Mater Academy Charter Middle / High School



Instructor: Magda de la Torre

Email: mdelatorre@ mdelatorre@doral.edu

Class Location: Mater Academy High School Phone Number: (305) – 828 1886

Office Location / Office Hours: Friday from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Room 132

Catalog Course Description

(3 cr.) The course examines the nature of market economies and the roles of private and public institutions and organizations in facilitating the efficient production, exchange, consumption, and accumulation of wealth. Overall performance concerns with inflation, unemployment, and growth are examined in the light of a variety of theoretical policy perspectives.

Textbook and Other Required Materials

• . “Macroeconomics” 2nd Edition/ .

• McConnell, Campbell R and Brue, Stanley R. “Economics: Principles Problems and Policies”. 18th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2009. /

• Econ Lowdown. It is an online learning system delivered by the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.

• Khan Academy.

• Anderson, David. “Economics by Examples”. Worth Publishers/BFW, 2007

Student Learning Outcomes

• The student will demonstrate comprehension of fundamental economic concepts such as scarcity, opportunity costs, and will be able to make a distinction between absolute and comparative advantage, and apply the principle of comparative advantage to determine the basis on which mutually advantageous trade can take place between individuals and/or countries, and to identify comparative advantage from differences in opportunity costs.

• The student will understand different tools of supply and demand used to analyze the mechanisms of a free market economy.

• The student will have the first understanding of macroeconomic concepts and issues, to recognize of economic fluctuations and it relation with unemployment, inflation, and economic growth.

• The student will develop an overview of how the economy works, identifying the key measures of economic performance: gross domestic product, unemployment, and inflation.

• The student will analyze the aggregate supply and aggregate demand model to explain the determination of national output equilibrium and the general price level and the impact of economic fluctuations on the economy’s output and price level, both in the short run and in the long run.

• The student will be able to evaluate how the public policy can affect the economy’s output, price level, and level of employment, both in the short run and in the long run.

• The student will be able to explain the interactions between both monetary and fiscal policies.

• The student will explore in how open economies interact through the goods and services market and the financial markets.

Grading Policy, Assignments and Assessments

Assignments will vary from basic worksheets to analytical papers.

• Course Requirement. Plagiarism: Tutorial, Test, and Certification. Course requirement. Due on September 25, 2019

• Critical Analysis Assignments and Discussions (30 %). Student will watch some videos and answer questions.

• Problem Sets (20%). Student will receive a set of problems which represent practice for each topic.

• Online Courses from Econ Lowdown (30 %). Student will work on some short online courses from Federal Reserve Bank (FED) of St Louis and their corresponding post-tests. To see more information about the registration process and the list of courses, see the section “Taking Courses and Tests from ECON Lowdown” as part of this syllabus.

• Working as a team and oral presentation (20%). By working in group, students will take part on four (4) activities. Each team will receive more specific instruction for presenting its work in class.

1. Circular Flow Diagram

2. There are Gains from Trade

3. Economic Indicators: The Vital Signs of the U.S. Economy.

4. Business Cycles and Fluctuations in the United States.

Grading Scale

Code |Description |GPA |High |Low |Code |Description |GPA |High |Low | |A |Excellent |4.00 |100.000 |92.500 |C |Average |2.000 |76.499 |72.500 | |A- |Excellent |3.700 |92.499 |89.500 |C- |Average |1.700 |72.499 |69.500 | |B+ |Very Good |3.300 |89.499 |86.500 |D+ |Below Average |1.300 |69.499 |66.500 | |B |Good |3.000 |86.499 |82.500 |D |Below Average |1.000 |66.499 |62.500 | |B- |Good |2.700 |82.499 |79.500 |D- |Below Average |0.720 |62.499 |59.500 | |C+ |Average |2.300 |79.499 |76.500 |F |Failing |0.000 |59.499 |0.000 | |

Taking Courses and Tests from ECON Lowdown

Econ Lowdown is an online learning system delivered by the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis, Missouri. As part of the “Principles of Macroeconomics” course”, students will work on some online courses from there.

For completing each course, students should work on a Pre-Test, read main topics, and take a POST-TEST. The pre-test scores don’t count as part of your grade. POST-TEST sores represent 30% of the class final grade.

To work on the courses, student must complete the registration and then, review the Econ Lowdown Syllabus to know the due date of each activity. Be aware that after the DUE DATE, students can’t work on the ECON Lowdown courses.

Work Submission, Make-Up and Late Work Policies

• Students will submit assignments via SCHOOLOGY. Work on time for a good grade.

• Late work will be accepted, but a 12% deduction will be applied to the task grade.

• Make-up work will be considered on an individual basis. Students have the possibility to complete their assignments after the due date.

• Save all work including all drafts, to a flash drive.

Academic Integrity and Honesty

• Students in this course must know, observe, and not compromise the principles of academic integrity. It is not permissible to cheat, to fabricate or falsify information, to submit the same academic work in more than one course without prior permission, to plagiarize, to receive unfair advantage, or to otherwise abuse accepted practices for handling and documenting information. The grade for this course includes the judgment that the student’s work is free from academic dishonesty of any type. Violations or infractions will be reported to the Director of Admissions and Student Services and may lead to failure of the course and other sanctions imposed by the College.

• Your professor and classmates expect you act with integrity and respect in all classes.

• As a requirement of the course, the student must work on “Indiana University Plagiarism Tutorials and Tests” during the first week of classes. Use the link below. Student must watch the video and click on “Organization of this Instruction”. Follow instructions. Read overview, learn through tutorials, register for certification tests, and retrieve and validate your certificate. Then print the certificate and return to your teacher on Monday, August 26, 2019 / Tuesday August 27, 2019 (according to your class schedule).

“How to Recognize Plagiarism: Tutorials and Tests”.

Instructional Modifications 

Students with disabilities, who need reasonable modifications to complete tasks successfully and otherwise satisfy course criteria, are encouraged to discuss this with the instructor as early in the course as possible. If this is the first time the student will be requesting accommodations, he or she must first contact the Office of Admissions & Student Services to formally request accommodations.

Attendance Policy

Attendance to class is mandatory. Students are expected to be in class on time and attend every schedule class period in entirely. This is a college course inside of the high school schedule. Mater Academy specific regulation must be followed for attendance purposes. More than five absences per semester-class may result in a failing grade for the class. More than five absences will require a school authorization to clarify the student attendance status.

Electronic Device Policy

The use of calculators, computers and/or laptops are allowed in classes as part of our course, but some rules and regulations will be observed in class.

• Cell phones, computers, and laptops may not be turned on or used during instructional time, except for instructional and educational purposes with the explicit approval of the teacher.

• Cell phones and portable music and entertainment systems may not be turned on or used during instructional time, the administration of any school quiz, test or examination.

• Electronic devices may not be turned on or used during school fire drills or other emergency preparedness exercises.

• Students who use electronic devices in violation of the school regulation will be subject to discipline in accordance with the guidance interventions and disciplinary responses set forth in the Discipline Code.

Tentative Course Calendar

Unit 1. Welcome to Economics

Unit 2. Choice in a World of Scarcity

Unit 3. Demand, Supply, and Price Determination.

Unit 4. The Macroeconomics Perspective

Unit 5. Unemployment

Unit 6. Inflation.

Unit 7. Aggregate Demand / Aggregate Supply Model

Unit 8. Keynesian Theory.

Unit 9. Neoclassical Theories.

Unit 10. Money and Banking.

Unit 11. Monetary Policy and Bank Regulations.

Unit 12. Government Budgets and Fiscal Policy.

Unit 13. Macroeconomic Policy around the World.

Unit 14. International Trade, Globalization, and Protectionism.

Course Schedule (tentative, subject to change due school or academic issues)

The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus should the need arise.

Week 1 (September 23-27, 2019)

• Unit 1 Welcome to Economics

• Unit 2. Choice in a World of Scarcity

Week 2 (September 30-Oct 4, 2019)

• Work on “Opportunity Cost” from Econ Lowdown and Adam Smith Writing a Paper Review (Typing)

• Work on “The Art of Decision-Making” and “Jack of All Trades: Production Possibilities Frontier” from Econ Lowdown.

• Work on Problem Sets 1.1 to 1.8

• Working in group activity. “Circular Flow Diagram”. Presentations

Week 3 (Oct 7-11, 2019)

• Work on a group activity: ”There are Gains from Trade”

• Unit 3. Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium

• Working on Econ Lowdown Courses. Demand; Supply; Market Equilibrium; Supply and Demand.

• Work on Problem Set 2.1-2.6.

Week 4 (Oct 14-18, 2019)

• Unit 4. “Measures of Economic Performance: Gross Domestic Product”

• Unit 5. “Unemployment”

Week 5 (Oct 21-25, 2019)

• Unit 6. “Inflation”

• Work on Problem Sets 3.1 to 3.5.

Week 6 (Oct 28-Nov 1, 2019)

• Working on Econ Lowdown Courses: Inflation, Great Inflation.

• Working in group activity. Business Cycles and Fluctuations in the United States. Presentations

Week 7 (Nov 4 -8, 2019)

• Unit 7. Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply

Week 8 (Nov 11-15, 2019)

• Working on Problem Sets 4.1 to 4.4.

Week 9 (Nov18-22, 2019)

• Unit 8. The Keynesian Perspective vs. Neoclassic Theories.

• Unit 9. Neoclassic Theories.

Week 10 (Nov 25-29, 2019) / Thanksgiving week

• Work on Econ Lowdown courses.

• Work on “Economic Indicator. The Vital Signs of U.S. Economy”.

Week 11 (Dec 2-6, 2019)

• Unit 10. Money and Banking

• Work on Problem Set 5.1-5.4

Week 12 (Dec 9-13, 2019)

• Unit 11 Monetary Policy and Bank Regulation.

• Working on Econ Lowdown: Soar to Savings and Monetary Policy.

Week 13 (Dec 16-20, 2019)

• Unit 12. Government Budgets and Fiscal Policy

• Working on Econ Lowdown Courses: Soar to Savings, Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy, Government Budget, In Plain English.

• Unit 13. Macroeconomic Policy around the World

• Work on Problem Set 6.1-6.4

Week 14 (Jan 6-10, 2019)

• Unit 14. International Trade, Globalization, and Protectionism.

• Working on Econ Lowdown Courses. Comparative advantage, Absolute Advantage

Week 15 (Jan 13-17, 2020)

• Work on econ lowdown courses

• Class Wrap-up

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