Monday, September 23rd, 2013

Our agenda today:

• A few minutes organizing and looking at the information for the binder check to come.
• Finished a few more skits by the groups about the stages of a communist revolution.
• Introduced Zapitalism and explained how it works.
• Students began to play the Free Market business simulation called Zapitalism.

Friday, September 20th, 2013

Our plan for this Friday was:

• Student groups had 20 minutes to plan a short skit about the stages of a communist revolution. Groups picked their theme or genre and began to plan.
• The final 20 minutes was spent viewing and critiquing the skits. 

Thursday, September 19th, 2013

The plan was:

• Began by completing the play about Adam Smith.
• Students that wrote for 5 minutes in their journals about everything they learned about Adam Smith.
• We discussed their journal responses.
• Great Economic Thinkers in History - Karl Marx. Introduced Karl Marx and his ideas. Mr M explained the stages of a communist revolution.
• Finally, students will be creating skits about a communist revolution. We picked our genres. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

Here was our plan of the day:

• Reviewed the Fish Activity and the homework from the night before. Talked about the Stossel video on  Tigers and the main point - When something is held in common (fish - tigers) that resource can be abused, but if you allow people the chance to own a resource, it will more of a chance to thrive.
• Talked about the Test next Wednesday. Big speech and questions.
• Great Economic Thinkers in History - Adam Smith. Began with a play.

Tuesday, September 17th

Today in class:

Tragedy of the Commons Lesson

(A lesson on the importance of Private Ownership)

• The Fishing Demonstration - Open Fishing in the Atlantic vs. Farm Fishing
• Discussion of the "Tragedy of the Commons" (see power point below)
• John Stossel clip - Endangered Tigers - How to save them? Eat them!
  
  

  

  
  

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Alright, our plan for today was:

• Quick review of the reason why we covered the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Students wrote down the 5th principle of economics - "The Consequences of our Choices lie in the future!"
• Mr. M laid out the next activity - The Paper Airplane Challenge!
• Students went through each of the phases of this activity which contains elements of the Free Market economic system. 
• After the activity, the students debriefed by answering questions meant to introduce them to these Free Market "characteristics". 

Go Get 'em!

Friday, September 13th

Today we slowed down and:

• Reviewed the Traditional and Command economic systems
• Introduced Principle #5 - Consequences for choices lie in the future
• Case Study - Rumania and the Revolution of 1989.
• People rebelled against Ceaucescu and the political and economic system of the time
• Viewed several Youtube videos - Ceaucescu's last speech, etc...

See ya!

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

For today, we:

• Learned about the Command Economic System or Planned Economy
• Did the "Glorious Leader" activity - Students simulated living in a planned economy.
• Discussed the reading from the night before - "Growing Up In A Command Economy"

Bread line in the former Soviet Union

Wednesday, September 11th

Remember 9/11

Today we:

• Reviewed the lesson from the day before
• Mr. M gave a T/F quiz on the Maasai reading
• The students performed a skit about the Maasai
• Discussion about the reading from "Facing The Lion" and the skit
• Students wrote in notes important information about the Traditional Economic System

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013

For Tuesday, we:

• Reviewed the econ review quiz from the day before. We discussed questions and how they answered them.
• 4th Core Principle of Economics
• Did the Feudalism activity to help introduce #4 Economic Systems Influence Individual Choices and Consequences.
• After the activity, allowed the students look ahead at their outside assignments.