Monday January 25, 2016

Administrivia
Pass in your Things They Carried Books, if you have not.
Pass out folders

Circle: The 8th graders will be here this week for Step-Up day.  In memory of your Freshman self what is one piece of advice either you wished you got on the first day of freshman year or a piece of advice you would give to incoming freshmen.  Follow-up, do you think you would have listened?

Economics Unit Objective: To understand economics and different types of economic systems.
Success Criteria:
1. Students will be able to explain the role capitalism plays in distributing wealth.
2. Students can explain how environment/culture can encourage or inhibit aspirations.
3. Students can identify elements of socialism in a capitalist economy.
4. Students can identify and explain the possible roles of government in an capitalist economy.
5. Students can explain the role the"Surplus value of labor" plays in capitalism.
6. Students can explain the "Societal value of the profit motive."

Vocal -- quiz Friday
Economy
Capitalism
Socialism
Communism

Another Video: Economics 101
Students can describe what economists study
Economy is defined as "The system used to get people what they want and need." Keep this definition in mind as you watch and take notes on this Crash Course video on economics.  Each group will be responsible for coming up with one quiz question from the video.

Activity: Making Economy Personal
Students can define economy using personal items
What is economy? To begin, in your group, each person name an item that you have in your house -- the group pick the most interesting one.  Then, using your best guesses, explain exactly how that item got made and ended up in the house.

Activity: Playing the Stock Market
Students can explain the role investment and speculation plays in capitalism
You will be picking a stock listed on the stock market and learning as much as you can about the industry and what it takes for the business to be successful.  Gather this information about your company:

1. Name
2. Ticker Symbol
3. Current Price
4. Description of what it does
5. How much money did it make last year?
6. How it stands in relation to its competition.
7. Who are the most important people in the company?
8. How many people does it employ?
9. Why do companies sell stock (tiny pieces of the actual company) to strangers?
10. Is anything you own or do connected with this company?

You will be following this company over the next few weeks to see how the prices of its shares move up and down.

Activity: Connecting to One Small Business
Students can explain the role competition plays in capitalism
To understand capitalism, contact one small business in the world, contact them asking the following questions:

1. How many employees do you have?
2. What is the most enjoyable thing your employees do in their job?
3. Who is your closest competitor?
4. Who do you serve?
5. What is the most important thing you are looking for in employees?
6. What does your company do better than your competition?
7. What's the biggest challenge your company faces?

Learning Target:
Understanding Capitalism and Economy
Take this survey

Unit: Writing about literature
After completing this unit, you will be able to determine how an author develops a theme in  a literary text.
Today, we will focus economics in your book.  Specifically, what does your character want, and how are they getting it?
1) Read for 30 minutes examining the text for economics.
2) When completed, write down an example of dialogue from the text. Then explain what the dialogue says about the character.  Try to determine the motivation of the character is saying what they say.
3) Share at your table
4) Cold call findings