Economics Office: E-3
Mr. Davis Office Hours: Daily at lunch
Contact:
Course Description
Guided by the California social science standards [ students will master fundamental economic concepts, applying the tools (graphs, statistics, equations) from other subject areas to the understanding of the operations and institutions of economic systems. Studied in a historic context are the basic economic principles of micro- and macroeconomics, international economics, comparative economic systems, measurement, and methods.
In addition to considerations of content, we will emphasize the development of key skills necessary for success in college and beyond. Chief among these skills are reading, writing, and thinking critically. This course therefore will be reading and writing intensive and will require out-of-class research in libraries and on the Internet. Students will also work to improve oral presentation and cooperative learning skills.
Course Materials
1. Textbook: Clayton, Gary E. Economics: Principles and Practices. New York: Glencoe McGraw Hill, 2005.
2. Suggested Materials: One 1 - 2” 3-ring binder. Pens (blue/black) and No. 2 pencils. Paper (college-ruled preferred).
3. Other: Access to a newspaper. Internet access with email and word processor (at home or at school).
Classroom Expectations
The central value and expectation of behavior in Mr. Davis’ class is respect for one’s self and others. From that precept are derived the class policies.
Classroom Expectations
1. Be respectful.
a. Everyone has the right to have their ideas discussed in a respectful and serious manner. All questions and comments deserve our full attention and serious discussion. No degrading remarks will be tolerated.
b. One person, whether the instructor or a student, has the floor at a time.
c. Everyone has the right to do their work and learn without interference. Students unwilling or unable to abide by this rule will be asked to leave.
d. Respect yourself and your classmates enough to be honest and open with your ideas.
e. It is the responsibility of everyone on campus that this school and this classroom are a safe place of learning for all students. In compliance with District policy and State and Federal law, discriminatory actions or language, even if unintentional, are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. District policy states that harassment in or out of the classroom is not to be tolerated. Harassment based on race, ethnicity, able-bodiedness, sexuality, perceived sexuality, gender, gender expression, monetary standing, religion or faith-base, or any other factor will be reported to the administration and dealt with accordingly. This includes slang such as 'that’s so gay' or 'that’s retarded.' Both are considered hate speech.
2. Be prepared.
a. It is a sign of disrespect to the class, the instructor, and yourself to be unable to intelligently participate in class discussions and activities. Give your best effort and be prepared with ideas and questions to share. In the end, how much you learn and grow depends on the effort you make.
b. Students will have their materials out and ready to begin at the bell. Students not so prepared will be considered tardy (see consequences below). If there is an assignment on the board, students will begin working quietly when they enter the class.
c. Students coming late must enter the class quietly, sign the tardy sheet, begin working without disrupting others, and speak to the instructor at the end of class.
d. Students will complete assigned work at home and on time. Incomplete work will not be accepted and late assignments will be penalized. Previous assignments are due the day a student returns from an absence.
e. Students will arrive to class on time and will stay in their desks until dismissed.
3. Be involved.
a. The material of this class is interesting and valuable; you and the class will enjoy the experience more and learn more if you approach it with a positive attitude. The instructor will make the same effort.
4. All school and district rules and procedures will be enforced, including, but not limited to, the following:
a. Cheating of any kind will be severely punished. Students are required to do their own work, even when studying with others. Students are responsible for the work of their teammates and so cheating by one member of a group will affect the entire group. The first violation will result in a zero on the assignment and notification of parents and administration. The second violation will end in an automatic F in the course and a drop. Ignorance is not a defense. Failure to cite sources in research, regardless of intent, is considered plagiarism, a specific form of cheating (see below).
Discipline Policy
1st violation of a classroom expectation: verbal warning.
2nd violation: work detail (failure to serve a detail is considered a third violation).
3rd violation: referral to administration, after- or before-school detention, parents contacted.
Grading Policies
Specific grading criteria will be provided for many assignments, especially projects, but in general the grading philosophy of this class is that students benefit when held to high (but attainable) expectations.
Attendance and Participation
There will be roughly 100 points for class participation each quarter. This grade is based not simply on attending each class but actively participating in discussions and group work. Simply showing up is worth at best a C. As being habitually late or absent harms not only your education but disrupts the learning of the entire class, it is important that you are on time and participating in in-class discussions and projects. A student may be marked as tardy if not in their desk and ready to begin at the bell. It is not enough to be running in the door as the bell sounds. Students are forgiven one unexcused tardy per quarter. The punishments for unexcused tardies after the first include:
1st: loss of 10 Participation points 2nd: loss of 10 Participation points
3rd: attendance contract, loss of 10 Participation points 4th: loss of all Participation points for quarter
Cuts: A student who cuts the class will lose 20 points for the first offense and on the second offense will forfeit all participation points for the quarter. Three cuts during the semester and the student will be failed and dropped from the course as per school and district policy. Note: three tardies equals one cut.
Extensions for major assignments may be given for real emergencies, but the student must contact Mr. Davis as soon as possible and make every effort to complete the assignment in a prompt manner. Medical excuses must be accompanied with a doctor’s note.
Make-up: Students who are absent the day of a scheduled exam, with an excused absence, will make-up the exam at lunch the day they return(if there a conflict with another teacher, it is the student’s responsibility to inform Mr. Davis before the make-up time, otherwise the student will forfeit their points). Failure to make-up an exam will result in a 0 for the test. Students with an unexcused or illegal absence on the day of an exam will not be allowed make-up and will receive a 0 for the exam. Students must provide a signed note from a parent or physician explaining the reason for the absence. Make-ups are not necessary for quizzes.
Test Corrections
After all tests have been made-up, students may review the exam and their responses and begin the process of demonstrating their mastery of the material. There are two options for this demonstration: orally by appointment or in written form. Students may earn up to one-half of the points missed on the examwith oral corrections and one-third of the points for written corrections, if they demonstrate sufficient mastery. The process for both begins as follows: 1) student comes into class outside of class time to copy down the questions they missed; 2) student studies the material they missed at home. For oral corrections student then makes an appointment with Mr. Davis for a time outside of class and then student comes to appointment with notes to answer questions based on, but not necessarily exactly the same as, the material they missed on the exam. For written corrections the student writes out the question and the correct answer on a sheet of paper and then in a few sentences explains why the correct answer is correct and explicitly identifies where in course materials that answer was found (which page of the textbook, what lecture, or what reading) and then submits that sheet to Mr. Davis by the Friday of Dead Week. Students may correct their exam only once, so students should come prepared after significant review.
The semester grade will be cumulative. The percentage breakdown for the course will be as follows:
5% Homework5% Quizzes10% Class Participation10% Cumulative Final Exam
30% Research Projects 40% Tests
Letter grades will be based on the following approximate percentages:
100-89.5: A88-79.5: B78-69.5: C68-59.5: D
Plagiarism Contract
“Plagiarism: […] the wrongful appropriation or purloining, and publication as one's own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.) of another.” (Oxford English Dictionary <
I understand that plagiarism is intellectual theft. It is an act of dishonesty that is not tolerated at San Ramon Valley High School. Like any other crime, plagiarism carries with it serious consequences.
I understand that a student who is caught plagiarizing may face any number of the following punishments:
- A failing grade in a course and being dropped from the course (upon the second act)
- A failing grade on the plagiarized assignment (zero points; this may result in a failing grade in the course)
- Disciplinary action (Saturday School, referral)
- Refusal of staff to write letters of recommendation
- Loss of participation points in course
I understand that while the most obvious form of plagiarism is the reproduction in whole or in part of another’s work, failure to accurately and consistently cite sources of quoted or summarized material or failure to provide a works cited/bibliography is plagiarism and will be subject to the above penalties. Failure to cite another’s idea, even if the exact wording has been changed, is plagiarism. Submitting substantially the same homework after working with a group is plagiarism unless it is made clear which student did which part of the assignment.
I understand that failure to accurately cite and quote information, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is plagiarism and will be treated accordingly. It is therefore the student’s responsibility, in conjunction with instruction by the teacher, to be sure that work is properly cited and sourced.
I understand that there are no “minor” assignments and that this policy applies to all assignments of the course, from routine homework to major projects.
I understand that failure to submit selected assignments to Turnitin.com will be treated as plagiarism until the assignment is submitted. (Not all assignments will be required to be submitted to Turnitin.)
I understand that submitting the same assignment, in whole or in part, in two different classes without prior approval from the instructor is plagiarism.
I understand that a student may be asked to provide, upon request from an instructor:
- An electronic copy of the assignment (if done on a computer)
- Any rough drafts, notes, or other preparatory materials used for the assignment
- An oral defense of the assignment, including, but not limited to, an explanation of the ideas, structure, language, and sources for the assignment
I understand that the failure to provide any of the above within a reasonable period after the request from an instructor will be taken as circumstantial evidence of plagiarism and may be the basis for disciplinary action.
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My signature indicates that I have read and will abide by the rules and expectations of Mr. Davis’ class including the plagiarism contract.
Mr. Davis is available to work with students before and after school, at lunch, during office hours, via email, and by appointment. With all these opportunities available for assistance, students are responsible for their own success or failure in Mr. Davis’ class.
Student’s name (print):______Class period:______
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Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature