Economics
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Course Description
Economics is the study of how societies use limited resources to satisfy unlimited
demand. In this one-semester course, students will explore the relationship between
suppliers, consumers, governments, and multinational organizations in an effort to
better understand how money affects the daily lives of people throughout the world.
The course provides students with a clear understanding of how an economy functions
at the macro- and micro-levels. A thorough knowledge in these areas will further offer
students the tools required to understand how all of this can and will affect their own
pocket books. Instrumental to students’ understanding will be examination of these key
topics: law of supply and demand, saving, borrowing and spending, the Federal
Reserve System and money supply, and the role of the government in an open market
economy.
Course Objectives
When you finish this course, you will be able to:
 explain the basic concepts of economics
 compare and contrast four economic systems
 analyze principles of the American Free Enterprise System
 evaluate how supply and demand work together to set prices in the market
 describe economic factors involved in business and labor
 apply concepts of consumer economics
 explain ways to measure economic performance
 discuss components of the U.S. economy
 evaluate the global impact of the U.S. economy
 research and compile data on economic concepts using real-world examples
 compose evaluations of current economic events
Course Assignment Values
Assignment Type
Points
Possible
Weight
44 Assignments
440 pts
41%
15 Discussions
75 pts
7%
7 Unit Tests
1 Midterm Exam
350 pts
90 pts
32%
8%
1 Final Exam
130 pts
12%
1085 pts
100%
Course Totals
©2011 Advanced Academics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Suggested Course Schedule
The suggested time frame shown below is based on learning sessions. A learning
session is a 45-minute period of time. This course should take approximately 90
learning sessions to complete, but this schedule is just a suggestion. You may work on
each unit at your own pace, completing as many learning sessions as you’d like in one
sitting. However, keep in mind that you must finish the entire course within the time
specified by your school district.
Learning
Session
1-5
Content Covered
6-18
Unit 2: Foundations of Economics and the Problem of Scarcity
When you finish this unit, you will be able to analyze ways you can use
your resources in the way an economist would, describe the effects of the
factors of production, and compare the concepts of scarcity and
shortage. Additionally, you will analyze the need for making choices,
explain why business decisions involve trade-offs, and identify a trade-off
and opportunity cost. Finally, you will create a decision-making grid using
a real-world scenario, interpret a production possibilities graph, and
analyze how a production possibilities graph shows efficiency, growth,
and cost
Unit 1: Introduction to Economics
When you finish this unit, you will be able to understand the rubrics and
guidelines used for grading in this course and understand how to utilize
sources and reference material
In this unit, there will be:
8 Assignments
3 Discussions
1 Unit Test
19-29
80 pts
15 pts
50 pts
Unit 3: Economic Systems
At the end of this unit, you will be able to discuss the economic goals of
different countries and how they use their own market system to achieve
those goals. You will compare the different market types and discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of each one.
In this unit, there will be:
6 Assignments
2 Discussions
1 Unit Test
60 pts
10 pts
50 pts
©2011 Advanced Academics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
30
31-43
Introduction to Economics Midterm Exam 90 pts
Unit 4: American Free Enterprise System and U.S. Government
Involvement
In this unit, you will learn to identify government programs that are used
to redistribute income, analyze how the government uses taxes,
understand how policy affects the economy, and explain the structure
and role of the Federal Reserve System.
In this unit, there will be:
7 Assignments
2 Discussions
1 Unit Test
44-56
Unit 5: Understanding the market through Supply and Demand
In this unit, you will learn how supply of a product and the demand for
that product influence price. You will also learn about factors that affect
this relationship.
In this unit, there will be:
7 Assignments
2 Discussions
1 Unit Test
57-65
70 pts
10 pts
50 pts
Unit 6: Business, Banking, and Finance
In this unit, you will learn the differences between different types of
businesses, understand the difference between a monopoly and an
oligopoly, and give examples of each. You will also identify different
services provided by banks and other financial institutions and explain
how investing contributes to the American free enterprise system.
In this unit, there will be:
5 Assignments
2 Discussions
1 Unit Test
66-78
70 pts
10 pts
50 pts
50 pts
10 pts
50 pts
Unit 7: Measuring Economic Performance
In this unit, you will learn about GDP, different types of unemployment,
how the government calculates the unemployment rate, what inflation is
and how it’s used to measure economic performance.
©2011 Advanced Academics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In this unit, there will be:
6 Assignments
2 Discussions
1 Unit Test
79-89
60 pts
10 pts
50 pts
Unit 8: The United States and Globalization
In this unit, you will explain the reasons for international trade and its
importance to the U.S. as well as identify the major import, export, and
trading partners of this country. You will also learn how free trade affects
the societal values and economic development of countries.
In this unit, there will be:
5 Assignments
2 Discussions
1 Unit Test
90
Economics Final Exam
50 pts
10 pts
50 pts
110 pts
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Disability Statement
If you have a disability or condition that may affect your ability to succeed in this course,
please contact your teacher. It’s important that you discuss the problem with him or her
so accommodations may be made to give you every opportunity to perform well. Your
teacher and virtual school program coordinators are committed to helping students with
disabilities succeed, and every request will be treated with respect and confidentiality.
©2011 Advanced Academics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.