Period 6: Free Enterprise, Day 2

This is a house in the Dominican Republic that I stayed at in 2011. Hey, if a bank was willing to give me the money to buy a house like this with no check of my income or assets (NINA loans), I might be tempted!

Dear class,

I enjoyed today! Especially our talk during the warm up and your thoughts after the NPR radio broadcast. Read on for the recap.

Soundtrack: “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. Selected because of the title having to do with how much something is worth. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/28/13:

Warm Up

The Giant Pool of Money

Chapter 2 Learning Targets

Homework: Read the blog. Finish the Chapter 2 learning targets for note card on test.

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Warm Up: This was the first time that our warm up thoughts became somewhat heated! The question (warm up #7) was - Why are brown eggs more expensive than white eggs, even though they have the same taste and nutritional value?

Many interesting perspectives and opinions here. The economic reasoning that I found for this can be found here.

The Giant Pool of Money: I thought that this would be an interesting subject for us to delve into a bit more  about - why the US economy collapsed in 2008 and how it is still impacting us today.

To begin this section, I had the class write out the definitions of the various different loans that were made to people wanting mortgages. You can find those again at the top of the transcript of the podcast we listened to. The short response I had the class do is at the end of the transcript. Here it is to look at:

Google Drive: "The Global Pool of Money" NPR Transcript, Definitions, and Short Answer Prompt

Here is the actual podcast that we listened to in class: NPR.org - "The Global Pool of Money Got Too Hungry" Podcast.

As I mentioned in class, this was very reduced in length from an original broadcast, which is about an hour long. If you were interested in the podcast we listened to and want to hear the longer version, here it is: NPR.org - This American Life 355 "The Giant Pool of Money"

There are two more episodes in this series, which we will carefully go through during the next few weeks.

Chapter 2 Learning Targets: The rest of the class was devoted to completing the answers to the Chapter 2 LTs in your economics textbook. Here are the LTs again, if you lost them or were absent from class.

Google Drive: Chapter 2 Learning Targets

Remember that if you get these done in time for the next class, you will be allowed to use a notecard on the Chapter 2 test. 

Let me know if you have any questions or additional responses! Have a great weekend.

Period 6: Free Enterprise, Day 1

We talked about budgeting today in class. A big part of my budget is saving to travel. This is a picture of me with my friends Clarke and Beri on the top of the highest mountain in Vietnam: Mt. Fansipan. It was quite the achievement, I assure you.

Hi everyone,

Hopefully you all know exactly where you are at in terms of grades for this class. Please ask questions if you are unsure about how to improve your grade!

Soundtrack: “Smile Like You Mean It” by The Killers. Selected for today because we were reviewing the Chapter 1 test, which some of you did very well on, and some probably need to come and retake. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/26/13: 
Warm Up
Review Chapter 1 Test
Budgeting

Homework: Read the blog. Finish budget paper if you did not in class. Bring textbook for next class!

Warm Up: The question for today (#6 overall, I believe) was: Why does a $500 tuxedo rent for $90 a day, while a $20,000 car rents for only $40? I thought the initial response to this question on Yahoo! answers was a good one. Remember that I just need some proof of your effort in thinking about these questions - more than a sentence, please.

Review Chapter 1 Test: We went over all the answers for the Chapter 1 test. There were a few which we engaged in a class debate on (and mostly, I gave you credit for), but overall, these really should have been pretty clear. If you need further clarification, please post a comment on here or come see me in person. If you would like to retake the test, you also need to come see me and set up a time to do that (the Learning Center is fine - I just need to know that you want to do that, so I can have copies ready for you).

Your grades have been entered for the test and notebook check. I posted grades on the wall (by student ID number) so you know exactly where you are at and what you have to turn in. Again, please see me if this is at all unclear.

Budgeting: Next, I had the class complete a worksheet (please see me next class if you missed it - I do not have a digital copy) with balancing a budget, since many students wrote to me at the beginning of the course to say they wanted to be better at handling money and savings. This was a fairly straightforward activity about trying to use the money that was given to you to pay for various different expenses. At the end, I had you write your own personal plan for the year after high school and how you are going to pay for whatever you end up doing. If you did not finish this in class, it is homework.

Let me know if you have any questions! See you on Thursday!

Period 6: What is Economics? Day 7

One of the questions on today's test had to do with the factors of production in making an Apple Pie. One such factor would be natural resources/land. I took this picture in upstate New York, on an apple picking trip with my cousins there.

Hi everyone,

I hope that you are feeling at least a little bit relieved after the first chapter test! I still have to go through and grade them all. I will get them back to you on Tuesday!

Soundtrack: "One and Only" by Adele. Selected for today because it was the chapter one test, and because of the line "I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before" due to all the review and preparation we have done. Full lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/22/13:

Review (Quick)

Chapter 1 Test

Turn in Notebooks

Homework: Read the blog. Have a great weekend!

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Review (Quick): Since we already had a compressed schedule, due to forecasting, I tried to do this as quickly as possible, to make sure everyone had enough time on the test to not feel rushed. That seemed to be a good decision, as I think the last students finishing had about 5 minutes left in class. In any case, I had everyone turn in the Chapter 1 Review packet after this.

Chapter 1 Test: I hope this went well! It seemed to go pretty well, judging by the initial response in class. We will review the answers next week. Thank you for your effort!

Turn in Notebooks: This will be notebook check #1. You should have warm ups #1-5 and short responses to the activities in class that I had you respond in writing to. I will grade these on Monday and get them back to you for our next class.

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That's it for now! Have a great weekend. Bring your economics book on Tuesday!

Period 6: What is Economics? Day 6

I talked today about booking flights to Europe because of a company mixing up my ticket order for the Men's Basketball Gold Medal game at the London Olympics. It worked out. Eventually, I had these seats with my brother for that game (this picture was taken from our row) and I had a lot of free credit for flights. Good times. Satisfied consumer/customer. :-)

Hi everyone,

Hopefully today was a nice and easy day of review. Read on for some links that might help you study for the Chapter 1 test, on Friday.

Soundtrack: “The Hardest Part” by Coldplay. Chosen for today because the hardest part of the chapter 1 test should be reviewing - the test itself should be a breeze. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/20/13:

Warm Up

Finish Chapter 1 Review

Study for Chapter 1 Test

Homework: Finish Chapter 1 review packet. Read the blog. Bring 3 x 5 card of notes for test if you completed the Learning Targets HW on time. Study up!

Warm Up: Today's warm up question (#5 in your notebook) was: Why are seat belts required in cars, but not in school buses?

Plenty of great responses and discussion here. This is the somewhat lengthy reasoning I found for the answer: ThinkGeek.com - Why are There No Seatbelts on School Buses?

I think it is crazy that you have to sit three to a row on the bus to come to school! The times are a changing, I guess. The high schools in Portland Public don't even use buses at all.

Finish Chapter 1 Review: As it sounds, I had the class continue to work on the Chapter 1 review packet, which will be due next class. We will go over it together next class, before the test (I will give you plenty of time to do the test). In case you missed class or somehow forgot the review packet, here it is to download:

Google Drive: Chapter 1 Review Packet

There are some questions on the review packet that you do not have to answer - a couple of the crossword terms I couldn't even figure out, myself! Just try your best, please. This will help on the chapter 1 test, because it will be on the same exact terms.

Study for Chapter 1 Test: This was going to be a section of class for writing out note cards and studying, but much of the class did not finish the review. Just in case you would like to prepare at home, here is the Chapter 1 PowerPoint on the learning targets:

Google Drive: Chapter 1 Learning Targets PowerPoint

All good? Let me know if I can clear anything up or otherwise help you get ready for the test on Friday! It will be multiple choice/scantron, with two short answer questions. See you on Friday!

Period 6: What is Economics? Day 5

To go with the air travel theme of the soundtrack, here is a picture on the roof of Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, that I took in December of 2011. The major airports in Asia are like an entirely different world than our airports in the United States.

Hi everyone,

Last class before a three day weekend! I hope you rest up and come back ready for next week. We will review the Chapter 1 packet on Wednesday and take the Chapter 1 test on Friday.

Soundtrack: “Paris, Tokyo” by Lupe Fiasco. Chosen because tomorrow, I am going to go visit the Boeing Airplanes 737 factory in Seattle area. Air travel is a huge part of the world economy! Lyrics here. 

AGENDA 2/15/13:

Warm Up

TED Talks – Tim Jackson

What Do You Want?

Chapter 1 Review

Homework: Read the blog, keep reviewing the learning targets.

Warm Up: The question for today (warm up #4) was: Why does women’s clothing always button from the left, while men’s clothing always buttons from the right?

As usual, Avi brought the heat with a possible reason (apparently in a documentary). Here is the somewhat convoluted (and possibly made up) answer.

TED Talks - Tim Jackson: We watched the first 10 minutes or so of this video. I had students take notes on familiar terms from the Chapter 1 learning targets. What was he saying about scarcity? About the Want-Satisfaction Chain?



What Do You Want?: Next, I had the class think of something quantifiable (a good or service) that they want. What were the factors of production to make that item? I asked you to write a short response imagining everything that went into making something that you want.

Chapter 1 Review: For the rest of class, I had students quietly work on the rest of the Chapter 1 review packet. I will give you a little time to finish this next class, then we will review it together during that class before the Chapter 1 test on Friday. Sound like a plan? Again, if you somehow do not have the packet to work on, here it is to download: Google Drive: Chapter 1 Review Packet.
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Have a great weekend! Let me know if there is anything I can help you understand better with the Chapter 1 learning targets.

Period 6: What is Economics? Day 4

I talked about football uniforms changing as a form of marketing, or "perceived obsolescence" today in class. As a fan of the Oregon Ducks, I am VERY aware of all the crazy different uniform combinations that are used! This picture is of three eventual NFL players in 2006: 

Jonathan Stewart, Jeremiah Johnson, and Patrick Chung.  

Dear class,

I need to find a stool or something to sit on, because all of this standing and talking with the class is killing my back! I wonder if Fred Meyer would start giving my family furniture coupons if I go buy one from them. :-) On to the recap!

Soundtrack: “Can’t Buy Me Love” by The Beatles. Chosen because money isn't everything. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/13/13:

Warm Up

Finish The Story of Stuff

Chapter 1 Review

Homework: Read the blog, keep reviewing learning targets. To repeat: the Chapter 1 review packet is NOT homework. We will keeping working on it together next class.

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Warm Up: Today should be Warm Up #3 in your economics notebook. The question was: Why is milk often sold the farthest from the doors of supermarkets?

The first answer in class was pretty much right on the money. I typed out "Most people drink milk and need to buy it, at the back because people have to go through different products/sales/aisles so it increases chance they will spend more money." 

A more thorough explanation can be found here: Why is milk at the back of the store?

Finish The Story of Stuff: We were about halfway through "The Story of Stuff" after last class. If you missed part or all of it, here it is (we started at about 9:30 in today):

As you were watching the film, I had you note the five stages of consumption that are talked about:

Extraction --> Production --> Distribution --> Consumption --> Disposal

After the film, I had the class respond to these three questions, then we had a class discussion. If you missed this part of class, you need to complete the answers to these questions in your notebook:

1) What is your first reaction to this video?

2) Can you think of an example of planned or perceived obsolescence in your own life?

3) What was the most debatable or interesting "fact" that the woman uses?

I really enjoyed the responses here. Thank you!

Chapter 1 Review: To start getting ready for the Chapter 1 test (probably next week), I passed out a review packet and went through parts of the first two pages on the overhead. If you missed class, or lost your packet, you can download and print another one here (I have a few extra copies in the room, as well):

Google Drive: Chapter 1 Review Packet

Again, this is NOT homework. I want to go through it together so that we are all on the same page before the chapter test.

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That was it for today! Hopefully the terms in the Chapter 1 learning targets are starting to make more and more sense. Please let me know if you are confused at all! See you on Friday!

Period 6: What is Economics? Day 3

Three cars in Bogota, Colombia in 2009. The colors of the Colombian flag! 
I wonder if they all have gas tank doors on the same side?

Hi everyone,

Wow, a LOT of talking from me today in class. I hope that it helped you understand what the learning targets to Chapter 1 are, because if it didn't, I'm pretty sure I just bored everyone out of your minds. Let me know how I might be able to improve in the future, if possible!

Soundtrack: “Tell Me What You Want (And I’ll Give You What You Need)” by The Doobie Brothers. Chosen for today because of our looking at how a market economy works, with the "want-satisfaction" chain. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/11/13:

Warm Up/LT Check

Chapter 1 PowerPoint

The Story of Stuff

Homework: Read the blog (comment if you have not already), review Chapter 1 learning targets.

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Warm Up/LT Check: Today's warm up (#2) was answering this question - Why do cars have gas tank doors on different sides? 

Lots of good opinions here. Here's the answer to the question, from an economist's perspective: PBS.org - Why Do Cars Have Fuel Doors on Different Sides?

During this time, I went around the room to check and see if students had completed the chapter 1 learning targets. If you did complete this by today, you will get to use a note card on the chapter 1 test. If you did not finish them yet, you will still need to have them done by the notebook check.

Chapter 1 PowerPoint: Wow, again, so long. I would have had the class take a break in the middle if I had known it would take that amount of time to go through. I really appreciated all of the responses, possible examples, and questions! One question that was brought up was the difference between "Opportunity Cost" and "Marginal Cost." Here's a better explanation than what I was able to give in class.

Here is the Chapter 1 PowerPoint to review again for your upcoming test. If you did not complete your learning targets, this contains the answers.

Google Drive: Chapter 1 - What is Economics? PowerPoint

I think this section went well, even if it was really lengthy. Thank you for hanging in there with me!

The Story of Stuff: We made it about halfway through this controversial film. Again, I am not saying that the video is right or wrong. I do think it is an interesting perspective that is worth listening to and discussing. We will come back to this next class. If you missed it, we were able to get to about 9:47 in, and the class is taking notes on the five stages it addresses: Extraction – Production – Distribution – Consumption - Disposal

Here is a link to the video: YouTube.com - The Story of Stuff (2007)

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We will come back to this next class, then begin the Chapter 1 review. Some of you asked when the Chapter 1 test would be. At this rate, it will be next Wednesday (remember that there is no school on Monday).

Period 6: What Is Economics? Day 2

The warm up today was about soda and newspaper vending machines. This is a picture from a supermarket in San Jose, Costa Rica that I took in 2011. Apparently Coca-Cola is in abundant supply there!

Dear class,

I really appreciated the focus and effort today, especially during the reading time for Chapter 1. You are off to a great start! Remember that if terms/questions do not make sense, we will be going over them again and again in the upcoming classes.

Soundtrack: “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra. Chosen because there is an element of "that's life" with this class, simply because we are going to make sure what we are learning is gone over multiple times in multiple ways. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 2/7/13:

Warm Up/Letters Back

Miniature Earth

Read Chapter 1

Homework: Finish learning target questions for next class (for notes on test).
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Warm Up: The first warm up question of the year was: "Why are newspapers, but not soft drinks, sold in vending machines that allow customers to take more units than they pay for?" As with every class from now on, I had you get out your economics notebooks (it was part of your homework to get one) and respond to the warm up question. There were some interesting responses! The main concept I wanted to make sure we went over was Marginal Utility (in this case, the diminishing marginal utility of extra newspapers vs. extra sodas).

Miniature Earth: Next, I showed the class this short film about some interesting statistics in regards to world inequality and had students respond to the prompt: "Why is this relevant to economics?" Here is the video that we watched:

The main concept here was "scarcity" - basically, that there are almost unlimited human desires for resources and a limited (or scarce) amount of them.

Read Chapter 1: After discussing the video for a while, I gave the class the first learning targets to read and know in Chapter 1. The rest of the class was devoted to quietly reading and writing the answers to these. Here is the learning target sheet, if you lost it or missed class:

Economics Chapter 1 Learning Target Questions

Again, if you have these questions done by the start of next class, you will get to use a note card on the chapter test. Next class, we will be going through a PowerPoint very thoroughly (I know, I know, but necessary so that everyone understands the terms) to continue preparing for the first chapter test.

Period 6: What Is Economics? Day 1

As part of my letter to the class, I mentioned that I went to the Olympics in London last summer. This is a picture of my view for the Opening Ceremony. I have this framed on my wall. :-)

Hello everyone!

Thank you for a great first class. Obviously, we had quite a lot to go over. I appreciated your attention during the syllabus and letter reading, and I hope it was somewhat interesting! I am really looking forward to learning all of your names and getting to know you a bit better. On to the recap:

Soundtrack: “Changes” by 2Pac. Lyrics here. I always use this song for new classes, because I hope that my classroom is at least a little bit of a change from what you are used to.

AGENDA 2/5/13:
Introduction to Class
Course Syllabus
Letter to Class/Mr. Fritz
What is Economics?

Homework: Have your syllabus signed by parent and returned. Get a spiral notebook for class. Check the blog, post a comment!
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Introduction to Class: I went over how the class will run, including the fact that you will now have second lunch after our period meets. On most days, that means you will come directly to N116 after Period 4, and our class will start at 11:30 AM. We made this change because many of you have early release from school - meaning you will be free to go after our class meets. That saves you a whole 32 minutes. It also means that Economics is harder to skip. :-)

Course Syllabus: I read over the course syllabus, which we would like you to have signed by a parent/guardian. Especially have them note the blog address, so they can follow along if they want to. If you somehow lost the paper, you can download and print off another here:

Google Docs: Economics Semester 2 Syllabus

Letter to Class/Mr. Fritz: I always start my classes off with a letter from me, so you can get to know a little more about who I am as a person and a teacher. I also had you write back to me - I asked for around a page. As I said above, I am really looking forward to reading these and responding! I really appreciate your effort here.

What is Economics? For the last part of class, I had you respond to this question: "Why are there more students in each class this year?" I really enjoyed the brainstorming of responses. We did not quite have enough time to talk through it all, but I did mention that economics can be divided into two main areas of study: microeconomics (smaller in scope) and macroeconomics (bigger). The study of both of these provides the answer to everyday questions such as the one I posed. Look forward to more of this type of questioning during our warm up time.

Please remember to bring a notebook, your signed syllabus, and post a comment here on the blog for next class! Let me know if you need help with any of these. Thank you again for a great first day!

Period 6: Welcome to the Blog!

Outside the New York Stock Exchange, on September 11th, 2009.
Hello all,

Welcome to the Economics blog for my long term substitute teaching at Westview in 2013! Before I begin with posting updates, let me give you a little introduction to this website.

First off, comments can be made on any post by anyone, and they can be anonymous (though I would really prefer that you leave your name - by selecting "Name/URL" on the right, underneath the comment box - so that I can follow up with you in person). Please try to use good spelling and grammar in your comments! I have to approve the comments before they are posted, so don't worry if you don't see your comment right away. :-)

Secondly, because I will be putting up the class agenda and homework, as well as any interesting links (after class has met), I will attempt to give you ways to download the relevant files and documents you may have missed in class or would be interested in seeing again for your homework (or just because). For instance, here is the course syllabus that I handed out today in class to have signed by you and your parents:

Google Docs: Economics 2013 Course Syallbus

Finally, to contact me personally (other than leaving a comment - which I may or may not see immediately), please e-mail me at luke_fritz@beaverton.k12.or.us - this can always be found by clicking on "View My Complete Profile" on the right, where my picture is, then clicking on "Email" on the left sidebar. I will get back to you ASAP! Again, please use grammatically correct language and spelling, to the best of your ability. It really is appreciated and will go a long way for you in the future!

I know it might be a lot to take in, but hopefully we will all get used to it! I envision this blog as a place where you will be able to come to converse with your classmates and me, as well as get all the latest assignments, updates from class, and further information.

If you have any questions or comments, please never hesitate to let me know!

Welcome again - thanks for visiting. Please bookmark this site and come back soon! :-)