Course Description: The purpose of these courses is to give students the knowledge and skills necessary to function as a responsible citizen and consumer in our global society.

Course Topics: The following topics will be discussed during the first nine weeks in economics class:
scarcity, economic reasoning, economic systems, supply and demand, prices, market structures, business organizations, labor and unions, sources of capital, role of government, money and the banking system, the Federal Reserve, monetary and fiscal policy, economic indicators, international trade, and personal finance. Textbook: O’Sullivan, A. & Sheffrin, S.M. (2007). Economics: Principles in Action. Pearson Prentice Hall.

During the second nine weeks, the following topics will be discussed in government class:

foundations of American government, federalism, balance of power, political parties, elections, voting, mass media & public opinion, interest groups, the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, public policy, as well as state and local governments. Textbook: Remy, R. (2006). U.S. Government: Democracy in Action Glencoe McGraw Hill..

A reasoned approach to economic decision-makingwill be stressed throughout both courses:

The importance of an orderly and reasoned approach lies in the systematic set of procedures it establishes to help students organize their thinking about issues –whether in economics, government, or in other subjects. Although the approach may not come naturally to everyone, its application comes more easily, even routinely, the more it is practiced. Students will be encouraged to use this decision making approach in economic and governmental problem solving.

Course Requirements. Students are required to:

1.Show respect for yourself, your classmates, and your teacher; therefore, do not interrupt others when they are speaking. Refrain from carrying on conversations that do not pertain to class or cause disruption in class. In essence, be courteous to the learning environment of others.

2.Communicate with me either verbally or in writing to let me know how you are doing in the class on a regular basis. This means asking questions about anything you find confusing. I will be happy to help you understand, but I have to know what you are having trouble understanding. See me before or after class to set up an appointment for assistance. Stay up to date.

3.Keep a 3-ring notebook organized by unit – you will need several tab dividers of some type. The notebook will contain class and text notes, all handouts, worksheets, video notes, etc. Notebooks must be brought to class everyday and all work must be kept inside the notebook in the appropriate unit (not the textbook!). You will need this information in order to prepare for the comprehensive final exam at the end of the year also known as the End of Course Test in Economics (EOC) for 20% of the final grade. Your Economics EOC/Final Exam is in mid March.

4.Complete assignments including reading and Practice Packet work in a timely manner. This class is similar to a math class in that each concept builds on earlier understandings—build a strong foundation & subsequent stories.

5.If you check out of school without turning in your assignment to me (due that day), it is late. If you miss an assignment, you are still responsible for completing it. If you are absent on the day an assignment is due, it is then due on the next school day you are present. The assignment will not be considered late if the absence is excused. It is your responsibility to get the work: the blog, student folders, and board will have details plus email your teacher with any questions.
Assigned work will be accepted late within the same unit, but the maximum grade possible will be 80% of the total points possible on the assignment—assuming you earn all possible points. After that unit’s test, 50% is the maximum. Staying up to date maximizes grades-If you have missing assignments, you are NOT eligible for test corrections/Xcredit/retakes.

6.Keep up to date with current economic and government issues by reading and analyzing news articles (format will be explained in class). Current events are due at the beginning of class; one current event per unit of study.

7.Maximize Your Return On Investment By Participating Fully in all class activities including class meetings, debates, group discussions, stock market and other simulations, individual and group presentations, and research reports. Write and read personal notes outside of this class (this includes texting and/or reading your personal email). Maximize your return on investment!

8.Attend class regularly. Be on time and prepared to learn when the bell rings with your required materials organized. Students are responsible for all missed work when out. Please see me before or after class for questions and pick up any handouts/assignments from your student folder. Economics, in particular, is similar to a math class in that each unit builds on previous knowledge; therefore, it is essential to stay up to date. See the student handbook for other rules regarding absences and tardies.

9.Clean up after yourself. If you finish an assignment early, you may review, study, complete any missing or late econ assignments, or read at your desk. Before working on assignments for another class, obtain instructor permission. Also, do not work on economics in another class without teacher permission. Please remove any trash from your desk and the surrounding area at the end of the period.

Required Materials

Students are required to bring the following materials to class each day: Practice Packet work, notebook, pen, pencil, paper, calculator, and good attitude!  You will want to have different colored pens or pencils.

Classroom Rules –

1. Follow directions4. Use appropriate language

2. Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking5. Obtain permission to leave room

3. No crumbly food/drinks in bottles with tops6. Be seated & prepared to learn when bell rings

7. Ask questions to clarify understanding

Grading Procedures:

Each student will have the opportunity to earn points using the categories and weights below. The course outline in on the back page of this syllabus. Graded assignments will include homework, quizzes, performance tasks, and tests. Final letter grades will be determined using the following scale: A, 90-100; B, 80-89; C, 74-79; D, 70-73; and F, 0-69.

  • Summative Assessments: Unit Tests – Multiple Choice and FRQs50%
  • Formative Assessments: Homework/ Daily Work / Quizzes30%
  • Final Exam / EOC20%

ALL class work is important. When you are absent, you must make-up all of the assigned work according to school policy in order to receive any credit—see the student handbook for details on this policy. Failure to do so will NEGATIVELY impact your grade. You should arrange to copy class notes from a trusted classmate and then review the material. After completing these steps, you should meet with me either before or after school to clarify any concepts that are unclear. Also, check the class blog/website for assignments, reviews, and other activities. Slackers & sufferers of Senioritis please note: earning an F in this class will not only affect your grade point, but you cannot graduate without both of these classes. Hint: HOPE?

School Cancellations: Whenever school is out, you will have makeup work assigned in order to be prepared for the EOC. This makeup work will be graded and will be assessed.

Tests/Quizzes/Projects:

Test corrections are allowed at teacher discretion. Pre-requisites to test corrections: you must not be missing any assignments and have done any assigned practice problems beforehand. More learning is better. Corrections are due within six (5) school days of receiving your test and must be completed in class or after school. The format on the blog must be followed or zero points will be earned. Only new material on each test may be corrected.

Any communication of any kind while anyone is taking a quiz, test, or exam will result in a detention at a minimum to be served on Friday afternoons for one hour if not a violation of Academic Integrity — ALL students deserve to be able to work without distractions in order to do their best regardless of their test taking speed! On test days, bring something else (not economics or government class) to work on in case you finish early or be prepared to sit quietly or sleep without disturbing others.

Projects may include but are not limited to the following: personal budgeting, stock market research analysis, purchasing log, parent and fellow student interviews, producer interviews, and resumes as well as debates, public meeting attendance, participation surveys, and economic analysis of governmental policies / platforms.

Make-up tests are given according to school policy and will be administered on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Students should make-up any missed exam as soon as possible because postponing typically results in lower grades as students do not recall older material as well. Be prepared to take the makeup in class on the day you return to school.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Cheating is considered a serious matter. The act of cheating will result in a disciplinary referral. The first incidence does not carry a disciplinary consequence with the administrator, just a conference. In any incidence, the parents of a student who has been involved in cheating will be notified and the student will receive a grade of zero for the test or evaluation period, and a grade of U in conduct.

For this course, cheating is defined as, but is not limited to, the following acts:

  • Copying anyone’s answers to questions, exercises, study guides, classwork or homework assignments
  • Taking any information verbatim from any source, including the Internet, without giving proper credit to the author, or rearranging the order of words and/or changing some words as written by the author and claiming the work as his or her own, i.e., plagiarism.
  • Looking onto another student’s paper during a test or quiz.
  • Having available any study notes or other test aids during a test/quiz without teacher's permission.
  • Collaborating on assignments when independent work is expected.
  • Making any effort to communicate the contents of assessment questions or answers through use of cell phone texting, photography, social networking sites, or other related technology.
  • Using a cell phone or camera at any point during a test or assessment without express permission of the instructor.

Discipline Procedures:

1st offense – Teacher warning and/or student conference

2nd offense – Parental/Guardian notification

3rd offense – Friday after school detention for one hour

4thoffense – Administrative referral

I reserve the right to bypass the above procedures if the behavior is disruptive or a student refuses a reasonable request. Class success hint: follow the golden rule and treat others as you would like to be treated as a student or as an instructor.

Keys to Success in Class:

Read the text (or any other assigned reading) keeping in mind that if you do not remember at least the important points of what you have read, you did not read (reading is more than looking at the words – it requires comprehension and retention). Using the thematic approach (this will be discussed in class) and the guidelines on how to read academic texts (back page of syllabus) would also be helpful.

Start learning all there is to know about each vocabulary word when you first read the section.

Review what you have learned from the text and from class regularly. Each day when you come to class, you should remember previous material. If you don’t recall and understand the earlier material, real comprehension of new concepts will be more difficult if not impossible.

Real understanding is the key. Just trying to memorize material you don’t understand and that you can’t relate to anything else won’t really help you in this class (or anywhere else!). Don’t misunderstand, you will have to remember some dates, names, events, etc., but you will need to give it purpose. Giving it purpose also helps you remember.

Office Hours / Extra Help / Increasing your Understanding / I have a question?

I will be available in room 110 after school and by appointment. If you need to contact me for any reason, you may email me at and I will check this each day before leaving school.

Signature: Please read and sign the syllabus and place it in your 3 ring binder. Please complete the Receipt of Policies and Communication Information form and return it tomorrow. If you have any questions, please contact me. By the indication of the signatures on the receipt form and below, both student and parent/guardian acknowledge an understanding of the basic intent and outline of this course.

Signature of Student:

Signature of Parent or Guardian:

Economics Pacing Guide by Unit

I. Producers & Consumers – H & R Block Budget Challenge & EverfiJan 4 – March 9 as well as

Chapters 10 & 11 and the Consumer Handbook in Reference PagesMarch 5 - 9
Savings – Why is savings important? Ch 11 & Handbook

  1. Banking – function of banks in our economic system. Ch 10
  2. Credit – using credit, pros & cons. Consumer Handbook in Reference Pages & Online assignments
  3. Insurance – how to protect yourself. Consumer Handbook in Reference Pages & Online assignments
  4. Earnings Consumer Handbook in Reference Pages & Online assignments

II. Fundamental Economic Concepts - Chapters 1, 2, 3, & 8 Jan 4 – Jan 23

  1. Scarcity, Trade-offs, Opportunity Costs, Productive Resources Ch 1
  2. Specialization & Production Possibilities Ch 2
  3. Economic Systems – compare & contrast. Ch 2
  4. Three economic questions – How econ. Systems answer these questions.
  5. Market Economies – our economy at work. Ch 3 & 8

III. Microeconomic Concepts – Chapters 4-7 & 9Jan 24 – Feb 6

  1. Circular Flows – Households, Businesses, & Govt. Ch 9
  2. Supply & Demand – laws & graphs. Ch 4 - 5
  3. Markets, price & competition Ch 6
  4. Business structures – corporations, partnership, etc. Ch 7

IV. Macroeconomic Concepts – Chapters 12 – 16Feb 7 - 16

  1. Measuring Economic Activity – GDP, Unemployment, etc. Ch 12-13 & Online assignments
  2. Federal Reserve System – the nation’s money flow. Ch 16 & Online assignments
  3. Fiscal Policy – tax & spend. Ch 14-15 & Online assignments

V. International Economics – Chapters 17 & 18Feb 26 – March 2

  1. Function of International Trade – Why trade?
  2. Trade Barriers – Why restrict the flow of goods?
  1. Exchange Rates – National currencies.

VI. End of Course Test – Online assignmentsMarch 12 - 16

Government Pacing Guide by Unit Approximately 1 ½ weeks per unit

1 - Foundations of American Government (“Why Representative Democracy?”) Readings: Chapters 1 & 2.
AND The Blueprint for American Government -The U.S. Constitution (“Limited Government, the Rule of Law & Federalism”)chapters (Ch) 3 & 4, U.S. Constitution in reference pages plus chapters 13 & 14

2 – Structure Power: Legislative Branch (“Who has the power? How we are governed?”) Ch – 5, 6, 7

3 – Structure Power: Executive Branch (“Who has the power? How are we governed?”) Ch – 8, 9, 10

4 – Structure Power: Judicial Branch (“Who has the power? How are we governed”?) Ch – 11& 12

5 – Participating in Government (“How do you get involved”) Ch – 16-19 AND Government Close to Home (State & Local) (“How does govt. affect your life”?) Ch – 23 & 24.

6 – Public Policy (“How are policies developed and implemented”) Ch – 20-22