ECONOMICS, 2007-2008
Mr. James Jordan, Instructor
Email: JJordan@Stratford.org
“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but
from their regard to their own interest.”
Adam Smith (Economist)
Course Description:
Students in economics will have the opportunity to learn about the structure, function, principles, basic
concepts, and problems of the American economy. The study of scarcity, opportunity cost, and the
fundamental economic problem will form the conceptual framework for a systematic analysis of the factors
of production, economic systems, supply and demand, forms of business organization, market structures,
and market failure. Special emphasis will be given to the role of government in our economy. Students
will learn about the use of monetary and fiscal policies to bring about economic stability, international trade
and the role of the United States in the global economy, and economic problems facing our nation today.
Course Textbook:
Clayton, Gary E. Economics: Principles and Practices. New York: Glencoe Division of
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Internet Support:
The publisher’s support web site for the textbook is http://glencoe.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078606934/
What You Can Expect:
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A motivated teacher who has high expectations for his students
A dedicated teacher who brings his best every single day
An organized teacher who provides his students with a list of the class assignments at the
beginning of each week
A reachable teacher who, via email, is available to his students at any time
What I Expect:
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Students to arrive on-time, prepared, and ready to start learning
Students to recognize that only one person talks at a time
Students to strictly adhere to the no food or drink policy in the classroom
Students to behave respectfully toward everyone in the classroom
Students to hand in work on-time
Students to find out what you need to make up; I will not come searching for you. Any
assignments not completed will be given a zero.
Students to push themselves to the limit
Most of all, students to conduct themselves in a manner that befits the school’s good name
**Failure to observe my expectations will result in verbal warnings (depending upon the seriousness
of the infraction) ultimately culminating in a TAD
Skills You Will Learn/Hone:
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Note-taking
Analysis of information
Informed class discussion
Primary document analysis
How to present an argument, both orally and in writing
How to do research
How to utilize the internet
The Stratford Honor Code:
I expect all of my students to uphold the honor code in letter, practice, and spirit inside and outside of the
classroom.
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Plagiarism:
A student should never use the ideas or words of another individual in any kind of
assignment without properly citing and crediting the source. You should also be
mindful that you must put other’s ideas into your own words, or use direct quotations.
To do otherwise is to steal the intellectual or textual property of another person. If you
have any doubts about this type of situation, don’t make assumptions—ask me.
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Cheating:
This area includes the deliberate stealing of another person’s answers on a test or quiz
and the copying of homework from another student or any other resource. You may
copy another students’ notes if you are absent from class. I encourage you to have
others read over your written work. However, proofreading is fine, rewriting is not.
You also may not discuss the contents of a test, quiz, etc. with someone in another
section of the class.
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Lying:
This is an area that needs no explanation in most cases. However, students need to
realize that this applies in the classroom and outside the classroom. Telling a teacher
that you need to use the restroom and then going to your locker to get a forgotten
assignment instead is an example of an honor code violation
A Word on Grades
I believe in the incremental approach to learning, which, for you, means there will be lots of little
assessments in the form of quizzes, essays, group work, homework assignments, and class discussions. As
such, there will be no traditional “tests” (apart from the final). It is in this way that I hope you will come to
appreciate the study of economics for its own sake, rather than cramming a bunch of useless facts the night
before the test…and then forgetting them the next day!
AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF
REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES FOR MR. JORDAN’S
9th GRADE ECONOMICS CLASS
_______________________
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Name of Student (please print)
Student’s E-Mail Address
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Signature of Student
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Date
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Name of Parent/Guardian (please print)
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Parent’s/Guardian’s E-Mail Address
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Signature of Parent
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Date
**This page to be returned by the next class period