Session Thirty -- Unit II Test
Thought of the Day: None
Materials: Test booklets covering Economics Survey Unit II, separate answer sheets, ScanTron cards, and pencils for student who need them.
Procedures:
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After taking roll, students will be asked to spread out as far apart as possible moving to vacant seats separated from other students.
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ScanTron cards will be passed out, one per student and students will be invited to borrow/sharpen pencils. Following this, students will be told to put their names and class numbers on their ScanTron card and on their separate answer sheets after they are passed out (not until after students have begun working the objective portion of the test (questions in their test booklets).
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As the test booklets are being passed out (standard tests to regular students and modified tests to those authorized modifications), Content Mastery students will be individually and discretely given the option to test in class or to leave to test in Content Mastery.
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Students will be reminded of the Test Environment Rule (no talking or other disturbances so long as any student is still testing). They will also be told to bring all test materials to the front of the class when finished and to stack-up test booklets, separate answer sheets and ScanTron cards in separate stacks on the front table, keeping everything in order.
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After students start answering objective questions, separate answer sheets will be passed out.
Assignment(s): None
Evaluation: Post-class session assessment of test results.
Session Twenty-nine -- Unit II Review
Thought of the Day: "Trying to do something and failing is vastly better than trying to do nothing and succeeding."
Lloyd Jones
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing AfterWorld episode video clips, and a Jeopardy game for review of subjects to be tested the following class session.
Procedures: Students will make journal entries including the thought of the day and reflections, then view the AfterWorld video episodes and discuss the economic significance. Following this, the class will self-select two teams to compete for extra test points by winning the Jeopardy review game. Each team selects a team captain who will control the game board when it is his/her team's turn. The captains' duties include ensuring that every team member has an opportunity to answer a question before any member answers more than once. The teacher/moderator, will project the game (a PowerPoint program) on the class white board so that points won can be kept track of by colored dry-erase marker. At the end of the game, points will be added-up for each team and ten (10) extra test points awarded to each member of the winning team.
Assignment(s): None, but students will be reminded that they may keep notes on the questions and answers seen during game play. They may then prepare a 3X5 index card which may be used as reference while taking the Unit II test the following class session.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they participate in group discussion.
Session Twenty-eight -- Investing in Equities, Futures and Options
Thought of the Day: "I don't understand it. Jack will spend any amount to buy votes, but he bulks at spending a thousand dollars on a beautiful paining ."
Jacquelyn Kennedy
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and a short presentation on building wealth through investing.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will be subjected to a lecture on the basics associated with building wealth: Understanding the relationship between risk and reward, knowing the goal for which they invest, being consistent and, avoiding certain investments. After this, students will be escorted to the library computer lab to do Investment Club project work again.
Assignment(s): None
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they participate in group discussion.
Session Twenty-seven -- State and Local Tax Systems plus Tax Issues
Thought of the Day: "There is no class so pitiably wretched as that which possesses nothing but money."
Andrew Carnegy
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and questions for a review game. There is no daily assignment for this session.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will be treated to a new learning experience, a game called, "Who Wants and A-plus?" Rather than giving a typical 10-question, multiple-choice quiz covering the last chapter of material covered in the textbook, Chapter Nine, the questions will be presented in a PowerPoint with alternative answers a la, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Participants will be invited to compete in order of highest class grade averages. The first correct answer garners a daily assignment A-plus to replace an earlier lower grade. Subsequent correct answers garner A-pluses that can be given away to other students to whom they want to be generous. Each contestant will have three lifelines, a 50-50, a poll the class, and a call on a friend/expert (other than the teacher). Following the game, students will be escorted to the library computer lab to do Investment Club project work or, if they haven't yet accomplished it, take the on-line Building Wealth test.
Assignment(s): None
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they participate in group discussion.
Session Twenty-six -- State and Local Tax Systems plus Tax Issues
Thought of the Day: "A tax loophole is something that benefits the other guy. If it benefits you, it's tax reform."
Russell B. Long
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day, plus a multi-level session guide with B- and A-level optional learning activities.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will led through the C-level of their session guides, given expanded definitions for the terms indicated on state and local tax systems and tax issues. The remainder of class time, student may work on B- and A-level options of their choosing.
Assignment(s): Session Twenty-six Guide. In addition, students are reminded again of the requirement to take the on-line Building Wealth test using their study packets as reference. A modified test is on-line for Content Mastery, English as a Second Language, and authorized 504 students. Students may take the test three different times to obtain their best possible scores. The test must completed for final grades no later than November 10th.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they participate in group discussion.
Session Twenty-five -- The Federal Tax System
Thought of the Day: "Taxation with representation ain't so hot either."
Gerald Barzan
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day, plus a multi-level session guide with B- and A-level optional learning activities.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will given subjected to a short lecture/discussion time on the federal tax system. Finally, students will be given he remainder of class time to work individually on their session guides.
Assignment(s): Session Twenty-five Guide. In addition, students are reminded again of the requirement to take the on-line Building Wealth test using their study packets as reference. A modified test is on-line for Content Mastery, English as a Second Language, and authorized 504 students. Students may take the test three different times to obtain their best possible scores. The test must completed for final grades no later than November 10th.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they participate in group discussion.
Session Twenty-Four -- The Economics of Taxation
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day, plus a multi-level session guide with B- and A-level optional learning activities.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will given subjected to a short lecture/discussion time on the economics of taxation. Finally, students will be given remainder of class time to work individually on their session guides.
Assignment(s): Session Twenty-four Guide. In addition, students are reminded again of the requirement to take the on-line Building Wealth test using their study packets as reference. A modified test is on-line for Content Mastery, English as a Second Language, and authorized 504 students. Students may take the test three different times to obtain their best possible scores. The test must completed for final grades no later than November 10th.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they participate in group discussion.
Session Twenty-three -- Employment Trends and Issues
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day, plus a quiz covering Chapter Eight.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will given subjected to a short lecture/discussion time then given a review of key points about labor in the United State. Finally, students will be given a ten-question quiz and allowed to use their textbooks and notes while answering the questions for the remainder of class time.
Assignment(s): Students are reminded of the requirement to take the on-line Building Wealth test using their study packets as reference. Students may take the test three different times to obtain their best possible scores. The test must completed for final grades no later than November 10th.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they do on the open-book quiz.
Session Twenty-two -- Resolving Labor Disputes plus Labor and Wages
Materials: A PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will given session guides on the subject of the day and subjected to a short lecture/discussion time. Afterward, they will be given extra time to complete the session guides in class, this being a session combining two chapter sections from their textbooks.
Assignment(s): Session Twenty-two Guide with optional learning activities at the A- grading level.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, how enthusiastically they participate in discussions.
Session Twenty-one -- The Labor Movement
Materials: The American Industrial Revolution video, a PowerPoint presentation containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance. Students will then be given session guides on the subject of the day and subjected to a short lecture/discussion time prior to watching the video on the Industrial Revolution, from which some session guide questions are to be answered.
Assignment(s): Session Twenty-one Guide with optional learning activities at B- and A- grading levels
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, how enthusiastically they participate in discussions.
Video: The Industrial Revolution
Session Nineteen -- Competition and Market Structures
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, a quiz on Chapter Six, and introductory material for the subject of the day.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the thirty-second and thirty-third episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance. Students will then receive a brief review on Chapter Six (prices) and take a short, ten-question quiz. After this, they will be given session guides on the subject of the day and subjected to a short lecture/discussion time.
Assignment(s): Session Nineteen Guide with optional learning activities at B- and A- grading levels
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, how enthusiastically they participate in discussions, and how well they perform on the chapter quiz.
Session Eighteen -- Social Goals vs. Economic Efficiency
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, a video about the Great Depression, and introductory material for the subject of the day.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the thirtieth and thirty-first episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. Students will then receive a brief lecture/introduction to a documentary video on the Great Depression and the session guide. After the video, students will be asked to compare and contrast historic parallels between the events leading up to the Great Depression and current economic events.
Assignment(s): Session Eighteen Guide with optional learning activities at B- and A- grading levels
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how enthusiastically they participate in discussions.
Session Seventeen -- Prices and the Pricing System
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day. Two versions, A and B, of a quiz covering Supply, Chapter Five.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the twentieth-eighth and twenty-ninth episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. Then, following a quick review of Chapter Five material, students will take a ten-question quiz, then grade the quiz in-class. Following this, students will receive a lecture on prices in market economies then be given time in-class and, working together, the complete their session guides.
Assignment(s): Session Seventeen Guide with optional learning activities at B- and A- grading levels
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, how enthusiastically the participate in discussions, and how well they do on the chapter quiz.
Session Sixteen -- Cost, Revenue and Profit
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, the "Bon qui qui"YouTube video clip on customer satisfaction, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day. Father-in-law's flip chair to example story about E-business experience.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the twentieth-sixth and twenty-seventh episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. Then, following a quick review of last class sessions material, students will discuss alternative plans of Presidential candidates for the economy. Following this, students will receive a lecture on incremental marginal analysis for business decisions.
Assignment(s): Session Sixteen Guide with optional learning activities at B- and A- grading levels
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how enthusiastically the participate in discussions.
Session Fifteen -- Theory of Production
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and introductory material for the subject of the day.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the twentieth-fourth and twenty-fifth episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. Then, following a quick review of demand and supply and an introduction to the subject of production theory, students will all participate in a production theory game: The game is played with two (2) class members supervising laborers (the rest of the class) in an effort to move products (golf balls) from one bucket to another in fire brigade fashion. After each of a series of one-minute "shifts," the golf balls are counted in the bucket at the end of the line of workers. One of the supervising students records the number of workers and the number of golf balls moved. I/when a student drops a ball, he or she is fired and will not participate in the next round/shift. In addition, the boss supervisor will arbitrarily fire one or two workers after each round so that the number of workers is constantly reduced. Data collected after several rounds are then collated on the white board to illustrate a "Production Schedule". From this, a "Production Function" graph is created illustrating the three stages of production.
Assignment(s): None
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how enthusiastically the participate in the game.
Session Fourteen -- Supply
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, Completed Unit I Tests, a quiz for Chapter Four, and a Session Guide with B- and A-level optional learning activities for Section One of Chapter Five.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the twentieth-second and twenty-third episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. Then, following a quick review, students will take a short, ten-question quiz covering Demand. After a short lecture on Supply, students will begin working their lesson study guides. Individuals finished early, will be allowed to go to the library to check on the status of their StocksQuest accounts.
Assignment(s): Session guide for Section One of Chapter Five.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they do on their quizzes.
Session Thirteen -- Elasticity of Demand
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, Completed Unit I Tests, , and a single level study guide for Section Three of Chapter Four.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the twentieth and twenty-first episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. After a short lecture on elasticity of demand, students will begin correcting missed answers for additional credit on the first unit-level test and working their lesson study guides. Individuals finished early, will be allowed to go to the library to check on the status of their StocksQuest accounts.
Assignment(s): Study guide for Section Three of Chapter Four.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they do on their quizzes.
Session Twelve -- Factors Affecting Demand
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, Completed Unit I Tests, and a Study Guide for Section One of Chapter Four.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. After a short lecture on factors affecting demand, students will transpose ScanCard answers from the front of their first unit-level test to the back so that they can be regraded and working their lesson study guides. Individuals finished early, will be allowed to go to the library to check on the status of their StocksQuest accounts.
Assignment(s): Students will have a single-level study guide to complete for a daily assignment.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they do on their quizzes.
Session Eleven -- Unit I Test
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, and Unit I Test materials.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the ninth and tenth episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. After receiving test procedure instructions, students will spend the remainder of the class period taking their first test of the semester.
Assignment(s): None.
Evaluation: How students interact during economic news and AfterWorld discussions, and how well they do on their first unit-level test.
Session Six -- Forms of Business Organizations
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories, AfterWorld episode video clips, a session guide, quizzes covering Chapter Two.
Procedures: While the instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries and then will be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the ninth and tenth episodes of the AfterWorld series and discuss economic relevance of the episodes. After a short lecture on forms of business organizations, students will proceed to the library computer lab with textbooks and session guides with optional learning activities. There, they will take an open-book, on-line quiz, participate in Investment Club activities and, when finished, work their session guides if they choose to do so. Otherwise, they may do the session guide as homework.
Assignment(s): Survey students will have B- and A-level options for their session guides.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson, and how well they do on their quizzes.
Session Five -- Evaluating Economic Performance
Materials: PowerPoint presentations containing Economic News stories and video clips, AfterWorld episodes, and a session guide with multilevel curriculum learning activity options.
Objectives:
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Describe basic economic and social goals used to evaluate economic performance.
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Evaluate the trade-offs between economic and social goals.
Procedures: While instructor explains the thought of the day, students will make journal entries then be solicited for contributions of news stories relevant to the subject of economics. Following this, students will view the fifth and sixth episodes of the AfterWorld series then discuss the economic relevance of the episodes. Finally, they will be given the study guide for the lesson of the day, and guided through the C-level.
Assignment(s): Survey students will be assigned Session Five learning options. These will be due for full credit the next class session day for A- and B- blocks.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson. On-line quiz for Chapter One... A-block students have until Monday, September 8th to take the quiz, which may be taken from any computer with Internet access. B-block students have until Tuesday, September 9th.
Session Four -- Economic Systems
Materials: PowerPoint presentation containing economic current event examples, the second two AfterWorld series videos, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas "Building Wealth" guides.
Objectives:
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Describe characteristics of traditional, command, and market economic systems..
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Be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type of economic system.
Procedures: Students will listen to and participate in learning activities associated with the above lesson objectives. Afterward they will each be given a copy of the "Building Wealth" guide provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and told to begin working through it. When finished, they will be given access to an on-line quiz on the guide's content. The balance of the class period will be spent in the computer lab working on their StocksQuest projects.
Assignment: Begin "Building Wealth" guide.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson.
Session Three -- Economic Choices & Decision Making
Materials: PowerPoint presentation containing economic current event examples, the first of the AfterWorld series videos, white slates and dry-erase pens for graphing, and session guides including B- and A-level optional learning activities.
Objectives:
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Learn to analyze trade-offs and opportunity costs.
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Understand and be able to explain different strategies for decision making, including tables, graphs and simple models such as the Production Possibilities Frontier (PPF).
Procedures: Students will listen to and participate in learning activities associated with the above lesson objectives. They will practice graphing independent and dependent variable data, participate in an exercise to guide economic decision making using weighting values and utility factors associated with purchase options, and spend the remaining class time working their session guides.
Assignment: Session Three Guide.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson.
Session Two -- Basic Economic Concepts
Materials: PowerPoint presentation containing instructions for the StocksQuest semester project, information on procedures for registering on StocksQuest.com and Quia.com, and index cards for Investment Clubs study groups to document their organization.
Objectives:
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Explain the Relationship between scarcity, value, utility, and wealth.
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Understand and be able to explain the circular flow of economic activity.
Procedures: Students will listen to and participate in learning activities associated with the above lesson objectives. They, using their own paper and writing instrument, will construct Economic Activity diagrams following directions, then compare what they have drawn with the textbook's illustration. Following this, students will organize themselves into study groups of from three (3) to four (4) and proceed to the library computer lab where they will register for access to both StockQuest site and the Quia learning site.
Assignment: Return complete Investment Club index cards.
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson.
Session One -- What's It All About?
Materials: PowerPoint presentation containing the 2001 Space Odyssey video clip, basic economics concepts, and a letter for parents.
Objectives:
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Get Acquainted
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Nuts 'n Bolts (procedures)
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Introduction to the Subject
Procedures: Students will be informed of course objectives, classroom rules, and the grading structure for Economics Survey. Time will be spent in get-acquainted discussions about personal and professional success intertwined with the introductory lesson. By returning their information letter for parents to read and sign, they will receive their first daily-assignment grade, an easy A. Economics Survey students will also be offered an easy, extra-credit daily assignment A, for reading the Personal Profile of Adam Smith and answering the two, simple questions about this biography found in their textbooks.
Assignment: Parents' letter
Evaluation: How students interact, cooperate and focus on the lesson.