AP Microeconomics
Ms. Marquardt
2014-2015
Contact Info: The best way to get in touch with me is by email at
elizabetha.marquardt@cms.k12.nc.us. Please do not hesitate to ask questions, raise concerns,
or request missed assignments at any time.
Website:
My wiki page is elizabethmarquardt.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/. I will post assignments, useful
links, and occasionally notes here.
Introduction and Goals
AP Microeconomics is an introductory college-level class designed to familiarize
students with basic economic principles and market structures. There will be many opportunities
to analyze current events and public policy using economic reasoning. Students will leave the
course with an understanding of supply and demand, the effects of taxes, the advantages of trade,
and the markets for consumer goods and factors.
This class is year-long on B days. The AP Microeconomics test will be on May 15, 2015.
The test will be paid for by CMS and all students enrolled in the class are required to take it. If
you do not take the AP exam, you will take a teacher-made final exam that will count for 25% of
your final grade.
Course Outline (subject to change)
1st Quarter
Scarcity, choice, and opportunity cost
Production possibilities curves
Supply and demand – equilibrium, elasticity, and determinants
Price controls and taxes
2nd Quarter
Production functions
Perfect competition
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Midterm (cumulative)
3rd Quarter
Monopolistic competition
Factor Markets
Trade
th
4 Quarter
Market failure
Public goods
Economic Systems
Review
Materials
● Krugman’s Economics for AP (Ray and Anderson)
o Provided by CMS, available both in print and online
● Barron’s AP Economics
● Freakanomics (Levitt and Dubner)
● Supplies for note taking
o You will want to have a way to keep and organize all of your class notes,
homework, handouts, and returned assignments for the entire year.
Assignments/Workload
Expect frequent reading assignments and short problem sets. There will be
approximately two tests in each quarter. One project or supplemental reading will be assigned
each quarter. Additionally, each student will be assigned one day in each quarter to present a
current event with brief economic analysis to the class.
I cannot stress enough that this is a college level class. You should be prepared to spend
at least an hour outside of class for each class meeting reading, completing assignments, and
studying. It is highly recommended that you go over your notes from class each day that they
are taken and write down any questions to ask in the next class meeting. Studying like this
throughout the year will significantly increase your preparedness for the AP exam and result in
less stress at the end of the year.
Grading
In this class, each assignment will be worth a variable number of points based on the
amount of work required. For example, tests will generally be worth 80 to100 points while
quizzes and homework assignments will generally be worth 10 to 25 points. At the end of the
quarter, your grade will be determined by the percentage of possible points that you earned.
For an A, you must earn at least 93% of the possible points.
For a B, you must earn at least 85% of the possible points.
For a C, you must earn at least 77% of the possible points.
For a D, you must earn at least 70% of the possible points.
There will be no extra credit given in this class.
Tutoring:
I will be available for tutoring every Monday and Thursday after school until 3:30 and most
mornings by appointment. Please let me know if you intend to come. I am often available other
afternoons by appointment. Tutoring is a good opportunity to get help if you’re struggling with
something, but it can also be a good time to make up missed work or even to do homework if
you have a lot of distractions at home.
Make-Up Work:
Students will have five school days from the day they return to class to turn in missed
assignments and to make up tests. Tests must be made up before or after school. If you are in
class on the day of a test you will take the test unless you have made prior arrangements in
writing with your instructor. Missed quizzes will be taken on the next test day.
It is your responsibility to get your missed assignments and any notes/handouts from me,
your classmates, or my wiki page. It is also your responsibility to make arrangements to take
missed tests and quizzes.
Late Work:
When work is due on a day that a student has an excused absence the work will be
accepted within five school days of the student’s return to class with no penalty. In the event
that a student is in class on the due date and does not turn in the work on time, the work will be
accepted later at half credit. Online reading assignments will be docked one point if they are
completed after the deadline.
Behavior Guidelines
The majority of student in this classroom are here to learn, and that can be difficult when
students are behaving inappropriately. You are expected to actively participate in class by
taking notes, paying attention, working in groups, and contributing your questions and opinions
when appropriate. Any behavior that detracts from anyone’s participation, including sleeping,
cell phone use, talking out of turn, or distracting others from lecture or group work, is not
allowed.
As an AP student, it is essential that you do your own work in order to benefit from the
assignments. Copying from a classmate, website, or other source is cheating, which will result in
a referral and a zero for the assignment.
Signature: Please visit my wiki page to fill out the Student Information Form and to submit
an electronic signature. Thank you!
I have read the syllabus for Ms. Marquardt’s AP Psychology class and agree to the procedures
and expectations outlined there. I am aware that it is my responsibility to keep up with my own
grades and assignments using the tools (website, Power School, etc) described in the syllabus.
Student signature ________________________________________________
Date_________
Parent signature _________________________________________________
Date_________
Parent contact information (please print clearly):
Active email ______________________________________________________
Preferred phone number ___________________________ Type of phone: cell
work
home
Is there anything I should know about you as a student (such as a medical condition that I should
be aware of)? Do you have any concerns as we start the school year?