the following unit of study.
If higher grades are achieved, higher grades will replace lower grades.
If a student turns in a major grade late, they may only redo the assignment for partial credit per late policy.