MontereyTrailHigh SchoolMission Statement

The learning community of MontereyTrailHigh School will challenge ALL students to realize their greatest potential while preparing them for their future.

Course Description

Economics, a course required for graduation, introduces the basic principles of all economic systems with special emphasis on a market-based system. Specific topics include the basic principles of decision-making, scarcity, opportunity, cost, and the principles of supply and demand. These principles are examined from individual, national, and international perspectives. This course is designed to give students the necessary tools to analyze their own personal decision-making as well as to evaluate the decisions of an individual firm, or the nation as a whole. Economics meets the District’s economics graduation requirement and the UC and CSU elective requirement.

Course Structure

Class Participation is essential in this economics course. Daily class participation is required and excessive absences and tardies will have a negative effect on a student’s grade. Each student will be required to give an individual or group presentation during the term. Students will also be given a weekly participation grade as explained below.

Economics Notebookis required. Each student is required to bring a spiral bound notebook with at least 70 pages to class EVERY DAY! Notebooks will be collected and graded every Friday during the term. Notebooks will be used for writing down the daily agenda, objective, notes, and vocabulary and will be collected in the form of a weekly packet every Friday. (See Notebook/ Packet Instruction sheet for more information on class notebook.)

Weekly Quizzes will be given each Friday during the term. If a student is absent for a quiz, he or she will have one week to schedule and take a make up test. A missed test will remain excused for one week. If any missed test is not made up within one week, a score of zero will be entered in the gradebook for that test. If any student receives a poor score on anytest, he or she will have one week to schedule and complete a re-taketest.

Final Exam will be given during the last week of class according to the Final Exam schedule. The Final Exam may not be re-taken. If missed due to absence, the final exam may not be made up after the end of the term unless a student has a valid medical excuse and school administrative approval. If a student knows he or she will absent the day of the exam he or she may arrange to take the exam before the last week of the class.

Stock Market Game: Students will be expected to participate with a group in an online stock market game. (Points for the stock market game will be included with the Economics Notebook). Students will also be competing with each other to see who has the most money at the end of the game for a prize!

Term PaperFor economics you will be writing a position paper on a current economic issue or on a legislative bill. This paper will be approximately 2 pages, more details will be provided later in the term.

Projects/PresentationsYou will be periodically working in small groups on projects and for at least one you will have to make a short presentation. It is required the ALL students participate in their group and their will be assigned roles & responsibilities.

SchoolLoop will be used for grades and communication. Each student is required to have a schoolLoop account. If a student does not have computer or internet access at home, he or she may use a computer in the school library or career center. The SchoolLoop calendar will be used to post agendas and assignments online.

Bathroom Passes will be given to each student. Each student will start the term with two bathroom passes. If the student does not end up using their bathroom passes they can turn them in at the end of the term. Each pass will be worth 20 points extra credit.

Textbooks and Online Textbookare available to all students. (Pursuant to CaliforniaEducation Code Section 35186 you are hereby notified that each pupil, must have a textbook to use in class and to take home).Students may use the textbook and / or the online version. The online version may be found at: User name is: montereytrail and the Password is: student(The user name and password are case sensitive)

Students should take their textbooks and library books home each day to complete assigned homework and outside reading and they should return with textbooks each day in order to use them during classroom instruction. Students should not leave their textbooks or library books in any classroom because there is a risk that those books may be lost, stolen or damaged. Classroom teachers will not assume responsibility for any student textbook or library book left in any room on campus…. If a student chooses to leave a book in any classroom or by accident they leave any book in a classroom and it is lost, stolen or damaged; the student and the parent/guardian are responsible for paying for the lost or stolen books or for damages to the book.

Late Work Policy: Late work will not be accepted unless a student has an excused absence. Student’s need to be aware of upcoming assignments and remember their weekly packets consist of a majority of their class work. If they are absent on Friday they will need to make up the test the following Monday and also turn in their packets upon returning. If the student knows ahead of time that they will be gone they need to communicate that with me so we can work out a time for making up the quiz and turning in their weekly packet before they are absent.

Late Work on Term Paper or Presentation:Social Science Writing Assignments and Projects:

All writing assignments and projects are due on the assigned due date (Friday’s). Papers and projects are due within the first 5 minutes of class. There will be no exceptions. Papers will be accepted for a maximum of 50% credit on the Monday following the assigned Friday due date. If you are absent (excused, unexcused, planned or unplanned), it is YOUR responsibility to submit the paper/project on time.

School Wide Technology Rules

Students will not be allowed to use cell phones or pagers during the school day.

Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during the school day.

This includes during class periods, breaks, passing or lunch periods.

If a student violates these conditions, they will have their cell phone confiscated.

  • Incident 1 = given back at the end of class
  • Incident 2 and after = taken to the front office.

Tardy Policy

The school policy will be strictly enforced. All students are expected to be in the class when the bell rings.

Tardy Consequences

TARDY #1 – Teacher warning

TARDY #2 – Teacher warning with a form of home contact

TARDY #3 – Teacher assigned detention with a form of home contact

TARDY #4 – Teacher assigned detention with a form of home contact

TARDY #5 – Teacher assigned Saturday school with form of home contact

TARDY #6 – Admin referral and student placed on NO ACTIVITIES list

TARDY #7 – Admin referral with admin assigned home suspension

Food Policy:

There will be absolutely no food or drink allowed in the classroom except for a water bottle. Students will also not be able to throw away food wrappers in the trash cans due to ant problems. Occasionally I will provide snacks but that is the ONLY time food is allowed in the classroom. Violators will be given one warning, then assigned an after school detention where they will have to clean desks!

Economics Course Standards

Detailed course standards may be found at the EGUSD web page ( Students understand common economic terms and concepts and economic reasoning.

12.2 Students analyze the elements of America's market economy in a global setting.

12.3 Students analyze the influence of the federal government on the American economy.

12.4 Students analyze the elements of the U.S. labor market in a global setting.

12.5 Students analyze the aggregate economic behavior of the U.S. economy.

12.6 Students analyze issues of international trade and explain how the U.S. economy affects, and is affected by, economic forces beyond the United States' borders.

Course Outline

Weeks 1-3: ~Scarcity, Opportunity Cost, Trade-offs, Circular Flow,Markets, Business Organizations (Chs.1&2)

Weeks 4~ Consumers and producers, Money, Banking, Financial Markets, The Stock Market(Chapters 2, 10, 11) Weeks 5& 6~ Supply & Demand (Chapters 4-6)

Week 7: ~ Employment, Inflation, Taxes, G.D.P. (Chapters 9, 13, 14)

Week 8~ The Federal Reserve & International Trade (Chapters 15, 16)

Week 9 ~ Review and Final

Course Grading

Grades will be updated on SchoolLoop on a regular basis. Grades in this class are not weighted and are based on points only. Below is a breakdown of the categories of assignments and how much point value they typically will have:

  1. Weekly Notebook/Packets : 100 - 150 points per packet
  2. Weekly Quizzes : 150-200 points per quiz
  3. Paper: 500 points per paper
  4. Presentation: 500 points per presentation
  5. Final: 1000 points per final

This means that it is VERY important for students to work very hard throughout the nine week course and stay on top of their daily class work. Students are allowed to use their notebook/packets on their quizzes so the more you participate, ask questions, and complete your work the better you will do in this course. The paper, presentation and final also make up a big part of your grade so make sure to be prepared for these as well.

Grading Policy

100% = A+ 78% - 73% = C

99% - 93% = A 72% - 70% = C-

90% - 92% = A- 69% = D+

89% = B+ 68% - 63% = D

88% - 83% = B 62% - 60% = D-

82% - 80% = B- 59% and below = F

79% = C+

Participation Grade: In addition to the categories you read above, you will also receive a participation grade at the end of each week with your weekly packet and quiz. Your participation grade can either help or hinder your grade and will be based on the following:

  1. Attendance: Be here, be on time, and be involved.
  2. Respect: Respect yourself. Respect your classmates. Respect Ms. Goldman.
  3. Participate: Be involved with discussion, group projects, and daily lectures.
  4. Be an Active Learner: Listen to myself and your classmates and apply what you learn to your own life.

You can receive a maximum of 50 points per week for your participation grade and it will be included in your packet grade.

Class Incentives: Economics is going to be a interesting, exciting and challenging course and I know that all of my students can succeed and apply what they have learned to their lives post high school! To motivate you all and keep you excited I will do weekly raffles for excellent behavior, participation and more. Friday’s will be our raffle days and you can earn prizes! There will also be class competitions throughout the course and rewards will be given out for the competitions as well!

Class Consequences: As your teacher it is my job to insure the EVERY student is in a safe, comfortable, and productive classroom environment. If you get in the way of yourself or other students learning or if you get in the way of my teaching then you will be given specific consequences.

  1. Verbal warning
  2. Removed from your desk and asked to work quietly alone/ contact home (teacher conference)
  3. Removed from the classroom and asked to go outside for 5 min reflective time/ contact home (teacher conference)
  4. OCS (contact home)
  5. Referral (contact home)

I am very hopeful that we will work very well together and not have to resort to consequences, but they will be strictly followed so please ask if you have any questions or concern about these consequences before signing below.

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I have read and understand the Economics course syllabus.

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Student Name Student Signature

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Parent/Guardian NameParent/Guardian Signature

** Parents, please include your preference as to how you would prefer that I contact you, either phone, email or both:

Phone:______Email: ______