Commodity Assignment (Due Friday 3/28)

For the assignment due Friday, you will be researching and analyzing a specific commodity. Essentially, you will be compiling a report to be shared and discussed with classmates.

Step 1: Create a Google Document that will be shared with me and other classmates on Friday. If you are not here on Friday, make sure to share your completed version by the end of class on Friday. (We will have the computers on Friday).

Step 2: Terms
Label a section in your document: Important terms. 


To proceed, you will need to figure out what a future is. Futures are the most traded and analyzed portion of most commodity markets. The link provides a fairly in depth discussion of what a future is. In your own words (2-3 sentences), explain what a Future is.

 Then, using your own knowledge, the textbook, or the internet, define what a Commodity is.

Step 3: I will be walking around assigning different commodities and checking your progress.  Once you have a commodity, find out the following for it in a section labeled Background Information

-What is the product used for? Of course, there are many uses. Mention the ones you think are the most important and/or interesting.
-What countries or areas of the world are the main suppliers of this commodity?

Step 4: Researching the Market

Here's the "fun" part. Go to the CNBC Commodity Page.
Find your commodity and click on it. You will see a lot of information for the commodity. Create a Report in which you discuss the following:

-How many futures are being traded daily? (this is referred to as "volume.")
-What has been the overall trend in the price of this commodity this year? This month? This week? 

Step 5: Analysis

Label the next section Analysis. In this section, imagine that you are giving advice to an investor on if they should buy futures of this commodity. Explain why the should or should not buy futures.

Step 6: Implications
Label the next section Implications. In this section, imagine that you are giving advice to a developing (LDC) country about if they should begin to produce this commodity. Explain why the should or should not enter this market as suppliers.


Step 7: Conclusions
Label the last section Conclusions. Answer the following:
-Are commodities Demand elastic or inelastic? Why?
-Are commodities Supply elastic or inelastic? Why?
-Are commodities income elastic for demand or income inelastic for demand?
-What are the benefits of investing in commodity futures?
-What are the costs or risks of investing in commodity futures?
-As a producer what are the benefits and the costs of producing commodities.
-What are the benefits and costs for developing countries producing commodities for international sale?

Step 8: Rename your document with your name and Commodity.

Example: Mr. da Silva, Coal.

UNDP Assignment

Step 1: Notes (Write the following in your notebooks)

• Go to pages 336-338. Outline the "Common Characteristics of Developing Countries" (include as much information as you need). 

• Go to pages 338-341. Outline the section about "Diversity Among Developing Countries" (include as much information as you need).

Step 2: Create a Document.(Send the following to me as a shared document. For the subject, Label it "Human Development Reports Part 1")

Step 3: Go to http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries

Step 4: Write #1:

Write the name of a country that is

a.     Very High Human Development 

b.     High Human Development

c.     Medium Human Development

d.     Low Human Development

Step 5: 

Glance back at the HDI rankings and select two DIFFERENT countries. One must be from the Very High or High Development range and one must be from the Low Development Range.  

Step 6: Write #2. Create the following table (copy/paste may not work) 

Country
HDI Ranking
Life Expectancy
Under Five Mortality (per 1000 births)
Mean Years of Schooling
GDP Per Capita
Inequality Adjusted HDI Value
Percentage of Population living below $1.25
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Per Capita

Step 7: Click on the high development country you have chosen. Fill in the table above accordingly.

Step 8: Go back and click on the link for the low development country. Fill in the table above accordingly.

Step 9: Write #3. Answer: What were some things that were striking differences between the two countries?

Step 10: Go to Build Your Own Index

Step 11:Now, you are going to create your own development index. You can choose different indexes and give more or less weight to each one.

• Write #4. Come up with a name for your new index. If you can’t think of one, you could use the “da Silva Development Index” or DDI.

• Create an index using the options given. Explain which statistics you've chosen why you’ve chosen these to make up your index.

• Which country was at the top of your index? Which is at the bottom?

Step 12: Now, it's time to choose your country for further study. Eventually, you will be making a large presentation about this country (after the IB test). For now, you need to choose a country that the UNDP defines as "Medium" or "Low Development." Take some time to learn about some of the countries before you choose. Once you have finished, you can begin to look for any available information about your country (building a bibliography).

Step 13: If you finish early, work on your homework for Friday.

 

 

Commentary Assignment

Link to Fixing Your Test

Guidelines:

-Cannot be older than a year.
-Cannot be from the same source you used for the first two commentaries.
-Must be about International Trade Topics (Suggested---Exchange Rates, Trade Barriers, Economic Integration)




-Good Search Terms Tariff, Quota, Subsidy, Currency of a Country You're Interested In,


If you need help finding an article consider these sources:

BBC News

New York Times

Lots of Different English-Language Newspapers From Around the Globe

CNN 

San Jose Mercury News

Wall Street Journal

The Economist



If you need more information about the commentary, here is all of the official material I have on the subject. 

Once you have found an article and checked it with me, you can begin to outline your commentary. Check this with me. 

-Summary
-Terms to Define
-Apply terms to article.
-Draw and explain relevant diagrams
-Evaluate

Once you have outlined a commentary, you can begin writing it out. The rough draft will be due the first day back after the February break. 

Fixing Your Test

DUE FIRST DAY BACK FROM BREAK

You can get back ALL of your points for the multiple choice test!

You need to WRITE the correct answer with the Question. [See example]


Then, you need to write why that is the correct answer [See example]



1. The key difference between a free trade area and a common market is that: B. members of a common markets have common trade agreements with other countries. This is because a common market is a type of customs union while members of free trade areas have different trade policies with the rest of the world.

Assignment Due 1/27

Go to http://www.bized.co.uk/educators/16-19/economics/international/activity/globalisation.htm

Read the introduction to globalization. Ignore the blue prompt.

Click on the first globalization link (or click here). Then choose one of the topics to learn more about (do not choose "the noisy planet.")

Skim through the information. Either use one of the questions below or create your own question. Then, using the information available answer either your question or the one below, reporting on what you have learned. Email me your response. Your response should be at least 200 words.

Inside the Global Giants (How have multinational corporations--choose 1 or 2--impacted the communities and countries in which they operate?)

The Fast Food Factory (What has been the impact of fast food on the environment and people of the world?)

The Global Music Machine (How has pop music been a force of globalization?)

Commentary #2 Rough Draft Due on 1/7

Don't forget!

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)