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CONTEMPORARY ECONOMICS SEMESTER PROJECT

Mr. Davis, Mr. Hanlon, Mr. Vogel, Mr. Mahoney, Mr. Zaban, Ms. Thompson
Purpose: The purpose of this project is for students to make connections from their economics
class to the economic and financial news. Students will find economic and financial news articles
from newspapers, magazines, and news websites that are about topics from the contemporary
economics class. Then students will summarize the article in their own words, and analyze the
article, using terms and knowledge learned from the classroom and textbook.
RULES FOR THE PROJECT:
1. Finding articles: Five (5) news article write-ups must be completed from articles found in
newspapers, magazines, or news websites. You must turn in the FULL article from the print
newspaper or magazine. If it is an online article, you must print out the entire article. To ensure
students have enough information for their write up, the news articles must be at least five (5)
paragraphs long. Each of the 5 articles must be from a list of 41 topics found on page 2 of this
packet. All article write-ups and the overarching question response must be typed. Articles must be
dated from the beginning of the semester.
2. The Article Write-up: Please look at pages 3 & 4 in this packet for an example article and writeup.
a. Information: At the top right of the page will be your name and class period. Then on the
top left will be:
1) Topic (Name and number)
2) Article Title
3) Publication Title (Ex. Cnn.com, Chicago
Tribune, etc.)

4) Date of Article
5) Full web URL (If article is from
the
Internet)

b. Summary: This is a short paragraph of at least 3 sentences briefly explaining the article.
Explain it in terms a high school student would understand. Use your own words and do
not use any quotes from the article. Consider who, what, when, where, why, and how?
c. Reaction/Analysis: This must be a longer paragraph of a minimum of 6 sentences. The
first sentence is the main point of your reaction (what you most feel about the article). As
you continue, show what you have learned in this class that applies to the article and the
topic. Make sure to use economic terms when analyzing and explaining the article. If you
feel this article might relate to other topics, explain how.
3. Synthesize Overarching Question: Draw from your previously chosen articles to answer
the question below. When choosing articles try to find ones that focus around a similar theme. You
MUST utilize and cite a minimum of 3 out of your 5 articles when answering the question. Your
response must be a minimum of ten (10) sentences.

In what ways does Economics impact peoples' lives?


(Consider yourself as an individual, your community and the world).
4. Turning in an article & article write-up: For each article & write up, you must turn in three
things: A rubric with your name and article #, your article write-up, and the full news article.
Emailed work will not be accepted.
Due Date Time Table
Article #
Due Date*
1
2/20
2
3/6
3
3/18 (Wed)
4
4/2 (Thur)

5 (and E.C.)
Overarching Question Write
Up

4/17
5/1

* No late work is accepted

See a step-by-step How to do the Article Project video at


http://www.tinyurl.com/article-alm

GRADE:
Individual articles are graded based on the attached Rubric. The entire project is worth 10% of
your semester grade. Most students who fail this course fail because they did not do this project.
EXTRA CREDIT:
There is the option of extra credit with this project. Students may submit one article for extra credit.
You may earn up to 15 extra points. The E.C. article is due the same day as article 5. It will be
graded like a regular article. Note: your semester grade cannot increase by more than 2%
due to extra credit (WTHS policy).

Topic List for Articles Project: Choose five DIFFERENT topics from this list:

UNIT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

1
Scarcity
Opportunity Cost/Choices
Economic Resources (Land, Labor,
Capital, Entrepreneurship)
Consumer Protection
Global Economy
Socialism & Capitalism
Technology and the Economy

UNIT 2
8. Demand
9. Supply
10.Equilibrium/prices
11.Cause/Effect of Changing Prices
UNIT 3
12.Market structures (Monopoly, Oligopoly,
etc.)
13.Types of businesses (Sole Prop., Part.,
Corp.)
14.Entrepreneurship
15.Profit/Loss
16.Franchises
17.Ethical/unethical business activity
UNIT 4
18.Money (Functions, redesign, etc.)
19.Banking (Loans, functions, etc.)
20.Investing (Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds,
Savings Accounts)

UNIT 5
21.Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
22.Business Cycle (Recession/Recovery)
23.Inflation
24.Minimum wage
25.Unemployment/employment
26.Outsourcing/Loss of US Jobs
UNIT 6
27.Fiscal Policy (Government spending)
28.National Debt/Deficit
29.Tax Reform Proposals
30.Types of Taxes (Sales, Income, Property,
etc.)
31.International/Foreign Trade
32.Monetary Policy (Actions of the Federal
Reserve)
CONSUMER EDUCATION
33.Interest
34.Identity Thief/Credit Card Fraud
35.Loans (Car, student, etc.)
36.Housing (Rent, Mortgage, etc.)
37.Credit Cards
38.College Spending
39.Insurance (Health, Life, Property, Vehicle)
40.Doing Your Taxes
41.Personal Budgeting

[Example Article]
Equilibrium/prices, Topic 10 (Topic Name, Topic Number)
Pumpkin Search All Wet This Year (Title of Article)
The Daily Herald
(Source)
10/9/2009
(Date Published)
Article #1
(Article #)

Adam Smith, Per. 3

Summary: (This is a short paragraph of at least 3 sentences briefly explaining the article.)
Poor weather in Northern Illinois caused a shortage of pumpkins this fall. The heavy rain
in August flooded the pumpkin fields and caused many pumpkins to rot or die of disease.
70 to 90% of the pumpkins grown in Northwestern Illinois died. Closer to Gurnee, there
was less flooding, but many pumpkins were lost. To meet the demand, local farmers
bought pumpkins from Wisconsin and Southern Illinois. There will be higher prices for
pumpkin buyers this fall.
Reaction: (This paragraph is a minimum of 6 sentences; the first sentence is your thesis. Show me what
you have learned in this class and apply the article to the textbook and the topic. Use economic terms as
defined by the textbook to analyze and explain the article. You can also give your opinion if it is needed. If
you feel this article might relate to other topics, explain how.)

Bad weather ruined the pumpkin crops and caused a shortage, which lends to higher
prices and less pumpkins overall for consumers. There is little that the farmers can do
about certain aspects of our environment, like the weather. We learned in Ch. 4 that poor
weather causes the supply curve to shift left. If demand is unchanged, as it would be with
pumpkins around Halloween, prices will rise and quantity will fall. There may be a rise
in prices as well because pumpkins are being shipped from Southern Illinois or
Wisconsin. With fuel prices over $3 a gallon, the shipping fees will be high. I dont
think this will stop people from buying pumpkins, but they might buy slightly smaller
pumpkins than they did last year, or buy 3 or 4 pumpkins instead of 5 or 6. I dont think
that my family will change the way they buy pumpkins this year, especially if prices are
only $1 or $2 more per pumpkin because Halloween is only once a year.

Name:_________________________
Period:______ Article #: ________

Individual Article Rubric


Points
Lost
Complete Heading Information

Organization
(1)

Paragraph 1 length (Summary): Minimum 3 sentences

(1)

Paragraph 2 length (Reaction/Analysis): Minimum 6


sentences
Clear summary paragraph: (No quotes; in your own
words)

(1)
(2)
(2)
(2)

Correct Format:
Topic (Name and number)
Article Title
Publication Title (CNN.com, Chicago Tribune,
etc.)
Date of Article
Full web URL (If article is from the Internet)

Clear explanation of Reaction/Opinion


Ideas, Content,
and Support

Depth of Support
Relates article to chosen topic

(1)

Linked to class/textbook content (develop and explain)

(2)
Conventions
Word Choice
(3)

Style

________/15
How to Turn in Project
Top Rubric
Middle Your Write Up
Last Article

Spelling or Mechanical/Grammar Errors


Proper spelling
Correct capitalization
Appropriate punctuation
Word choice/Style/Grammar

Optional Teacher Feedback


o Expand on what YOU think/reaction
o Expand you link to class and economics
o Simplify your summary
o Need more analysis
o PROOFREAD!!!
o No Article -50%

M.E.A.T.Con StyleParagraph Rubric


Period:_____
6
Writer answers the
question completely and
Main
decisively utilizing a
Idea
thesis statement.

Evidenc
e

Analysis

Transiti
ons

Conclu
ding
Stateme
nt

Grammar
&
Spelling

12
Ample evidence is given
to support topic
statement. Examples are
cited and specific, and
explained in detail.
12
Paragraph contains a
statement after each
piece of evidence that
clearly analyzes
information back to the
thesis/main idea; explain
how the evidence fits
3
Writer uses a clear and
sensible transitional and
lead in-statement
between each piece of
evidence.
4
Writer uses a final
statement that answers
the question: so what?
It clearly explains why the
topic relates to a larger
audience
3
Paragraph is basically
mistake free; spelling and
grammar errors do not
distract from
understanding

Name:_______________________
4
Writer does not
completely answer the
question.

8
Evidence is not specific or
cited. Evidence is not
closely related to the
subject.
8
Statement after each
piece of evidence is
related to the information
in the topic sentence but
not clearly linked to
thesis/main idea
2
Writer uses some good
transitional words,
although they are
somewhat typical
3
Writer uses a concluding
statement to wrap up the
paragraph, but there is
no so what statement
2
Paragraph contains some
errors in punctuation,
grammar, spelling which
slightly distract the
reader

2
Focus is vague and
what the writer is trying
to prove is unclear.
Lacking a topic
sentence/thesis
statement
4
Evidence is essentially
opinion, no specific
evidence described or
evidence is unrelated.

0
No thes
or main
idea

4
Analysis is lacking
throughout the
paragraph, there is no
significant explanation
of how the evidence
links to/supports the
thesis/main idea.
1
Writer does not use
clear transitions,
paragraph is
disorganized as a result
and hard to follow
2
Writer fails to conclude
the paragraph with a
final statement.

0
No ana
was
provide

1
Paragraph is a multiple
errors in punctuation,
grammar, and spelling
are distracting and
make the paragraph
difficult to understand

0
The
paragra
has so
many
errors t
it is
unread

Getting to the M.E.A.T of the argument without the extras

In what ways does Economics impact peoples'


lives?
(Consider yourself as an individual, your community and the world).

0
No
evidenc
provide

0
No
transiti

0
No
conclud
stateme

Total Points:
___________

M = Main Idea
*
*

"Answers" the question


Sets up the paragraph

E = Evidence or Examples
*
*
*

Information from sources the articles that support the main idea
The information you learned or found out about the topic.
Evidence can be quotes, statistics, facts

A = Analysis
*
topic
*
*
chose

Analyzes and explains the way the evidence you used supports the

Tells what you think and the way you relate the evidence to the topic
Your analysis is unique - it shows your thought process and why you
that particular
evidence

T = Transitions
*
*

Separates each of your pieces of evidence


Organizes your paragraph and makes it easy for the reader to follow
(Ex. Even more importantly, Moreover, A great example is, The first
good reason is,
Building on that point, etc.)

A 3640
B 3235
C 2734
D 2426
F 23-0

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