Introduction Welcome
to Mr. Welker's and Ms. Close's Advanced Placement Economics. This two
semester course will prepare you for two AP exams in Microeconomics and
Macroeconomics.
The website you are
on will play a major role in your learning of economics this year. This
is your class Wiki, where you will make regular contributions to a
comprehensive study guide covering the entire AP Econ syllabus.
By
May of next year, this website will serve as a study guide and source
of information on every topic covered over the two semesters of
Economics. Below you will find more information about your course, the
Wiki and Blog, and what you can do to be totally prepared for your AP Econ course starting this fall.
McConnell and Brue’s Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies, provides
a clear and concise perspective on economics. The 17th Edition builds
on their tradition of leadership by sticking to three main goals: help
the beginning student master the principles essential for understanding
the economizing problem; help the student understand and apply the
economic perspective accurately and objectively; and promote a lasting
student interest in economics and the economy.
Advanced Placement Economics(aka the Rainbow Book) teaches
a college-level economics course that prepares high school students for
the AP Economics Exam. The Teacher Resource Manual introduces the key
concepts, and the Student Activities booklets -- Microeconomics and
Macroeconomics -- reinforce the principles with activity-based lessons.
Your Grade in AP Economics
70% of your quarter grade is based on your performance on unit tests.
Unit tests will be given every two to four weeks.
Tests
are typically made up of anywhere between 15 and 30 Advanced Placement
multiple choice questions and one or two Advanced Placement Free
Response Questions.
Tests are not cummulative, they will only test you on your understanding of the topics covered in the current unit.
Tests
are timed. You will be given approximately one minute per multiple
choice question, 25 minutes for a long free response question, 12.5
minutes for a short free response question. For example, if a test has
25 multiple choice, one long and one short FRQ, you will be given
around 62.5 minutes to complete it.
20% of your quarter grade is based on your contributions to the Wiki and the Blog (see below for more information)
10% of your quarter grade is based on your completion of key questions assigned from each chapter.
This is a completion grade. If you complete all questions, you get the points.
Key questions must be written with pen on paper, they cannot be typed.
20%
of your first semester grade is based on a final Microeconomics Exam.
There will be no final exam at the end of second semester, since this
is when you sit for the AP exams.
The Wiki and the Blog as part of your grade in AP Economics
20% of your grade in AP Economics is based on your contributions to both the Wiki and the Blog.
During each unit, you must:
contribute to at least THREE pages in that unit's Wiki and,
post comments to at least THREE articles on the blog relating to the topics covered in that unit.
Additionally, you must contribute to two specific pages in each unit's wiki:
"AP Econ in the News" and,
"Student Thought Forum"
Your Blog/Wiki grade for each Unit will be determined based on the following:
Contributed to at least three pages from the the current Unit's Wiki- 3 points
Commented on at least three blog articles relating to the current unit - 3 points
Posted an article link to the current unit's "AP Econ in the News" page - 2 points
Posted at least one thought or idea to the current unit's "Student Thought Forum" - 2 points
Total
Wiki/Blog grade for each unit - 10 points + 2 points shared group grade
based on completion and accuracy of each unit's wiki
