Grady High School

2018-2019 COURSE SYLLABUS

AP MICROECONOMICS

Teacher: Mr. Rives Phone Number: 404/802-3001

Room Number: #C-319 Email: jrives@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Semester: Fall 2018 Tutorial Days: Monday
Textbook: Economics Tutorial Hours: 3:30 – 4:30
Website:
rives-calaculusprep.weebly.com Tutorial Location: Rm #C-319
Inclement Weather Code: i5z2kp

Course Description:
AP Microeconomics: This economics class is the Advanced Placement course in Microeconomics. This
course in microeconomics is designed to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of
economics that apply to the functions of individual decision-makers, both consumers and small firms, within
the larger economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and
includes the study of factor markets and the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in
the economy.
The aim of this course is to enable the student to earn college credit. The focus of the course is to provide
students with the necessary background to be successful on the AP Microeconomics test and qualify for credit
in college microeconomics.
In addition, all AP economics students must take the Georgia Department of Education EOCT or Milestone
test for economics, which includes both microeconomics and macroeconomics concepts. This assessment is
administered during the spring semester of 2019. Please note by Georgia Department of Education mandate,
this test must be the final exam and count for 20% of the final grade.

Prerequisite:
In order to qualify for college credit students must be comfortable with interpreting tables and graphs with
abstract economic values. Since a thorough understanding of mathematics is necessary, students should be
simultaneously enrolled or have completed Pre-calculus. Students without this mathematic foundation do
not perform well in this AP class.

Course Content Standard:

A list of content standards, based on the College Board course description and developed by the teacher,
will be used to guide instruction and assessment in the course. See the course website for a complete list of
these standards. The course will also follow the Georgia Program Standards for Gifted and High Ability
Learners as outlined by the GA DOE Board Rule 160-4-2-.38 and listed below.
  Advanced Communication Skills: Learners will engage in diverse and authentic learning
experiences which will allow them to develop and apply innovative oral, written, visual, and
nonverbal communication skills across disciplines.
 Advanced Research Skills: Learners will gather, decipher, and deter mine credibility of information
from a variety of sources and integrate information through analysis of content.
 Creative Thinking & Problem Solving: Learners will insightfully evaluate a variety of problems and
arrive at innovative conclusions.
 Higher Order & Critical Thinking Skills: Learners will analytically critique a system or set of
complex ideas, utilizing logic and reasoning skills in novel ways, to create and/or modify knowledge.

Course Outline correlated with text book chapters:

Week 1: Chapters 1 & 2 – Introduction to Microeconomics and Trade-offs and Trade

Week 2: Chapter 3 - Supply and Demand
Week 3: Chapter 4 – Consumer and Producer Surplus

Week 4: Chapter 5 – The Market Response to Government Controlling Prices & Quantity

Week 5: Chapter 6 – Elasticity and Inelasticity

Week 6: Chapter 7 – The Economics of Taxes

Week 7: Chapter 8 – Comparative Advantage and International Trade

Week 8: Chapter 9 – Opportunity Costs and The Concept of Present Value

Week 9: Chapter 10 – Utility, Budgets, and Optimal Consumption

Week 10: Chapter 11 – The Utility Function and Indifference Curves

Week 11: Chapter 12 – Production Function, Marginal Cost, and Average Cost

Week 12: Chapter 13 – Perfect Competition

Week 13: Chapter 14 – Monopolies, Profit, Public Policy, and Price Discrimination

Week 14: Chapter 15 – Oligopolies

Week 15: Chapter 16 – Monopolistic Competition and Product Differentiation

Week 16: Chapter 17 – Externalities

Week 17: Chapter 18 – Public Goods and Common Resources

Week 18: The Economics of the Welfare State and Fall Final Exam

The teacher based upon school activities, academic interruptions, and experience shall modify
the course schedule at his discretion.
Google Classroom:
Students shall refer to Google classroom to stay informed with announcements, assignments, and
current and future assessments. This is particularly important during absences, whether due to
illness, family events, or authorized school activities, such as athletic or academic events.

Evaluation and Grading:

Grading
Scale
100-90 A
89-80 B
79-70 C
Weights 69-0 F
Not
NE
Evaluated

Learning Skills (active interaction in class activities, active note-

taking, timely completion of classwork, organization, and persistent
effort, and respect for classmates and teacher) 10%
Classwork and Participation 20%
Residential Comprehension Enhancement (RCE) 10%
Chapter Quizzes 20%
Summative Assessments (Midterm and Final Exam) 25%
Special Projects 15%
TOTAL 100%

Campus Portal for Parents and Guardians: Visit - https://ic.apsk12.org/portal to view class
schedules, attendance records and grades. To activate your account, contact Mr. Monterro to
receive your login (activation key).

Classroom Required Materials:

A graphing calculator, such as the TI-84 Plus, is mandatory in accordance with AP

Microeconomics standards. Upon request, the teacher can assist parents and students in selecting
economical graphing calculators with internet retailers.

Students must provide: a large supply of Cornell Notes, graph paper, pencils, colored pencils, and
erasers.
Students may bring their textbook to each class, but this is not mandatory. The instructor will
announce when the textbook is an integral part of class activities.

Please note students will have chapter by chapter reading assignments. Students will be given
“pop” quizzes to determine their comprehension of the reading assignment.

Classroom Expectations:
AP Microeconomics is a college level class. Students shall demonstrate the motivation and the
work ethic to comprehend microeconomics at the college level.

Students shall work with their classmates in comprehension learning teams. Solving problems with
their assigned Keynesian Kompanions will be a regular and integral part of the class.

Students shall be expected to demonstrate their comprehension of key concepts for their
classmates and their teacher.

MAKE-UP WORK, LATE RESIDENTIAL COMPREHENSION ENHANCEMENT (RCE), &

REASSESSMENTS:
1. MAKE-UP WORK: When you miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to see that all make-
up work is completed within ten (10) school days. This includes all classwork, residential
comprehension enhancement (RCE), quizzes, and exams.

If you are absent and miss a test, the absence must be excused before you may take the quiz.
(a) Skippers Beware: if the absence is unexcused, you will be given a zero that cannot be made
up on all standards assessed on that quiz.
(b) After an excused absence, the students have 2 class periods from their return date to
complete their RCE and comprehension companion class assignments.
(c) Unexcused absences do not have a grace period; all missed assignments are due on the day
the student returns to school.
(d) Assignments given to students or exams scheduled while they are present are due/must be
taken on the day the student returns to school.
(e) Assessments not taken will be assigned a grade of “0”. Assessment completed after the end
of the grace period will receive a grade no higher than 70%.

2. REASSESSMENTS: After a quiz, you will always have the opportunity for reassessment on the
standards/objectives covered on that quiz.
(a) If you score lower than 70% on a microeconomics standard, you may attend tutoring to
address that standard. After tutorial you may elect to take a reassessment for that standard.
(b) Mandatory reassessments for all students will often be built into the specified quiz. No
standard is ever “once & done.”
(c) Your grade in IC for a standard will always reflect your most recent performance on that
standard, not an average, and not a maximum. If your performance drops upon
reassessment, your grade for that standard will drop accordingly. Don’t blow a
reassessment opportunity by being unprepared!
 (d) Students may not take multiple make-up quizzes. Students are limited to one elective
reassessment per school day. Students who procrastinate until the end of the grading
period will not be allowed to abuse the reassessment policy.
(e) Students should use Infinite Campus to keep track of their standards-based grades.
(f) Summative exams are not covered under this policy. The grade you receive on the
midterm test and the final exam is final.
(g) Reassessments must be completed and presented to Mr. Rives during the regularly
scheduled tutoring sessions or on another mutually agreeable date.
(h) Mid-semester reassessment deadlines: October 55h. All reassessments for the first half of
the semester must be completed by this date.
(i) End of semester reassessment deadlines: December 3rd. All reassessments for the second
half of the semester must be completed by this date.

MASTERY LEARNING: With mastery learning, a unit of material is taught, and student
understanding is evaluated before students are able to move on to the next unit. Students who have
not shown mastery for a particular unit will receive feedback and support in reaching mastery.
They may be given practice exercises, study guides, group work or complementary resources to
help them improve and achieve mastery. Students who demonstrate mastery of the content for a
particular unit are given enrichment exercises like special projects, tasks or academic games to
further or broaden their knowledge of the material.

TUTORING SESSIONS:

It is the student’s responsibility to attend tutorial when it is needed. Tutoring sessions will be
offered at the following times. Tutorial is limited to 15 students. You must arrive within 15
minutes of the start of tutorial to be admitted.

 Monday 3:30.
 By special appointment

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: While it is expected that students will discuss residential

comprehension enhancement (RCE) and classwork assignments, a student should never submit
another person’s work or ideas as their own.
Quizzes, tests, and exams are always individual assignments and are never collaborative.
If a student submits another’s work or ideas as their own, the APS policies will be enforced on
the student.
CONFERENCES: When academic concerns arise, parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are strongly
encouraged to set up teacher-parent-student conferences from 3:30 P.M. until 4:30 P.M. each Friday
or by special arrangement. The parent(s) or guardian(s) may contact the school at (404) 802-3001
or contact Mr. Rives through his e-mail address, jrives@atlanta.k12.ga.us, to set up an appointment.
FINAL EXAMINATION: The final examination for AP Microeconomics occurs during the regular
student fall schedule from December 17-220, 2018, as posted on the APS student calendar. Please
review the calendar and determine when students are scheduled to be in school until the official last
day of school. The final exam schedule for the last week of classes is determined and announced
by the Grady High School administration.
Students are required to attend classes until the academic term is officially closed on
December 20thd. Students not appearing to take the scheduled final exam and counted absent by
the instructor or the Grady attendance office will receive a grade of zero (0) on their final exam in
AP Microeconomics.
Prior to the absence, any exceptions to the APS and Grady attendance policy must be discussed
between only the parent(s) or legal guardian and the instructor. Students and parents should
recognize no exceptions to this attendance policy shall be made between the student and the teacher.

School-wide Expectations:
DEFICIENCY REPORTS: Parents and guardians are informed when students are making
unsatisfactory progress in classes. Poor performance will be reported to parents and guardians as
soon as problems are evident. Deficiency reports with plans for remediation will be provided for
all students making unsatisfactory progress, and parent-guardians conferences must be
scheduled. Unsatisfactory grades should never come as a surprise to parents, guardians, or
students. Also, see Board Policy Administrative Regulation IHA-R(1) under “Students in danger
of not meeting academic expectations” for further information.

The teacher will:

1) Contact parents/guardians early in the semester if academic, attendance, or

behavioral difficulties are apparent.
2) Notify the counselor, Student Support Team (SST)/Response to
Intervention (RTI) Chair, and/or an Assistant Principal of serious problems that are
affecting classroom performance.
3) Set up parent conferences as necessary.

ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY: Students wanting to participate in athletic programs governed by the

GHSA and extracurricular activities must meet eligibility requirements to participate. The Athletic
Director (and the Extracurricular Activities sponsors) will collaborate with teachers to monitor and
to identify students in danger of failing courses. A master list of students participating in
extracurricular activities and athletics under the auspices of the GHSA will be available to all staff.

Parents and legal guardians should retain a copy of this syllabus for future reference.
Gently remove this sheet from the syllabus package and return this signature sheet to
Mr. Rives.

The AP Microeconomics Syllabus prepared by Mr. Rives for the 2018 fall academic
term was reviewed and understood.

Legal Guardian Signature: __________________________

Date: ____________________

Legal Guardian E-mail Address: ______________________________

Student Signature: _________________________________

Date: _____________________

Student E-mail Address: ____________________________________