Outline Commentary #2 (Due Monday)

A. A short summary of the article
B. A list of terms from the class that could be applied to the article.
C. An explanation of how these terms relate to the article.
D. A description of which diagrams you could use to illustrate your ideas.
E. A rough outline of how you could evaluate this article (evaluate means to weigh two sides and come to a conclusion)

HW Assignment for 11/8

Go to and read the following links:

-Criticism of Obama Policies
-Supporter of Obama Policies

If you are not familiar with Obama's policies, you may want to check out the wikipedia article on the subject.

Write a 3 paragraph report in which you:

1. Summarize the economic criticisms of the Obama presidency.
2. Summarize the supportive arguments made in favor of the Obama presidency.
3. Explain why you think Obama's policies have been good or bad with specific mention of which ones in particular you think have or have not worked.

Income Elasticity for Demand

A. Read pg. 55-56 in your textbook about Income Elasticity of Demand (YED) and answer the following questions in your notes

1. What is income elasticity of demand?
2. What is the equation for Income of Elasticity of Demand?
3. What is a normal good?
4. What is an inferior good?
5. What is a superior good?

B. Complete the assignment by posting your response to the questions below:
1. Give an example of a normal good, an inferior good, and a superior good.
2. What is the difference between PED and Income Elasticity of Demand (YED)?
3. Why are some goods Income elastic for demand and some goods are income inelastic for demand?
4. Read the beginning of Student Workpoint 4.6 on page 56. Answer questions 1 and 2 by calculating the consumer's YED for holidays and explaining what the value means.

C. If you finish early, begin reading about Cross Price Elasticity of Demand (XED) on pages 53 and 54. Think about what the importance of XED is to producers and be prepared to share.

Course Description

Mr. da Silva

                                   

IB Economics SL

Brief Course Description

In this course you will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of, and facility with, key economic concepts and principles. As a result of this course, you will become a better-informed and more effective participant in the local, national and world economies.

The following is a list of units that we will cover this semester.

-       An Intro to Economic Concepts, including scarcity, factors of production and types of economic systems.

-       How Markets Work, including supply and demand and the role of prices.

-       Market Structures, Business Organization and Labor, including monopolies and how wages are set.

-       Investment, including stocks, bonds and other investments.

-       Measuring Macroeconomic Performance, including GDP, inflation and unemployment.

-       Taxes, Government Spending and Fiscal Policy.

-       Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve System.

-       International Trade, including foreign exchange and trade barriers.

-       Developing economies around the world

Grading

There will be 4 areas of grading the course:

Participation Points: Awarded for active participation in the class. Can be taken away for students that are disruptive. Participation points are often awarded based on classwork. Participation is usually 40% of the grade in the class.

Tests/Quizzes: Expect a major test/quiz every two weeks in the course. End of unit exams will have two parts. One day will be a test created by the teacher, the second day will be an IB style test of the same content. Students will always be given study guides for these tests.

Commentaries: Four commentaries of between 650-750 words will be completed and submitted to IB by early March. Not only is this a HUGE part of your grade, usually around 30%, but it is 25% of your IB grade.

Homework: There are two types of homework you will be required to do: assigned and non-assigned. Assigned homework is given every two weeks, but this is often skipped in order to give you more time to work on commentaries, etc. Non-assigned homework is the daily studying you will need to do in this course. To do well in this class and on the IB test, you will need to become experts in the field of economics. This means being curious about the news, reading the textbook on your own time, thinking about economics constantly, and taking individual initiative. I will help guide you in this process, but in the end, it will be you that determines what grade you will get on the IB test.

Late Work: There is no late work. If you have an outstanding reason, I am willing to grant an extension. Extensions must be requested at least 24 Hours before any due date.

Absences: It is the responsibility of every student to inquire as to what was missed and if make-up work needs to be submitted. Weekly Class Planners are given on Monday of each week and these detail the work for the week, for the most part. Students are given an extra day after returning to complete late work and I am usually rather forgiving in this regard when the absence is excused. A portfolio for each week will be kept that includes copies of handouts and assignments given. If a student misses a day of lecture it is his/her responsibility to get those notes from another student.

This rule applies to tests. It is not the teacher’s responsibility to chase down students to make-up tests or any other work. In some cases, students will be excused from classwork if the absence is excused and the student has spoken with me.

Learning Expectations

Students need to be prepared to learn when they enter class. This means that they need to be punctual, be active, and bring required materials.

Class Objectives and Goals: Students will

1.     Come prepared to learn everyday

2.     Develop an academic writing and speaking voice

3.     Present ideas with an organized and persuasive style

4.     Acquire a firm understanding of the geography, culture, and history of places around the world

5.     Engage with world events as they happen and develop the skills necessary to do so

Material Requirements

You must bring the following EVERYDAY to class:

                  -Pens

                  -Paper (lots of it)

                  -Binder with at least three sections devoted to this class.

Classroom Rules

Students in this course are approaching adulthood. I treat my students as adults unless they decide not to act like adults. Students must comply with all school/district rules. At this age, I expect students to be well-behaved, responsible, courteous, polite, respectful of each other and the teacher, and prepared to learn when they enter class.

The following infractions will result in a loss of class participation points: Tardiness (without pass), unexcused absence, lack of materials.

When a student disrupts the class, they will be assigned 20 minute detention. This detention MUST be served within 2 days and must be served at lunch or after-school. For detention to be counted as served, students must sit quietly and not use electronic devices. If a student further distracts the class additional time will be added as appropriate.

Serious acts of disrespect to either the teacher or other students will result in a referral, removal from the classroom and/or and a call home.

Other Special Rules

-Students need to be in their seats unless turning in an assignment or getting materials.

-Electronic devices (ipods, cellphones, etc.) must not be seen or heard. There is no reason or excuse to have these out in the classroom. Electronic devices will be confiscated and handed to office personnel for pickup after school.

-Hats and Hoods: Should be off when you enter the classroom. Hats will be confiscated until the end of the period if it is an ongoing problem.

-Tardiness: Students will lose participation points for being tardy. Upon entering tardy for whatever reason, students will find their seat QUIETLY. At an appropriate time, I will do my best to catch the student up on what was missed. If doing so would disrupt the class, the tardy student must wait and/or sit quietly until specific directions can be given to him/her. Students who are habitually tardy will be enrolled in AIM. If a tardy student enters class and is disruptive, they will be asked to sit outside and wait.

-When the bell rings, be getting started on their warmup. Being inside the classroom is not enough. Students who need to be reminded about being on task will lose participation points and may be assigned detention.

-Restroom: As long as you do not abuse your restroom privileges, one student at a time may use the restroom. You may only do so once per class. You should not be using the restroom pass everyday. Three times in a semester should be ample.

-I only respond to students who raise their hands.

-If a student is sent outside, it is expected that they remain near the class and completely quiet. Failure to do this will result in a referral.

-Food and drinks are not allowed in class. Students may have bottles of water.

Parent-Teacher Interaction

I readily encourage parent-teacher interaction to inform parents of needs and progress of their children and to inform me of any circumstances that may be affecting student performance. I request that parents contact me through email. If a parent wishes to have a meeting with me, I ask that you first contact me and make an appointment. I encourage all parents to meet with their child’s teachers and I am always willing to make accommodations for such a meeting. If a parent would like special notification of their child’s academic progress or grades, this can also be easily arranged.

Contact Information

The easiest way to reach me is through gmail: Mrdasilvasjha@gmail.com. You may also call the school, (408) 535-6320 (ext: 313).

Course Information

Course Syllabus


General Information:

IB Economics SL is a one year course. It covers basic economic theory and practices involving Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, International Trade, and Development.


FAQ:

What is economics?
This is not as easy of a question as it may appear. In a nutshell, it is studying how people make decisions and systemically identifying the most efficient decision.
  
Do I need to take this course?
At SJHS, IB Economics is mostly used to fill in for the 6th testing subject for IB Diploma Candidates. In essence, if you are a full diploma candidate and are not taking IB Design, IB Art, IB Music, or IB Drama, you will probably be taking this course.

This course is usually not used for A-G or Graduation Requirements (except for being an elective). Students fulfill their Economics graduation requirement either through History of the Americas or through Econ/Gov for non-Diploma students. In other words, this course is not a requirement for graduation or college admittance. It is an elective that allows students to complete the IB Diploma.

Can I take this course if I'm not a full IB Candidate?
Typically, the class fills quick with full IB Candidates. If you are not a full IB candidate or are testing in IB Design, Music, or Art, you can still take the course if there are spots, but there is not a lot of reasons to do so aside from you being really interested in the topic. 

What is Microeconomics and Macroeconomics?
To put it simply, Microeconomics refers to studying the decisions that individual people or businesses make. Macroeconomics refers to studying the decisions that countries and governments make. 

Is this class math?
Knowledge of math beyond basic algebra is not necessary. Students should know how to graph equations, do arithmetic, and describe the difference between a direct and an inverse relationship.
 

Is this class hard? How much work is it?
Defining the difficulty of a class is not an easy task. For some students (those that don't turn in any other work and/or do not come to class prepared to learn) it is very hard. For others (that try their best, turn in work on time, and come to class prepared to learn), it is very challenging, but manageable. 

How do I get an A?
Come to class. Do your homework. Study for Tests. Turn in Internal Assessments (Commentaries). 

Will there be a baby project?
No. That project is done by Ms. Kahn for the Senior Level non-IB Econ/Gov. course. Sorry. 

How many students "Pass" the test?
This varies year to year. Last year's score were more or less typical. You can see a graph distribution below. A score of 4 is considered "passing." Generally, students score better on their internal assessments (done as homework and in class) than on their sit-down tests. The lesson: You have to study like crazy to do well on this test!

The Graph shows that of the 30 students that took the test, 11 passed and 19 did not. It is much more difficult to pass an IB test than to pass almost any other test you've taken. Typically, students that score a 4 or higher earn an A in the course. Students who receive a 3 usually earn a B or C.  Students who get a 2 usually earn a D or an F in the course. Of course, the IB score is not tied to the grade in the class specifically. (Note: the graph is incorrectly labeled, it should say "2013 Scores")