Study all week!!!

There is a link to the class study guide here. There is another helpful study guide created by a former C&E student here.

Here is a link to a helpful EOC-prep site. It has vocab and a copy of last year's EOC.

Wednesday, March 17:
Study for econ quiz.  Be sure you know how to apply the following concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, incentives, unintended consequences, comparative advantage, trade, specialization, competition, profit, role of government in a market economy, entrepreneur, laissez-faire, invisible hand, property rights, and externalities.

Ex Days, March 18th and 19th: Econ Quiz in class!
Begin work on the Project Citizen benchmark that your group developed in class. In this phase, you should be moving past research and beginning to plan the implementation of your project.

Remember, I grading is two-tiered. You will get most of your grade for the quality, feasibility and creativity of your plan. You can also get extra points for the extent to which you implement your plan, impact the community, or solve the problem.

This will be due the week after spring break. Work on it over this weekend and spring break.

Monday, March 22:
Health Care current event reading + question.

Tuesday, March 23:
Find the balance of your personal savings account.  If you do not have a savings account, use the total money that you have (you won’t have to share these figures with anyone).

• If the reserve requirement is 10%, calculate how much money can ultimately be created from your initial deposit.  (hint: there is a major shortcut here; you shouldn’t have to calculate loans one-by-one.)
• Calculate the amounts of the first four loans that will be taken out, and how the money supply grows with each loan.
• Basically, you will be replicating exactly what we did in class, except using your own personal money.

Wednesday, March 24:
Do Personal Financial Literacy (PFL) packet up through page 60.

Thursday, March 25:

Finish the worksheet from class. AND finish the "Ana and Drew" financial literacy packet.

Friday, March 26 and SPRING BREAK!

Work on Project Citizen. Mr. Day will check to see if you achieved your self-imposed benchmark the week that we return.

5th period: make sure that you bring your "Reaching Up, Reaching Out" worksheet to class Monday (the worksheet we did while the sub was here).

Monday, April 5:
None!

Tuesday, April 6:
Come prepared with your Project Citizen Benchmark.  I need to see some evidence of your progress, whether it is a printed e-mail exchange, a petition signed, or a written report of your progress.

Wednesday, April 7:

Begin working on your Project Citizen presentations, or prepare to implement your project. Presentations will begin on Tuesday, April 27.

Thursday, April 8:

Do the GDP reading and Venn diagram assignment, which is listed on the bottom of your reading handout, attached here.

Friday, April 9:

Do the Determinants of Supply and Demand packet.

5th period: no homework for the weekend.

Monday, April 12:

No homework tonight. But take at look at the stock market report listed below:

"Dow Closes Above 11,000 for First Time Since September 2008

The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 11,000 points on Monday for the first time since the start of the financial crisis.

The move above 11,000 was the latest milestone in a rally that has brought Wall Street back from the brink of economic collapse. It came as investors welcomed a long-awaited rescue plan for Greece and amid signs that American companies were poised to report strong first-quarter profit, with earnings season beginning in earnest this week.

The Dow ended the day at 11,006.19, rising about 9 points or
0.08 percent. It last closed about 11,000 in September 2008."


Thursday, April 15 through the weekend:
Study for the Econ test that is being given on Wednesday.  The study guide is linked here.

Monday, April 19: Teacher Planning Day

Tuesday, April 20: Test Review in class.
Don’t forget to work over the study guide!

Wednesday, April 21: Test in class!
HW: begin preparing your Project Citizen presentation. Also, remember to come prepared to work on Project Citizen in class (i.e. bring any materials, research, etc. that your group might need to get a head-start).

Ex Days, Thursday, April 22 and Friday, April 23:  Workshop on “How To Do A Presentation That Isn’t Boring” in class, + work on presentations.
Do as much as you can on your Project Citizen presentation.  By early next week, you should be putting the finishing touches on it.

Monday, April 26:
Finish presentation.

Tuesday, April 27 through Thursday, April 29: Project Citizen presentations in class

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wed, April 28, 2010 -- 2:38 PM ET
-----

Fed Keeps Short-Term Interest Rates Near Zero

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept short-term interest rates near zero and maintained, as it has for months, that rates would stay at that level for "an extended period."

Despite intense market speculation, the central bank disclosed nothing about the fate of the $2.3 trillion balance sheet it accumulated as it acquired mortgage-backed securities in an effort to prop up the housing market.

The Fed reiterated its expectation that the benchmark fed funds rate would remain "exceptionally low," as it has since December 2008, for "an extended period," despite growing concerns among policy makers that the stance was too constraining.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/business/29fed.html?emc=na

Monday, May 3:
Read the excerpt from Wealth of Nations and answer the reading questions.  Don’t read the excerpt from the Communist Manifesto yet; that is for class on Tuesday.


Tuesday, May 4:
Create a dialogue between Adam Smith and Karl Marx that accurately describes their beliefs. It should be at least 2/3 page long (more if you are skipping lines).

(alternate assignment) Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Adam Smith with Karl Marx.  You must have at least three unique things for each philosopher and two (meaningful) similarities.  Make big circles so you have lots of room to write—I’ll count off for answers that don’t sufficiently explain your idea.

Wednesday, May 5:
Do the worksheet on inflation: “Who Is Helped and Who Is Hurt by Inflation?”  Helpful hint: when a payment or debt is “fixed,” its value becomes smaller as inflation increases.

Thursday, May 6:
Read the article from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank “U.S. Income Inequality: it’s Not So Bad” linked here. The questions will be due on Monday.  Give yourself time!  The article is a little bit long and difficult.

Answer the following questions:

1. List one fact that shows that income inequality is increasing.
2. Summarize two arguments that indicate that income inequality is not as big a problem as it may seem.  (Each answer should be 2-4 sentences.)
3. Explain one of the graphs at the end of the article in words, and tell why it is significant.  (One paragraph.)
4. What is your reaction to the article?  Possible discussion: do you find it convincing?  Does anything surprise you?  Does the author have a bias?  Does this change the way you think about economics and society?  (One paragraph.)

Friday, May 7:
Continue working on the St. Louis Fed Income Inequality article questions (above). 

http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/pub_assets/pdf/itv/2010/ITV_sp_10.pdf

Plan something nice for your mom!!

Monday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 11:
Essay: You are an economic advisor for President Obama.  You must advise him as to what to do in the event that the US is confronted with another phase of financial collapse.  (Of course, we may face another round of this in real life, perhaps in the real estate market (again), credit card companies or state governments (California being first)).  In your essay, you must use the following terms: business cycle, inflation, unemployment, interest rates, fiscal policy, monetary policy. 

The purpose of this assignment is to see the extent to which you have learned a) macroeconomic concepts related to business cycles and b) if you have understood the beliefs of Keynes, Hayek and Friedman.  Show me what you know!

I suggest that you outline your essay before writing it.

Wednesday, May 12:
Finish the NC Constitution “Quest.”  You can find the NC Constitution here.

Thursday, May 13:
Create your presentation on local government for class tomorrow.  You must create materials, make a script, prepare an activity, or devise questions to ask the class. You can connect to the necessary information here and here.

The presentation must:

1. Be 5-7 minutes long (not very long).
2. Have an interactive component.
3. Address the key information you have been assigned.

Friday, May 14:
Find a local Current Events article that contains a concept we have discussed in class (i.e. the General Assembly, water districts, municipal bonds, local courts, etc.).  Summarize the article and explain what it shows about local government.

Monday, May 17—exams:
Study all week!!!

There is a link to the class study guide here. There is another helpful study guide created by a former C&E student here.

Here is a link to a helpful EOC-prep site. It has vocab and a copy of last year's EOC.