Catching Up

You turned in the Ch. 6 Fill-in-the-Blanks and Crossword today.  I will collect the Matching/True-False tomorrow.  In class, we completed page 68 of the handout packet.  You must do the first page (63-64) on your own by watching TV or skimming a magazine and turn it in by Wednesday.  There will be some sort of assessment for chapter 6 on Wednesday.  Read and know.  There will be a Ch. 7 quiz next Monday.  We'll be watching something about the government on Thurs and Fri.  As always, if you are missing handouts, they are available on the Economics Moodle.

Ch. 4 Exam

Pick up:
Ch. 4 Review
Ch. 6 Rdg
Ch 7 Rdg
Your Clicker

Complete Crossword & "Reviewing Main Ideas"

HW:  READ Chs. 6 & 7
Triangle Questions Due 4-18

:05 Complete FIRST TASK
:20 Turn in Review/Crossword and Pick up Exam
:45  Exam DUE.  We'll go over questions

Friday:  Ch. 5 Triangle/Overview Questions & Ch. 5 Wksht

Monday:  Correct Ch. 5 Stuff
Tuesday:  No Class (Testing)
Wednesday: Ch. 5 Exam
Thursday: Tax Forms
Friday:  More Tax Forms (Yours?)

Following Week: Ch. 6 & 7 (with "Unit Exam" covering Chapters 1-7)

Supply

Pick up:
     Ch. 5 Worksheet
Take out:
     Ch. 4 Reading Packet
     Ch. 4 Worksheet Packet
     Ch. 5 Reading Packet

Explanation of Q3-to-Q4 grading
Complete/Correct pages 37 & 38 as a class
     We may also do pages 39 & 40 today

HW (Well, kinda):  Ch. 4 Triangle/Overview Questions
     -We'll go over them Wednesday
          -You'll have SOME time today and tomorrow

Exam 3: Demand

April Fools' Day
  -Ha ha ha                                                                   

Pick up YOUR Clicker (Sheet on Podium)                                                       
Take out the following:
     Ch. 3 Overview (Triangle) Questions
     Equal Pay (Women)
          It's OK if you turned it in already

You will TURN in the above items in exchange for a copy of the exam.
Write your answers on the sheet AND you MUST complete the short answer question.

Finish Early? Work on 4: Supply Packet (37 & 38)

Next week:  Supply & Market Clearing Price

Saying "Adios" to Demand

Pick up/Pass Back ""corrected" work
      Primarily Ch. 3 Worksheet Packet

Look for these and turn in the first two immediately:

1. Video Wksht: Stossel (Is America #1?) From day I was out (
2. Ch. 1 Wksht Packet 
3. Equal Pay Comment (Turn in Friday)
4. Machiavelli (gold sheet) Keep (we'll discuss next week).

Do P. 26 of the Ch 3 Packet right away
Have your Ch. 3 Overview Questions Available
     -We'll go over everything as a class!

Ch. 3 (Demand) Quiz tomorrow!!!       
You SHOULD have readings (small versions) for:
We have DONE Worksheet packets for chapters:

Questions???
If there is SOMETHING you do not understand…ASK!!!   
I GUARANTEE that someone else also does not know!       

Moodle Plus

You signed up for the Econ moodle (Romo Economics)today and also created an account on discovery streaming.  You watched a video, took a quiz, and left a comment in the moodle (including your quiz result).  Then I instructed you to play with the econ graphing site.  You should now know how tow download any and all readings, handouts, and EC.

Take the Econ Quiz
Go to Discovery Streaming
Use this code to set up a new account:  ADE4-A4A3
Search for the video clip of "supply and demand"
Watch it (Read caps/low sound)

Send me an email with a blurb from the video and your econ quiz score.
If/when you finish, celebrate (legally)!

Circular Flow Charts

Wednesday March 16, 2011                      
                      
Clear your desks (except for notebook and pen/cil)                In your notebook (as practice!!!), do the following:                  
1  You are to draw the CIRCULAR FLOW, including:
    Households, Firms, Labor Markets, Resource Markets
    Financial Sector, Government Sector, Foreign Sector          
                      
2  When you have finished, share your drawing with peers.
                  
3  Fix it as necessary.                  
                      
4  Then compare it with the "REAL" version (on back of your Ch.2 wksht)
    -only the video included the additional sectors so you may need some memory              
5  Pick up BLANK Piece of Paper, some colored pencils, and a protractor (SHARE!!!)
    Draw a NICE version
        -label things with proper nouns (stores, people, banks, nations, etc.)
    Turn it in (make sure your name is on it!!!)                  
                      
6  When you have finished, complete the "other' side of the Ch. 2 Wksht
    -KEEP IT!!!

I, Pencil

You received the readings for chapters 3 & 4 yesterday as we started work on Chapter 2 and learned about the Circular Flow.  You were to read the packet and answer the following questions:

1. What role does profit play in the U.S. Free Enterprise system? 
2. How does voluntary exchange between households and businesses create a circular flow of money, products, and resources?
3. Why do people prefer money exchange to barter exchange?
4. What function does money perform?
5. Why is entrepreneurship important to an economy's growth over time?

Today, you read about Adam Smith, Leonard Read's "I, Pencil" and got a taste of Milton Friedman.  Combined with Keynes and Paul Samuelson, you are getting the basics of econ infused into your system.

Tuesday March 15, 2011                               
Notebook Page   Title: I, Pencil &  (Smith & Friedman)               
Pick up Ch. 2 Reading (Stays in class)                       
Read P. 17 about Adam Smith                           
Copy the excerpt from Wealth of Nations into your notebook           
Summarize Adam Smith's theories (using your own words)               
Work with your peer(s) to come up with the resources/steps needed to make a pencil.                                       
Pick up I, Pencil Reading (Stays in class)                   
Read I, Pencil (as a class)
Discuss importance/relevance
    Price System, Free Market, human Creativity & Freedom

Debrief of 1984

5th period handled things very well.  I hope you picked up some new ideas and saw that there are deeper possibilities of analysis.

6th period is a disaster.  Too many students show up tardy, take too long to settle down, and disrespect me while ignoring instructions.  So, you did not get to discuss or learn how to analyze a core novel college students are expected to know.  Instead of a nice classroom experience, you owe me an essay.  500 words.  Typed.  Emailed copy due by Monday March 7 at 11:59 PM.  hard copy (printed out) due by 2:05 on Tuesday.  Question is below:

Which character had the most personal freedom, and which character had the least? 
You must support your choices with examples and explanations. 
I will know if your essay is superficial and/or copied.

1984

We discussed Orwell's story in preparation for viewing the film on Tuesday, to be finished Thursday.  We'll debrief what we learned.  You will get your Ch. 23 worksheet back tomorrow.  Finish it from home if necessary.  We'll correct it on Monday, with a test on Tuesday.

Who's Economics Are We Talking About?

We are getting into economics.  You've read Ch 23 of the textbook and Ch 16 of the Economics text.  I am going over the slides for ch. 23 in class (available on the Moodle).  But I'd like to offer you some extra credit...due Monday.  Read this blog post by the former Secretary of Labor for former president Clinton.  Write a response to his post, and include a statement/paragraph with which you either agree or disagree.  Also find an article online that counter's his argument. Print it out and turn it in with your responses/opinion.

Pinkos

After yesterday's unit exam (11,12,14), we moved into economics and other government systems.  I gave you a worksheet for two sections of chapter 23, to be completed in class.  You had 45 minutes in class today of self-directed learning.  Some finished, most are almost done, while all at least finished section one.  We'll explore Communism, Socialism, and the world of Orwell's 1984 next week.  I'll screen the movie a week later.  If you have any handouts (Machiavelli) or other work (Chapter 12 and 14 online work), please get it (back) to me by Tuesday.  Enjoy your break.

The Flu Sucks

Something icky happened to me on Sunday - not just the Packers winning the Super Bowl. It knocked me out through 2:30 AM Tuesday when I awoke in a cold sweat, indicating that I had burned out the bug. In class, you read about Machiavlli's "Becoming a Prince by Villainy" and Confucius'"Ideas on Government."

In class today, you read this article from the Mpls StarTribune, after which you answered some questions and we discussed its implications.

1. How much do women earn compared to men?
2. What legislation exists to limit this disparity (difference)for government jobs?
3. Why is new legislation being proposed to remove wage equity guarantees?
4. What effect could this have?
5. Why do you think women earn less than men?
6. What is your opinion regarding this issue?

AFTER reading and answering those questions, please read this and share your thoughts in a written response in one paragraph.
     

Finish Online Work and Survey

Complete the survey regarding the Super Bowl. (you'll have to login to GoogleApps.  Remember to logout and shut down the iPod after you are done!




Then finish your Ch 14 & 12 online work

Need E.T.

I was out yesterday - knee is still in pain..  You watched Stossel's "Is America #1?" presentation.  There was a worksheet with questions that you should have done by Friday.  We will cover How a Bill Becomes a Law on Friday.  IN class today, we discussed the situation in Egypt.

Regular Computers Today

Some of you do not seem to understand that when you are instructed to read something, you actually have to read the whole thing.  Amazingly, many of you seemed to finish yesterday's task (or at least come close).  There should be no problem finishing today's expectations as well. 

Chapter 12, Section 1:  Seniority Rule

Read about seniority in the United States Congress (http://www.auburn.edu/~johnspm/gloss/seniority)

Write five questions about the seniority rule's origins and effects. Pick three of these questions and answer them as fully as possible. You may work with a partner.

Chapter 12, Section 2:  Congressional Committees

Select a Web page of one committee from the House of Representatives and visit the site. Make a list of five things that committee does.  (http://www.house.gov/house/CommitteeWWW.shtml)

Chapter 12, Section 3:  How a Bill Becomes a Law

Create a flow-chart that explains how a bill becomes a law (include veto possibilities).

If/When you have finished, take the computer quizzes & tests for chapters 14 and 12. 

There will be a Unit Exam next Wednesday, February 9.

Do not rush through your work just to get it done.  READ and take your time!

iPods for classroom use?

Below is what was distributed along with an iPod touch.  I wonder how it works/worked.

Chapter 14: Follow the chapter link from online textbook resource (found on blog) and select Go Online Activities.

Section 1: Growth of Presidential Power

Write an opinion on how the President's power has increased or decreased. Be sure to give several examples.

Section 2: President’s Appointing Power

Do Presidents have too many political appointees?

Write a brief response in which you either defend this argument or argue a different opinion.

Section 3:  Executive Agreements

Use the figures in the paragraph to create bar charts showing the number of executive agreements and treaties made in the three time periods:

(1) the first 50 years since independence (1776–1826);

(2) from that early period, up to World War II (1827–1940); and

(3) recent decades (1940–1989).

Write a caption for your graphs that identifies the trends shown and the reasons for the trends.

During the first half-century of its independence, the United States was party to sixty treaties but to only twenty-seven published executive agreements. By the beginning of World War II, there had been concluded approximately 800 treaties and 1,200 executive agreements. In the period 1940-1989, the Nation entered into 759 treaties and into 13,016 published executive agreements. Cumulatively, in 1989, the United States was a party to 890 treaties and 5,117 executive agreements. To phrase it comparatively, in the first 50 years of its history, the United States concluded twice as many treaties as executive agreements. In the 50-year period from 1839 to 1889, a few more executive agreements than treaties were entered into. From 1889 to 1939, almost twice as many executive agreements as treaties were concluded. In the period since 1939, executive agreements have comprised more than 90% of the international agreements concluded.

Section 4:  Presidential Veto Power

Read about the types of presidential vetoes and what actions Congress can take once the President vetoes a bill.

Create a flow chart that shows the steps in the veto process and the possible outcomes.

Quiz, Video, Homework, oh my!

You watched a 20-min video about Congress today.  Then there was a quiz on chapter 11.  I am working on getting the videos available to you online (for those who may need refreshers or missed class).  For homework, you SHOULD read chapters 11, 14, and 12 (in that order).  We'll finish this unit next week, with an exam the following week.

I have added the Chapter slide shows AND section outlines to the moodle.  If you use everything available, attend class, and do what I assign, I guarantee you will do well this semester.

If you were absent on Wednesday, you'll need to make up the Test for Economic Literacy (TEL) as soon as possible through Classroom For Success (Available Exams).  If you wait too long, the test window will close and you'll never be able to make up the exam.

Just testing something here.

FIGHT! Prez vs Congress

We're studying Chapters 11,14, and 12 to better understand how powers are divided between the Executive and Legislative branches.  We'll end by going through how a bill becomes a law.  Expect a quiz on Ch. 11 on Friday with a quiz on Ch 14 on Tuesday, followed by an exam on the three chapters next Friday.  I'll go through the slides - but it would be a HUGE benefit if you simply read the chapters BEFORE the lectures.  I guarantee you that things will make much more sense and you will have a better understanding of the material.  Then the exams won't be so scary!

In class today, you took the Test for Economic Literacy (TEL).  I am sure there are plenty of things you know nothing about.  There are words you may not understand - just plow through it and do the best you can.  This is a pre-test.  You'll take the post-test at the end of the semester.  We compare the results.  If I did a good job (with you doing your part), you should improve a lot.  If not - we'll have to see what went wrong.

We'll finish the Ch. 11 slides tomorrow and hopefully start on 14.  You'll take a quiz on Friday, followed by a short video

Finals

The final exam is next Thursday.  It will include Ch. 4 (Federalism) and material from throughout the semester.  the study guide is on the Moodle.  In class today, you filled out a note card by doing the folloing:
Write TWO problems that face you or the world (community, state, nation, globe)
Then provide a solution to each problem.  What should be done to make the problem disappear or at least minimize it?

After doing that, we read a short story by Jonathan Swift, called "A Modest Proposal" from 1729.  A discussion about problems and solutions follwed the reading.  While finding a solution to a problem is usually easy, implementing an acceptable (humane/moral) solution is often times VERY difficult.

BIG or small?

Your answers to the questions from two readings were due today. Then we watched some videos that hopefully make you think of ways in which a BIG government is beneficial.
Important vocabulary:  Inflation, GDP/GNP, Unemployment, Interest
We will discuss the readings and videos on Monday, and you have a test on Chapter 8 on Tuesday.                                                                                                                   

A Test?

The readings I distributed on Monday and Tuesday should be read by Thursday - you need to turn in your answers to the questions in class tomorrow.  Here is the list of vocab words for tomorrow's "Below a C" Exam:

amendment
Anti-Federalists
articles
autocracy
bicameral
Bill of Rights
blanket primary
Cabinet
caucus
closed primary
coalition
coattail effect
confederation
consensus
constitution
democracy
dictatorship
electoral college
electorate
federal government
federalism
Federalists
franchise
gerrymandering
independents
injunctions
literacy
major parties
minor party
nomination
office-group ballot
oligarchy
open primary
party identification
party-column ballot
pluralistic society
plurality
political efficacy
political party
political socialization
poll tax
polling place
Preamble
precinct
public policy
ratification
registration
repeal
single-issue parties
single-member district
sovereign
splinter parties
Split-ticket voting
state
straight-ticket voting
unconstitutional
unicameral
unitary government
ward

Govt is TOO BIG and BAD!!!

We watched a John Stossel video today (Goes to Washington).  I handed out some readings that you need to have read and answer the & questions by Thursday.  We'll have a discussion on Friday.  You have a test on chapter 8 on Tuesday, while those of you earning less than a C have a Chapters 1,2,3,5,6,7 exam on Thursday!

Romothink, to get your brains working again

Which is more important: The individual or the continuity of the nation?
THINK about the question before your write anything.  Make a list of ideas that explain the VALUE of an individual and the VALUE of a nation. 
Upon which should success/failure be placed?
Which should provide MORE to the other?
These are DEEP questions, which we will EXPLORE today, but NEVER answer completely.
Write a statement with supporting arguments (5-8 sentences) on the same sheet you used for your notes.
When you have finished, share your thoughts with a neighbor.
Then we will discuss as a class.