AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Email Address: School: brettweiss@u-46.org
Home Email Address: brettteach@gmail.com
School Phone–630-372-4700 ext. 4737; Cell Phone: 630-2485405
Welcome to AP Macroeconomics!! You have chosen a class
is very challenging, will require a great deal of analysis, along
with serious discipline. I ask you to today commit yourself to
this, as success in this program will require it. One of the
goals of this class is to have each of you take either the AP
Tests and/or the CLEP Tests for the chance of getting extra
credit. If you have any problems or questions on this, please
talk to me immediately.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Main Goals of the Class
To turn out students who have a good start in
understanding of the basics of Economic theory along
with a basic understanding of the history and day to day
realities of Economics. To have each student continue,
for the rest of their lives, their Economics' education
whether that is in the classroom and/or through the day
to day events in the real world. Upon accomplishing all
of this, each of you will go out into the world with the
ability to improve the economy of the world and make
the world a better place for everyone.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Expectations of Each Student
Excellence: It is expected that each of you will
strive for excellence each and every day in this
class. Success will come from hard work and
pushing yourself harder than you thought you could.
Honesty: It is expected that at all times in this class
you will be a person of honesty and integrity.
Nothing less than 100% honesty and integrity will be
tolerated.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
AP Microeconomics:
The purpose of an AP course in microeconomics is to give students a
thorough understanding of the principals of economics that apply to
the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and
producers, within the economic system. It places primary emphasis
on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the
study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting
greater efficiency and equity in the economy.
AP Macroeconomics:
The purpose of an AP course in macroeconomics is to give students a
thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to
an economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization
policies, economic growth and international economics.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Economics will teach you to think in a different manner from
the way you have thought before. In the beginning it might
seem a bit strange, but by the end of the semester, you will
probably enjoy this new way of thinking.
The amount of projects/papers is limited in this class, due to
the great amount of day to day work. The bottom line is that
we have a tremendous amount of material to cover in a very
short period of time, and in order to be successful, you will
have a great deal of homework most everyday. I want to
make sure you are doing all the homework, so you will have a
limited amount of projects/papers, which would make the
workload unbearable, in my opinion.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Our capitalistic society, or mixed economy, is one
where its success, or lack of success, is very much
determined by the intelligence and knowledge of its
people/consumers. A key part of that knowledge, is
how well one understands our economic system
and how it works. The more people understand
about our economy works, the better our economy
will be. Also, for you as an individual, the better you
understand how our economy works, the more
success you will have throughout your life on
economic and business issues.
Mr.
Weiss
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
In this class you will learn a great deal about the principles and theories
of Economics, along with the day to day realities of our complex
economic world. You will learn about the real world of Economics in
several ways:
Most days we will start on the internet with the Economic news of the day
Most days we will take a look at commodities prices and you will do
some work with these prices
Most Fridays you will turn in an article from the news about an Economic
event in the world along with a summary
We will have a special project addressing the worldwide financial
collapse of 2008 to help you understand the economic causes
This class will help you to be a better Economic Citizen of the World so
you can make the world a better place for everyone!
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Each of you will soon be entering a world that is far different than
the world your parents or grandparents entered. It is a world of
“globalization” where your neighbors, friends, enemies and
competitors are not just the people in your community, but they
are in every country of the world. You are entering a world of
worldwide instant communications whether that be through email,
blogs, texting, cell phones, etc. You are not just competing with
seniors throughout the United States, but with every young person
your age in the entire world.
This class will help you to get a much better understanding of that
world you are about to enter and how to be successful in it. In a
few years the United States will lose first place as the largest
economy in the world. Exactly how this effects you and the rest of
the people in the United States will be determined by how ready
you are to successfully compete in this world of globalization.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
One of the main lessons I have learned from
working in schools in Kenya and Rwanda is how
committed each of the students in these countries
are to their education. None of them would ever
consider being late for a class; missing a class;
talking while someone else is talking; being
disrespectful in any way. It has made me realize
that I should expect nothing less from my students
here at Bartlett High School. Maybe they are just
luckier than you that they live in absolute poverty!!
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Topics To Be Covered
Sections 1 & 2 – Introduction to Economic Concepts
– “Basic Economic Concepts” and “Supply and
Demand”
Microeconomics:
Section 9 – “Behind the Demand Curve: Consumer
Choice
Section 10 – Behind the Supply Curve: Profit,
Production, and Costs
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Microeconomics (Continued)
Section 11 – Market Structures: Perfect Competition
and Monopoly
Section 12 – Market Structures: Imperfect
Competition
Section 13 – Factor Markets
Section 14 – Market Failure & the Role of Govt.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Macroeconomics:
Section 3 – Measurement of Economic Performance
Section 4 – National Income and Price Performance
Section 5 – Financial Sector
Section 6 – Inflation, Unemployment and
Stabilization Policies
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Macroeconomics (Continued)
Section 7 – Economic Growth and Productivity
Section 8 – The Open Economy: International Trade
and Finance
Final Exam
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Day to Day Work:
Mr.
Weiss
We will generally work thru a module or two each day. Your day to day
assignment will be up on the TV Monitor and up on my web site. It is
expected that before each day you have studied on line the module(s) we
are going to cover. To help you understand the material you should also
look at the Flash Cards, the Related Web Links and at the end of each
Section take and submit the quiz. Quizzes will not be “graded” however I
will be able to see who is doing them and who is not and that will tell me
a lot.
In class we will do a variety of things to help you further understand the
material you have covered. If you have not done your homework it will
make it hard for you to understand what we are doing in class. You will
not understand everything in the homework, but it will give you the
knowledge to help you learn more in our classroom.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
How Your Grade Will Be Determined:
1. My philosophy on grades.
2. Six Tests (100 points each – Possible Extra Credit) (if absent,
must take test within two weeks or it will just remain a zero!!!)
3. Surprise in-class quizzes
4. Friday articles (25 points – partial credit if late)
5. Commodities paper (40 points)
6. Commodities predictions (Extra Credit – 4 – 40 points per
student)
7. “Giving Back: Project – 100 points with option of Extra Credit
8. “Economics Movie Assignment” (100 points w/options for
Extra Credit)
9. Categories will be weighted – see separate sheet.
AP Macroeconomics Syllabus – 2015 - 2016
Mr.
Weiss
Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me in
person, via text, cell or email if you need
some help. I am more than happy to meet
with you one on one or in small groups to
help you understand. I want each of you to be
very successful in this class so you will learn
a lot about Economics, became great
Economic Citizens and go out and make the
world a better place for everyone!