1. Economics at GHS: A New Direction Mr. Stephen Donachie Mr. Michael Isseks Mr. Robert Karchawer

5. Goals of Summer Curriculum Examine the NYS Economics curriculum Review GHS Economics curriculum map Review newly purchased textbook: Economics: Principles in Action by Arthur O’Sullivan (Prentice Hall) Evaluate other resources: newspaper articles, selections from periodicals, Internet sources, and related readings

6. End Result A key objective of the Economics course is to enhance understanding of economics through practical experiences. With this in mind, we have developed an integrated program utilizing “the Mini-Economy”.

7. Goals of the “Mini-Economy” Create a realistic economy that operates as the classroom management structure Use as a supplement to the traditional academic curriculum Incorporate as a percentage of the classroom grade (25%) based on participation in a real world economy and the acquisition of wealth.

8. Create currency denominations (1, 5, 20, 100, 500) Create a “cash accounting sheet” for each student to record every financial transaction (money earned and money spent) Create a list of classroom jobs with salaries: Hire students to take attendance, distribute materials, collect homework, and so on Students get paid $100/day for attending class Mini-Economy Construction

9. Students submit a resume and letter of application to apply for posted positions Salaries vary based on the level of responsibility Desk space rental fees Week one – Free! Row 1 - $50 Row 2 - $75 Row 3 - $100 Row 4 - $200 Row 5– $250

10. Institute taxation: property tax, income tax, rental tax Add inflation: double job salaries and increase rent Levy fines: late to class, incomplete homework, “noise pollution” (classroom management) Create bills: desk rentals, invoices Entrepreneurship: ability to create their own businesses Ultimately, we want to empower our students to run the Mini-Economy!

11. Among the jobs that will become available this semester are: Class Accountant: records, organizes and monitors individual student accounting cards Environmental Engineer: maintains a clean and orderly classroom environment Attendance Officer: takes daily attendance, records absences Peace Officer: monitors “noise pollution” and recommends appropriate fines Bank Official: handles collection and distribution of all classroom funds Tax Collector: levies and collects taxes for the public good Clerical Assistant: collects and distributes all materials Conservationist: handles all recycling, including bottles and cans