Life After the AP Macro Test

Here are some music videos that my students produced after the AP Test this spring.  I also would like to thank Mr. Clifford for the project idea too.  After the exam the class broke off into groups and went to work on producing their videos.  We used iMovie, Garageband, and video cameras as our main tech tools.  In the end we turned them into web streams and uploaded them to my Youtube account.  (that was very simple actually)

Government Regulations & the FDA

FDA Rules Corn Syrup Can't Change Its Name To Corn Sugar

(click here for the article)

Another good currency article

Five spots where the dollar buys a great vacation

(click here for the article)

Greece

(click on to enlarge)

Greek Brain Drain

Greeks are leaving for Germany

(click here for the article)

Summer Vacation

Summer vacation will soon be starting and I will continue to post updates throughout the summer.  The updates will be less frequent but there should be a few updates a week as I myself like to keep up-to-date on the news.  My school releases on the 31st of May and I will be returning to full time in late August.  I hope you had a good school year and hopefully will see some of you at the AP Institute at Carleton College this summer.  Take care and have a good summer!

Ice Cream Economics

Ice cream goes on a crazy streak this summer

(Click here for the article)

Market Structures and Apple

Apple to DOJ: Bite me

(click here for the article)

Good article for currency appreciation, depreciation and discussion on exchange

The euro's parachute drop has no end in sight

(click here to view the article)

Great Video Clip for Many Concepts in Economics

Regulation Conversation Starter

(click on cartoon to enlarge)

Chinese Slowdown?

Calculating the Coming Slowdown in China

(click here for the article)

Supply & Demand of Vital Drugs

Congress acts to ease shortages of vital drugs in FDA overhaul

(click here for the article)

Freeloaders from Stossel

Supply & Demand and Oil

When 'Drill Baby Drill' means 'Export Baby Export'

(click here for the article)

Auto Industry Article

Autoworkers pushed to limit as many plants max out

(click here to view the article)

Mining in Mongolia

(Click here to linked to the radio story, article, and slideshow.)

Interesting Stossel Clip

Market Structures Article (mainly European, but useful)

Google ordered to mend its ways fast or face antitrust action

(click here for the article)

More on gas prices and supply & demand

How Iran could double its oil output

(click here to view the article)

Conflict of Interest?

Why is Jamie Dimon on a Federal Reserve board?

(click here to view the article)

Good Article for an Infrastructure Discussion

USA's creaking infrastructure holds back economy

(click here to view the article)

Chinese Trade Article

U.S. slams Chinese solar panels with new tariffs

(click here for the article)

Supply & Demand Instruction Idea

My colleague and fellow economics instructor (Mark Perry) here at Moorhead High School is taking his economics class to the Tastee-Freez in Moorhead for a lesson in supply and demand.  They will walk on over and have a quick discussion about entrepreneurship with the owner and then by some ice cream.  When they return to the high school they will develop their own supply and demand problems that relate to the Tastee-Freez.  (nice activity for a 90 degree day in the Red River Valley)

The Market for Lost Luggage

Airports Auction Lost Luggage (good clip for a Friday)

(click here to be linked to the video clip)

Facebook Advertising Story from NPR

(click here to be linked to the story)

More Gas Supply & Demand

Unlike the East, gas prices stay stubbornly high out West

(click here for the article)

Article that would be useful in teaching derived demand

Bakken’s slogan: Build, baby, build

Housing summit calls for 5,000 homes in 24 months
More than 350 people from 33 states are attending the sold-out summit, representing developers, builders, investors and others in the construction industry.

(click here to view the article)

Good Information for Students

High-Paying Jobs You Can Get Without a Four-Year Degree

(click here to view the story)

Coffee Artcle for Consumer Expectations

Coffee drinkers may live longer, study suggests

(click here for the article)

Good Article On Facebook

How Facebook Can Live Up To The Hype

(click here for the article)

Great NPR story on the market for organ donation

(click here to be connected to the radio segment and article)

Great Unemployment Article for Micro and Macro

(click here for the article)

Also, when at the article make sure to click on the article picture to view a slideshow about four hot degrees at the moment.  This is a good article for discussing unemployment with Macro and Micro from the resource market perspective.  Enjoy!

Sidewalk Chalk Economics

Here is a small picture from Macro today:

My AP Macro class went outside for part of the hour this morning and worked in teams on the 2005 FRQ Form B questions.  It was nice to have them see the enlarged graphs and actually be able to walk on them too.  For instance they drew a money supply graph, followed by a long aggregate supply and demand, and put together a Phillips Curve to demonstrate what happened on the AD/AS graph.  It was a fun and different way to work with these problems and I am going to try the same thing with Micro this afternoon.  (Cost:  only one box of sidewalk chalk at Target for about $4.00)

Diet Craze Continues

7-Eleven adds low-calorie Slurpee version nationwide

(click here to view the article)

Recession Article

Recession added debt, drained families' savings

(click here for the article)

Regulation?

Economic Development Article (Potential)

Gold! Haiti eyes potential $20 billion bonanza

Companies drilling; neighboring Dominican Republic also plans to get a cut

(click here for the article)

Bulletin Board Ideas From My Classroom

Business Cycle

(click on image to enlarge) 

(Expansion, Peak, Contraction & Trough followed by employment, boom, unemployment, bust and the definitions of a recession and depression) 

Circular Flow (Taken from the Mr. Clifford Explanation)

(click on image to enlarge) 

(This has been extremely useful in teaching AP and the Regular Economics Course.) 

Click here to view his explanation of this topic.

Supply & Demand Wall

(click on to enlarge)

(This includes all the ways the graphs will shift; plus price floors and ceilings in the bottom left.)

Macro Cartoon for Discussion

Debt Slideshow from CNNMoney

How big is our big deficit?

(click here to view the show)

Solar Panels & Incentives

Solar Installers Offer Deals, Gaining Converts

(click here for the article)

Government Regulations

Kraft fined for underweight Oscar Mayer packages

(click here for the article)

Good Article for Macro

Greece could drop euro but tragedy won't follow

(click here for the article)

Used Cars Supply & Demand

As Car Owners Downsize, the Market Is Strong for Their Used S.U.V.’s

(click here for the article)

Video Game Supply & Demand Article

Alternatives to $60 video games

(click here to view the article)

Corporate Tax Breaks

(Interesting video for Macro)

Chocolate: Supply & Demand

Could the Appetite For Chocolate Exceed the World's Supply?

(click here for the article)

Penniless Man

Can Going Without Money Hurt the Economy? One Man's Quest to Be Penniless

(click here for the article)

This article would be a good conversation starter for many concepts in economics.  Take a read!

Scream Follow-up Video

ABC World News Now : Scream Painting Sells for Almost $120 Million

Interesting Video on the Airlines from Nightline

Nightline from ABC News : Airline Fees: Weigh More, Pay More?

Here is the Youtube link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iMvmh3huXI&feature=g-all-shu

Also, make sure to use sensitivity when addressing this issue in class.  Enjoy!

Free Market Cartoon

Another Creation of Value Article

Painting "The Scream" sells for record $120 Million at auction

(click here for the article)

Creation of Value = willingness to pay, scarcity and utility

Competition Article from Mankiw

Competition Is Healthy for Governments, Too

(click here for the article)