Daily Performance Tasks:

11.17.2017 and 11.20.2017

Final Exam (95 minutes total):

  • Part One: 40 multiple-choice questions, use pencil on bubble sheets, you can do scratch work on test copy
    • You have 40 minutes, as soon as you're done, turn in and you can start Part Two
  • Part Two: 8 Free-response questions, use pen (blue or black) on notebook paper I give you
    • You have 55 minutes maximum to complete the FRQs


11.15.2017 and 11.16.2017

  • Final Exam review competition (individually and in table teams)
  • Pass back last test and view student sample
  • BRING pencil and pen (blue or black) for final exam
  • Final Exam format (95 minutes; 120 product points):
    • 40 multiple-choice Qs (40 minutes; 40 points total)
    • 8 FRQs (55 minutes; 80 points total)


11.14.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. What is the fundamental economic problem?
  2. What do you think are the 3 most important concepts/ideas in microeconomics?

Key Concepts:

Opportunity cost, elasticity, market failure, profit maximization, income inequality, scarcity.

Performance Tasks:

- Construct paragraph and sentence-long answers to AP free response questions

- Synthesize knowledge across multiple units (opportunity costs, market structure, market failure)

- Relate concepts back to the central economic problem of scarcity


Featured Sources:

Practice Free Response and Solutions: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-microeconomics/exam?course=ap-microeconomics


11.13.2017

Review Week for Final Exam (last points for credit)

Write all answers on notebook paper.


11.10.2017


Big Debate Day: (Take home test on Ch. 13-18, open note, due Monday at start of class)

  • What do you think would be the most fair and beneficial "marginal tax rates" for our country? Explain and be specific.

-----> keep current rates v. lower all rates v. use flat tax v. increase rates on top incomes (more progressive) v. other thesis?


Performance Tasks:

  • Write "Opening Statements" for debate (add to paragraph you wrote yesterday)
  • Participate in debate in verbal or written form


11.9.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. What is the relationship between the Lorentz curve and the Gini coefficient?
  2. Would you rather live in a country with a progressive, or regressive tax system? Explain why.

Performance Tasks:

- Review the construction of the Gini coefficient and Lorentz curve

- Practice puling evidence from sources to take a position on an issue using the format "c+ev+r"

- Practice using transitions and common phrases to cite and evaluate evidence

- Analyze different sources in preparation for the debate

Key Concepts:

  • Lorentz curve
  • Gini coefficient
  • progressive income tax
  • regressive tax
  • income inequality

Featured Sources:


11.8.2017

Challenge Question:

  • What do you think would be the most fair and beneficial "marginal tax rates" for our country? Explain and be specific.
    • keep current rates v. lower all rates v. use flat tax v. increase rates on top incomes (more progressive) v. other thesis?

Performance Tasks:

  • Write detailed response to CQ
  • Vote on the Chapter 17 and 18 homework questions you want to review
  • Discuss this Friday's big debate question.

Key Concepts:

  • From homework in Chapters 17 & 18

Featured Sources:


11.7.2017

  • No school for students today

11.6.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. This week, the U.S. Congress is considering major tax reform legislation.
    • What is in the GOP tax plan (i.e. the Republican Party)? List.
    • What are the trade-offs of the GOP plan? List in a t-chart.
  2. Should taxes be raised significantly on the rich and lowered for lower and middle income Americans? Explain.
  3. What are the major arguments of four economists on this debate question? Explain after video clip.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs and discuss
  • Identify key concepts in Chapters 17 and 18

Key Concepts:

  • Moral hazard (in economics)
  • Marginal tax rates
  • progressive tax v. regressive tax
  • Lorenz curve (of income distribution and wealth inequality)

Featured Sources:


11.3.2017

Big Debate Day:

  • If we increase immigration into the U.S., should highly-skilled immigrants be given priority over lower-skilled applicants?


11.2.2017

Challenge Question:

  • Should the U.S. increase, decrease, or leave the same, the amount of legal immigration into the U.S.? (2nd hour debate Q)
  • If we increase immigration into the U.S., should highly-skilled immigrants be given preference over lower-skilled applicants? (5th hour debate Q)

Performance Tasks:

  • Write response to your hour's CQ/big debate question
    • Explain your viewpoint using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.
  • Research and Write your "Written Prep. for Debate" on notebook paper that includes:
    • "Opening Statement"
    • Three C --> EV --> +R (using three different sources and citing all EVs using MLA format)

Featured Sources:

  • See list below from 11.1.2017


11.1.2017

  1. Should the U.S. increase, decrease, or leave the same, the amount of legal immigration into the U.S.? Explain.
  2. What graphs, formulas, and key concepts support your viewpoint? Explain.
  3. If we increase immigration into the U.S., should highly-skilled immigrants be given preference over lower-skilled applicants? Explain.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs
  • Vote on the Chapter 15 and 16 homework questions you want to review
  • Begin prep. for big debate

Key Concepts:

  • all from Chapter 16

Featured Sources:

10.31.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. Draw a properly labeled supply and demand graph for labor in the following situation:
    • firms are hiring more workers for the holidays AND immigration into the U.S. is increased
  2. Should the U.S. increase or decrease legal immigration into the U.S.? Should immigrants of certain backgrounds get preference? Explain.
  3. Should the U.S. provide a way for undocumented/illegal immigrants, including children, to stay in the U.S.? Explain.

Performance Tasks:

  • Illustrate and write responses to CQs
  • Identify and discuss key concepts in Chapter 16

Key Concepts:

  • the markets for labor and other factors of production (a.k.a. the Resource Market)
  • derived demand
  • Marginal Product of Labor
  • Marginal Revenue Product of Labor (MRP)
  • Marginal Resource Cost (MRC) - for labor that is the wage (W)
  • monopsony

Featured Sources:


10.30.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. Draw a properly labeled graph of a monopoly firm earning a profit and including the following possible prices that could be charged:
    • the Monopoly price (if left unregulated)
    • the "fair-return" price (or normal profit)
    • the socially optimal (or efficient output price)
  2. What is "price discrimination"? Define.
  3. How does Google's AdWords auctions work, and how does it change that company's cost curve graph? Draw it.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs and discuss
  • Identify key concepts in Chapters 15 and 16.

Key Concepts:

  • price discrimination

Featured Sources:


10.27.2017

Big Debate Day:

  • Has Google's search service reached monopoly power (in digital advertising), and should the search service be broken up into multiple completing companies?

10.26.2017

  • Work day on Chapters 13 and 14

10.25.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. Why does the government sometimes allow a monopoly firm to exist? Explain.
  2. Draw a properly labeled cost curve graph of a monopoly firm earning a profit.
  3. Label on the y-axis of your graph the price that you think the government should allow a monopoly firm to charge consumers. Explain why.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs and discuss
  • Analyze a monopoly firm graph and discuss possible prices that could be charged
  • Discuss this Friday's big debate question (watch "Opening Statements" of economists)

Key Concepts:

  • Chapter 14 "cues" for Cornell Notes

Featured Sources:


10.24.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. What are oligopolies and monopolies, and how are they different from perfect competition firms and monopolistic competition firms? Explain.
  2. How does the bar scene in the movie "A Beautiful Mind" help explain "game theory" and a "Nash equilibrium" that oligopolies may face?
  3. Are book publishers an oligopoly and is Amazon a monopoly in e-books? Should Amazon be regulated by the government?
  4. Has Google's search service reached monopoly power (in digital advertising), and should the search service be broken up into multiple completing companies?

(question #4 above will be this Friday's big debate question)

Performance Tasks:

  • Note: Chapters 11 and 12 will be collected this Wednesday; Chapters 13 and 14 homework will be due this Friday
  • Write responses to CQs using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.
  • Identify key concepts in Chapters 13 and 14
  • Analyze data relevant to this Friday's big debate on Google search service

Key Concepts:

  • oligopoly
  • monopoly

Featured Sources:


10.23.2017

Test: Chapters 6-12


10.20.2017

Big Debate Day (mini-debates style):

  • For each mini-debate Q you must write down the following:
    • Q1: The mini-debate question
    • Stance: your viewpoint written using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.
    • Facts: Draw/explain all relevant graphs, formulas, and/or key concepts
  • Example:
    • Q1: Should the U.S. impose a tariff on cheap imported cars to try to boost U.S. automakers?
    • Stance: Yes/No when you consider that...
    • Facts: tariff graph (Ch. 8); price elasticity of demand (Ch. 6); protectionism (Ch. 8), etc.
  • For each mini-debate Q you must write down "All Voices Considered" if they happen in this format:
    • Student's Name: Student's Claim
    • Your viewpoint (do you agree or disagree with the student's claim) AND explain your evidence and reasoning why.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to mini-debate Qs on notebook paper
  • Participate in mini-debates

Key Concepts:

  • All that are mentioned during debates

Featured Sources:

  • Evidence used from Hubbard textbook chapters

10.19.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. What is the specific difference between the marginal revenue (MR) curve of a perfectly competitive firm and the MR curve of a monopolistically competitive firm? Explain why.
  2. Should the State of Michigan actively try to recruit Amazon to set up its headquarters here? What has been the experience of the City of Seattle with Amazon?

(articles from MLive.com and Policito.com will be projected on screen)

Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs (use claim --> evidence --> reasoning format for CQ #2)
  • Review and discuss Chapter 11 and 12 problems (started yesterday)
  • Participate in mini-debates to decide this week's big debate question.

Key Concepts:

  • N/A today

Featured Sources:


10.18.2017

Challenge Questions: (Homework Chapters 11 and 12 will be collected for credit next week)

  1. Should "green certification" labeling be required for all products even if it leads to higher prices for consumers? Explain.
  2. Is "Organic" food marketing hype or is it healthier and safer than non-organic food? Explain.
  3. Does product certification through NSF International, a private company in Ann Arbor, give an unfair advantage to large companies to differentiate their products since they can afford the fees charged for the certification process of this non-governmental organization? Explain.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.
  • Vote on Chapter 11 and 12 homework questions you want to review.
  • Participate in mini-debates to decide this week's big debate question.

Key Concepts:

  • N/A today

Featured Sources:

  • N/A today


10.17.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. Why are coffee shops described as competing in a "monopolistic competition" market? Explain.
  2. To what extent do colleges and universities also compete in this market structure? Explain.


Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs
  • Analyze "Chronicle of Higher Education" article and cite evidence for CQ #2
  • Identify key graphs for Chapters 11 and 12


Key Concepts:

  • Market v. firm graphs (side-by-side graphs)
  • Perfectly competitive markets (e.g. apples and milk)
  • Monopolistic competition markets (e.g. coffee and colleges)


Featured Sources:


10.16.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. Is "Organic" food marketing hype? Should "green certification" labeling be required for all products?

Explain your viewpoint using using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.

2. Does traditional economics, and the assumptions used, need a complete overhaul? Explain.

For example, "are perfectly competitive markets special cases rather than the norm" in economics?

3. What do you think of the recently launched "CORE Economics" course? (will be projected on screen)


Performance Tasks:

  • Write responses to CQs and discuss
  • Discuss and solve Chapter 10 homework votes we ran out of time on Friday
  • Identify key concepts in Chapter 11 and 12 for this week
  • Analyze the approach of "CORE Economics" course


Key Concepts:

  • Market v. firm graphs (side-by-side graphs)
  • Perfectly competitive markets (e.g. apples and milk)
  • Monopolistic competition markets (e.g. coffee and colleges)


Featured Sources:

10.13.2017

Challenge Question:

  • Analyze and visually demonstrate in a properly labeled graph the Costco news headlines from Market Watch

(will be projected on screen)

Performance Tasks:

  • Write and graph response to CQ
  • Vote on Chapter 9 and 10 homework questions you want to review

Key Concepts:

  • see homework "cues" in left column of your Cornell Notes

Featured Sources:


10.12.2017

Challenge Questions:

1) Health care is expensive. How much, and for what kind of cases

should the government provide funds for medical care? Why?

2) Suppose you are the owner of a pancake shop, and you notice that

increasing the number of workers you hire also increases the total

output of pancakes. Your objective is to make as much profit as

possible. What do you do? What is your next plan of action as a

business?


Performance Tasks:

·Review the idea of marginal analysis

·Define “marginal” and “marginal output”

·Construct a table of marginal output

·Analyze whether marginal analysis is taking place


Key Concepts:

·Marginal Analysis

·Marginal Product

·Marginal Cost

·Law of Diminishing Returns


Featured Sources:

1.) Renew Economy: Marginal Cost of Clean Energy

winnerhttp://reneweconomy.com.au/utilities-scramble-to-catch-up-with-stunning-fall-in-renewable-energy-costs-75216/

2.) A President's comment on ER Costs:

(Hubbard & O'Brien, Ch. 10 – Homework Answer Key/Teaching Tips, p230)


Materials for Class on 10.12.pdf

10.11.2017

  • Shortened schedule due to PSAT
  • Turn in homework for Chapters 9 and 10
  • Continue Performance Tasks from 10.10.2017
    • Complete the following task from yesterday:
      • Visually graph the "Opening Statements" of four economists in debate over Walmart

10.10.2017

Challenge Questions:

  1. How does Walmart impact U.S. manufacturers (producers) specifically? In what ways does Walmart strengthen the demand curve, and weaken the supply curve, for product markets inside the U.S.? Explain and draw a properly labeled supply and demand graph to visually show this.
  2. What impact, if any, does Walmart have on the shifters of the demand curve (p. 72) and the shifters of the supply curve (p. 77)?
  3. What impact, if any, does Walmart have on price elasticity of demand (p. 168) and price elasticity of supply (p. 186)?
  4. Compare and contrast the experiences of two different suppliers (producers) to Walmart: Flatout Breads of Saline, MI and Rubbermaid of Wooster, OH?

Performance Tasks:

  • Complete EOS Survey (2nd hour only)
  • Write responses to CQs and discuss
  • Analyze the impact of Walmart on U.S. producers and summarize in t-chart we began yesterday
  • Visually graph the "Opening Statements" of four economists in debate over Walmart

Key Concepts:

  • (see list from yesterday)

Featured Sources:

10.9.2017

Challenge Questions:

1.) Who won this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics (announced this morning) and what does it have to do with our Chapter 9 reading this week? Explain.

2.) In your viewpoint, does Walmart have more of a positive or negative impact on U.S. workers, U.S. consumers, U.S. businesses, and the U.S. economy? Explain. (Chapter 10 addresses Walmart)

Performance Tasks:

· Write responses to CQs and discuss together

· Identify key concepts in Chapters 9 and 10

· Analyze the impact of Walmart and summarize facts in a t-chart: + impact or – impact (also specify if you are referring to an impact of workers, consumers, businesses, or the overall economy).

Key Concepts:

· utility

· law of diminishing marginal utility

· behavioral economics

· production function

  • fixed costs v. variable costs

· push production (the old way: manufacturers decided) v. pull production (the new way: retailers decide what is produced)

· short run v. long run (in economics)

· law of diminishing returns

Featured Sources:

CNN article on Nobel Prize in Economics winner

PBS Frontline clip: Is Walmart Good for America?

10.6.2017

Big Debate Day!

  • Should the U.S. ban all imports made with child labor? (debate assumptions: relatively safe working conditions; child defined as 14-and-under in age)

Performance Tasks:

  • Participate in debate in verbal or written form
  • Complete and turn in "Written Prep." for debate
  • Next test date: October 23 (Monday) on Chapters 6-12

10.5.2017

Challenge Question:

  • Should the U.S. ban all imports made with child labor? (debate Q)

Explain your viewpoint using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write response to CQ
  • Vote on Chapter 7 and 8 homework questions you want to review
  • Research and Write your "Written Prep. for Debate" that includes:
    • "Opening Statement"
    • Three C --> EV --> +R (using three different sources and citing all EVs using MLA format)


10.4.2017

Challenge Question:

  • Should the U.S. ban all imports made with child labor? (debate Q)

Explain your viewpoint using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.

  • Should the U.S. withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) treaty to try to boost middle-class job creation in the U.S. economy?

Explain your viewpoint using claim --> evidence --> reasoning format.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write response to CQ
  • Vote on Chapter 6 homework Qs you want to review (5th hour)
  • Identify key ideas in Chapters 7 and 8
  • Research and write "Written Prep." for this week's debate

Key Concepts:

  • percentage change formula
  • free trade
  • protectionism

Featured Sources:

  • New York Times article
  • Forbes magazine article

10.3.2017

Challenge Question:

  • Should the federal government raise gas prices significantly (through an excise tax) to decrease traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, and increase the use of cheaper public transportation options? Explain your viewpoint.
  • How do companies like Lyft for "taxi" rides, SeatFrog for plane seats, and HotelBids for hotel rooms apply the formulas and graphs in Chapter 6 of our textbook? Explain.

Performance Tasks:

  • Write response to CQ. Use claim --> evidence --> reasoning format
  • Identify key concepts of Chapters 6, 7, and 8
  • Discuss examples of the key concepts in the news

Key Concepts:

  • elasticity
  • price elasticity of demand
  • price elasticity of supply

Featured Sources:

CNN: "Airline pricing secrets"

10.2.2017

Test: Chapters 1-5

9.29.2017

Bg Debate Day:

  • Should the federal government run the health care system in the U.S.?

Performance Tasks:

  • Participate in debate in verbal or written form
  • Complete and turn in "Written Prep. for Debate: Gov. Run Health Care?" including "All Voices Considered" (in claim --> evidence --> reasoning format)

9.28.2107

Challenge Question: (Big Debate Question)

Performance Tasks:

  • Vote on Chapter 5 homework Qs to review
  • Write "Written Prep. for Debate: Gov. Run Health Care?"
  • Research articles (using iPads - 2nd hour)
  • Attend author presentation in Black Box theater (5th hour)

9.27.2017

Challenge Question (Big Debate Question):

Should the federal government run the health care system in the U.S.? Explain.

Performance Tasks:

  • Turn in Chapters 5 and 6 (Cornell Notes and Problems)
  • Summarize using visual graphs the "Opening Statements" of economists on debate question.

Key Concepts:

  • N/A

Featured Sources:

Intelligence Squared Debate: Should universal health coverage be the federal government’s responsibility?

9.26.2017

Challenge Question:

1.) Should the federal government run the health care system in the U.S.? Explain.

2.) Should the U.S. Congress pass the Graham-Cassidy bill today “to stop the march towards socialism that is Obamacare”? (actual quote from U.S. Senator Graham). Explain.

Performance Tasks:

- Write responses to CQs

- Identify and define key concepts in Chapter 5

- Analyze proposed health care legislation

- Discuss this week’s inquiry (big debate Q)

Featured Sources:

- Roll Call comparison chart of ACA, AHCA, and Graham-Cassidy

9.25.2017

Challenge Question:

TBA

Performance Tasks:

- Write Cornell Notes and solve problems in Chapters 5 and 6.

9.22.2017

Big Debate Day! (Minimum Wage)

Performance Tasks:

  • Participate in big debate in verbal or written form
  • Turn in "Written Prep. for Big Debate" that includes "All Voices Considered" from debate


9.21.2017


Challenge Question:

(see previous day)

Performance Tasks:

- Vote on the homework problems (Chapters 3 and 4) that you want to review

- Write response to CQ and Discuss as a class

- Review and check for understanding the selected homework problems

- Summarize the Opening Statements of four economists in debate clip

Key Concepts:

N/A

Featured Sources:

Intelligence Squared debate: Abolish the Minimum Wage?

9.20.2017

Challenge Question: (Prep. for Friday’s big debate):

Should the federal government raise the minimum wage to $15/hour (2nd hour team: $10.10/hour), leave it at $7.25, or abolish it entirely?

Performance Tasks:

- Research and identify evidence to support your thesis statement for the debate

- Write your “Written Prep. for Debate: Minimum Wage?” (on notebook paper) including:

o “Opening Statement”

o 3 C --> EV --> +R (and cite all EVs using MLA format)

Key Concepts:

N/A

Featured Sources:

N/A

9.19.2017

Challenge Questions:

1.) Create a t-chart with the “trade-offs” (the positive and negative impacts) of raising the minimum wage.

2.) How do you think your t-chart compares to the actual experience of the City of Seattle? Explain.

Performance Tasks:

- Write responses to CQs

- Compare your response to #1 with Mr. Clifford clip

- Compare your response to #2 with LA Times clip

- Complete “FRQs” pre-test (on separate notebook paper)

- Identify main ideas in Chapters 3&4

- Solve some homework problems together (due tomorrow)

- Summarize “Opening Statements” of economists in debate

Key Concepts:

- law of demand

- change in quantity demanded

o “movement up” or “movement down” the demand curve

- change in demand

o “shift right” or “shift left” of the demand curve (see page 77).

- law of supply

- change in quantity supply

o “movement up” or “movement down” the supply curve

- change in supply

o “shift right” or “shift left” of the supply curve (see page 79).

- Consumer surplus

- Producer surplus

- Deadweight loss

Featured Sources:

- Mr. Clifford: Minimum Wage Misconceptions

- The LA Times: The new Seattle study

9.18.2017

Challenge Question:

Should the federal government raise the minimum wage to $15/hour, leave it at $7.25/hour, or abolish it entirely? Explain your viewpoint.

Performance Tasks:

- Write response to CQ

- Complete pre-test multiple-choice (in Commons)

- Discuss “Constitution Day” and the economy

- Discuss Chapters 3&4

- Identify microeconomic issues in today’s headlines on CNBC.com

Key Concepts:

- marginal benefit

- marginal cost

- market equilibrium

- surplus

- shortage

Featured Sources:

CNBC.com

Intelligence Squared debate over minimum wage

9.15.2017

Big Debate Day:

Agree or Disagree with the following statement: “Government regulations kill more jobs than they create.”

Performance Tasks:

- Write your “Written Prep. For Debate” and turn in at end of debate.

- Participate in debate, verbally or in writing on boards in classroom.

9.14.2017

Challenge Question:

Agree or Disagree with the following statement: “Government regulations kill more jobs than they create.” Use C --> EV -> +R format for your response.

Performance Tasks:

- Vote on the homework problems (Chapters 1 and 2) you want to review.

- Write response to CQ (discuss together)

- Review and check for understanding the selected homework problems

- Discuss CQ (which is tomorrow’s big debate)

- Write “Opening Statement” and bullet-point three C --> EV --> +R to defend your thesis statement


Key Concepts:

- “laissez-faire”

- government intervention

Featured Sources:

9.13.2017

Challenge Questions:

1.) Should our government ban the outsourcing of jobs to other countries by U.S. companies? Explain.

2.) Should the U.S. withdraw from free trade agreements (such as NAFTA, KORUS, and TPP)? Explain.

3.) Does Walmart do more harm than good to U.S. society? Explain.

4.) (Student generated – 2nd hour): Agree or Disagree: “Government regulations kill more jobs than they create.”

5.) (Student generated – 5th hour): Should we increase the number of H1-B visas for highly skilled tech workers into the U.S.? Explain.

Performance Tasks:

- Write responses to CQs

- Participate in “mini-debates”

- Gather evidence for big debate and write arguments with evidence and reasoning (X 2nd X 5th )

- Identify microeconomic issues in today’s news headlines (X 2nd X 5th )

Key Concepts:

- free trade

- protectionism

Featured Sources:

N/A

9.12.2017

Challenge Questions:

1.) Suppose you’re a product manager at Nike currently selling 12 million sneakers per year, and you’re considering raising production to 16 million because you would make a total profit of $700 million on 16 million units. Should you increase production? Explain.

2.) The country of Bangladesh makes sports apparel and equipment for Nike. It has recently experienced major flooding (1/3 of the country is now under water) How could you visually represent the capacity for production of this country in a graph? Draw this situation.

Performance Tasks:

- Write and illustrate responses to CQs

- Solve some problems from Chapters 1 & 2 (due tomorrow)

- Identify microeconomic issues in today’s news headlines (X 2nd X 5th )

Key Concepts:

- marginal analysis

- absolute advantage

- comparative advantage

- PPF/PPC


Featured Sources:

N/A

9.11.2017

Challenge Questions:

1.) Do you think Americans want the jobs that have been outsourced to other countries by U.S. companies? Why or why not?

2.) Would you work for Nike assembling sneakers? Would you work for DELL Computers answering technical support calls? Explain.


Performance Tasks:

- Write responses to CQs

- List differences in the analyses of Nike’s success by: Michael Moore v. FOX News v. CNBC

- Identify microeconomic issues in today’s news headlines (X 2nd X 5th )

- Solve some problems together from Chapters 1 & 2 (X 2nd X 5th )

Key Concepts:

- productive efficiency

- allocative efficiency

- equity

Featured Sources:

N/A

9.8.2017

Challenge Questions:

1.) Does our government have a responsibility to “bring jobs back” to the U.S. that were outsourced to other countries? Why or why not?

For your response use claim --> evidence --> reasoning (C --> EV --> +R) format.

Performance Tasks:

- Write Challenge response in C-->EV-->+R format

- Construct Cornell Notes on one section of Chapter 1 in textbook: “The Economic Problem Every Society Must Solve” (pages 7-11)

- Participate in “mini-debates” on microeconomics questions

- Demonstrate the use of “All Voices Considered”

Key Concepts:

- normative analysis

- positive analysis

Featured Sources:

9.7.2017

Challenge Questions:

1.) If you wanted to buy a Skyline t-shirt and there were two options, which one would you choose: a $10 t-shirt made in Honduras or a $28 t-shirt made in the U.S. (both are similar quality). Explain why. How might you visually show your decision and those of other students wanting t-shirts? Illustrate using a graph.

2.) All airlines announced they are voluntarily capping the price of their tickets out of Florida right now to about $99. Illustrate this choice by these businesses using a graph. If they hadn’t lowered their prices, should the government force them to? Why or why not?

Performance Tasks:

- Write and illustrate responses to challenge questions

- Illustrate the basic layout of “Cornell Notes”

- List the “Cues” that should be used for close reading of textbook

- Construct “Cornell Notes” for one section of Chapter 1: “The Economic Problems that Every Society Must Solve” on pages 7-11 (X 2nd X 5th)

Key Concepts:

- scarcity

- economic models (e.g. product market for t-shirts -– supply and demand)

- “ceteris paribus”

Featured Sources:

- “How to Take Great Notes” (link to video)

- “Cues” to use for Cornell Notes for our textbook (see image at bottom of this page)


9.6.2017

Challenge:

1.) In your viewpoint, what is the most important goal to achieve in our economy? Explain why.

2.) Is efficiency or equity more important to achieve in our economy? Explain why.

*** Would Americans benefit from the government banning U.S. companies from outsourcing jobs to other countries? (Nick P. – 2nd)

Performance Tasks:

- Write and Discuss responses to Challenge questions

- List the keys to success in AP Microeconomics

- Identify the micro issues in today’s news headlines

- Draft “Cornell Notes” for Chapter 1 (X 2nd X 5th)

Key Concepts:

- microeconomics

- macroeconomics

- scarcity (X 2nd X 5th)

- economic models (X 2nd X 5th)

Featured Sources:

CNN Money news headlines

- Schedule of Homework for entire trimester (Cornell Notes and Problems) (handout)

9.5.2017

- Opening Day

- intro/icebreaker