MICRO ECONOMICS (ONLINE BLACKBOARD COURSE)
Student Course Syllabus
Palisades High School 2013-2014
Instructor: Mrs. Erin Banas Room: 209
Email Address: hone Number: 610-847-5131 (ext 2349)
Description of Course:
The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with key microeconomic principles. Microeconomics is a branch of economics that studies how individuals, households, firms, and governments make decisions regarding the allocation of scarceresources.A strong emphasis on marginal analysis in both production and consumption decisions will be apparent throughoutyourcoursework. The role competition playsin setting price and allocating resources willbe examined. You will also become acquainted with the four major market structures and how and when government should intervene innon-competitive markets.Microeconomics offersyouthe opportunity to gain insight into the decisions of individuals in a free market economy and the tools to make more effective decisions inyour own life.
Grading:
This course will contain assignments and tests and other activities. Your teacher will share the grading policy with you. To see how many points each activity is worth in this class, click on the "My Grades" link.
All work is assigned a point value. Grades are based on:
- Assignments
- Discussions
- Blogs
- Journals
- Projects
- Tests/Exams
Rubrics for grading Wiki Post, Blogs, and Journal Entries/Note Taking can be found under Grading Policies under the Class Information.
Quarter grades will be determined by dividing each student’s accumulated grade points by the maximum number of points that could be earned during the marking period.
To calculate the student’s final grade in the course each marking period will count at 25% towards that grade calculation.
Class Absences:
Attendance for Palisades cyber students may be achieved in one of the following manners:
(1) Student meets minimum time commitment of ½ hour per course per day (2.5 hours per week) for the full calendar week
(7 days – Sunday through Saturday).
(2) Student meets the minimum weekly workload as outlined by the teacher of record in the course pacing schedule and
weekly announcements.
(3) Student does not meet the criteria for attendance as outlined in options 1 or 2 but based on the teacher’s calculation of
assessments completed and consideration for login time, communication, and additional work completed - attendance is
achieved. The teacher will notify the parent of attendance concerns. The teacher will notify the administrator if the pattern
continues.
If a student misses a class because of a field trip, athletic event, or an in-school activity and owes a major paper or project that day, it must be submitted that day (or the day before) or the assignment in question will be marked late.
Late Work:
Late workwill follow the district’s policy of 10% off for each day late. However, some graded items such as tests/exams will have a set time in which students have to complete the assessment and will not be accepted for submission after that time.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
Plagiarism is the act of passing on another author’s work as one’s own writing without proper acknowledgement, and constitutes cheating. Cheating will not be tolerated and will result in a zero for the work in question. Parents and administration will be notified and the Palisades High School’s policy on plagiarism and cheating will be followed as outlined in the Student Hand book. Do not put yourself in the position to have to copy and paste information found elsewhere, like Wikipedia, and claim it as your own. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED.
Materials:
The technology requirements for using the blendedschools.net tools are listed below:
- A standard, Internet-capable computer.
- High Speed Internet Access (1MB/s per user if possible)
- Windows XP / Mac OS 10.3 rated computer or newer
- Java (download from
- Adobe FlashPlayer (download from
- Windows Media Player or Quicktime
- Productivity Software (Microsoft Office or equivalent)
- Speakers, Microphone
Units of Study:
Unit 1- Basic Economic Concepts(marking quarter 1)Lesson 1 - Economics and the Economic Problem
Lesson 2 - Opportunity Cost and Marginal Analysis
Lesson 3 - Production Possibilities Frontier
Lesson 4 - Economic Systems Models
Lesson 5 - Characteristics of a Market Economy
Lesson 6 - Circular Flow
Unit 2- Supply and Demand(marking quarter 2)
Lesson 1 - Demand
Lesson 2 - Supply
Lesson 3 - Supply and Demand
Lesson 4 - Diminishing Marginal Utility
Lesson 5 - Diminishing Marginal Returns
Lesson 6 - Price Elasticity of Demand/Price Elasticity of Supply
Unit 3- Public and Private Sectors(marking quarter 3)
Lesson 1 - Externalities
Lesson 2 - Public Goods
Lesson 3 - Government Finances
Lesson 4 - Legal Forms of Business
Lesson 5 - Specialization and the Division of Labor
Lesson 6 - Consumer Behavior and Utility Maximization
Unit 4- Production Decisions and Market Structures(marking quarter 4)
Lesson 1 - Demand for Resources
Lesson 2 - Costs of Production
Lesson 3 - Firm Behavior and Competitive Markets
Lesson 4 - Monopoly and Oligopoly
Unit 1 / Assignment Title / Assignment Type / Points
U1D1 - Unit 1 Discussions / Discussion / 30
U1J1 - Unit 1 Journal / Journal / 60
U1L1 - Economics and the Economic Problem / Basic LTI / 31
U1L01W1 - Factors of Production / Wiki / 10
U1L2 - Opportunity Cost and Marginal Analysis / Basic LTI / 19
U1L3 - Production Possibilities Frontier / Basic LTI / 19
U1L03W1 - Create a PPC / Wiki / 10
U1L4 - Economic Systems / Basic LTI / 24
U1L5 - Characteristics of a Market System / Basic LTI / 19
U1L05W1 - Competition / Wiki / 10
U1L06 - Circular Flow Model / Basic LTI / 13
U1L06B1 Circular Flow / Blog / 10
U1T1 - Test / Test / 32
U1LPA1 - Where Should A. Brainy Jock Go To College? / Assignment / 40
Unit 2 / Assignment Title / Assignment Type / Points
U2D1 - Unit 2 Discussions / Discussion / 10
U2J1 - Unit 2 Journal / Journal / 60
U2L1 - Demand / Basic LTI / 21
U2L01W1 - Substitute and Complementary Goods / Wiki / 10
U2L2 - Demand / Basic LTI / 21
U2L3 - Supply and Demand / Basic LTI / 23
U2L03B1 - The Supply and Demand for Candy! / Blog / 10
U2L03A1 - Rent Controlled Apartments / Assignment / 10
U2L4 - Diminishing Marginal Utility / Basic LTI / 10
U2L04B1 - When do you stop buying? / Blog / 10
U2L5 - Diminishing Marginal Returns / Basic LTI / 19
U2L05W1 - You Are the Producer! / Wiki / 10
U2L05A1 - Apple Pickers and the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns / Assignment / 10
U2L6 - Price Elasticity of Demand/Price Elasticity of Supply / Basic LTI / 24
U2T1 - Test / Test / 30
U2LPA1 - Unit 2 Project / Assignment / 40
Assignment Title / Assignment Type / Points
Unit 3 / U3D1 - Unit 3 Discussions / Discussion / 30
U3J1 - Unit 3 Journal / Journal / 60
U3L1: Externalities / Basic LTI / 18
U3L01B1 - Who Should Pay? / Blog / 10
U3L2 - Public Goods / Basic LTI / 25
U3L02W1 - Pure Public, Toll, and Private Goods / Wiki / 10
U3L02A1 - "New Sense, Inc. vs Fish 'Til You Drop" / Assignment / 10
U3L3 - Government Finances / Basic LTI / 25
U03L03A1 - Tax Time Scavenger Hunt / Assignment / 15
U3L03A2 - "Income Taxes: Who Pays and How Much?" / Assignment / 10
U3L4 - Legal Forms of Business / Basic LTI / 23
U3L5 - Specialization and Division of Labor / Basic LTI / 20
U3L05B1 - Interdependence Web / Blog / 10
U3L6 - Consumer Behavior and Utility Maximization / Basic LTI / 10
U3L06A1 - Fast Food and Utility Maximization / Assignment / 10
U3T1 - Unit 3 Test / Test / 32
ULPA - Unit 3 Project / Assignment / 40
Assignment Title / Assignment Type / Points
Unit 4 / U4D1 - Unit 4 Discussions / Discussion / 20
U4J1 - Unit 4 Journal / Journal / 40
U4L1 - Demand for Resources / Basic LTI / 14
U4L01A1 - Why Does Brett Favre Make More than Me?! / Assignment / 10
U4L01W1 - PA Career Zone / Wiki / 10
U4L2 - Costs of Production / Basic LTI / 23
U4L3 - Firm Behavior and Competitive Markets / Basic LTI / 26
U4L03W1 - Pizza, Pizza. or Pizza? / Wiki / 10
U4L4 - Monopoly and Oligopoly / Basic LTI / 33
U4L04W1 - History of Business Slideshow / Wiki / 10
U4L04B1 - The Case of the Ice Cream Merger / Blog / 10
U4T1 - Unit 4 Test / Test / 34
ULPA - Unit 4 Project / Assignment / 40