Thursday, January 28, 2016

Thursday, 28 January

Mr. Zartler offers the following argument for handmade flash cards for the vocabulary test: "Handwriting Helps You Learn"

Class turned in their Future Timelines.

Class completed a K-W-L sheet to help Mr. Zartler plan.

Students received a list of vocabulary and definitions; there will be a test on these words on Thursday, 11 February.

Students shared their Timelines in small groups in order to help identify: wants; needs; value; Opportunity Cost; Risk; Investments; and Return on Investments (ROI) in their timelines.

Mr. Zartler introduced the aspect of Economics called "Game Theory" and students considered "The Prisoners' Delimma"

All Government Texts are due by February 5th (this is a graded assignment). Class will go to the Library on 5 February to check out Economics books. Government books may be returned no later than that day to receive credit for this assignment.

Below are the vocabulary words for first test; students should bring flash cards to be check February 5th; there will be a test on these words on February 11th.

Value: the worth of something as measured in goods, services, or a medium of exchange
Wants: something that you would like to have but don't necessarily need
Needs something that you must have to survive
Supply: 1) the total amount of a goods or services available at any given time; 2) A schedule of how much producers are willing and able to sell at all possible prices during some time period. 
Demand: how much consumers are willing and able to buy at all possible prices during some time period
Scarcity: not enough of a certain resource to satisfy people's needs and wants
Goods: real items or things, such as cars, watches, and clothing
Services:  work that is done for other people, such as by waiters, lawyers, nurses, bank tellers, baby sitters, and plumbers
Cost: what is given up in order to obtain something else
Economy: the way in which human resources and natural resources are used to produce goods and services
Opportunity Cost: What is given up in order to obtain something else.
Risk: exposure of something to danger
Return on Investment (ROI): the increase in value of something over time minus the opportunity cost of something over the same time
Budget: a plan of how much money a person, business, government, or organization is able to spend and how it will be spent
Income: the money a person gets from salary or wages, profits, interest, investments, and other sources
Capital: 1) money used to generated additional wealth; 2)human-made items, such as machines and tools, that are used to produce goods and services
Investment: the risking of money and time to get something in return (usually interest or other income)
Credit: money loaned, usually for a fee, that must be paid back
Principal: a sum of money in an account, not including interest earned; in a loan, the original amount of money borrowed
Interest: the money a person pays to borrow money, or the money a bank pays depositors for using their money; often expressed as an annual percentage of interest (increase)
Debt :1) money owed when someone or a government buys something or credit or borrow money
Consumer: someone who buys and uses goods and services
Producer: the people or businesses that provide goods and services
market
Market: A setting where buyers and sellers establish prices for identical or very similar products, and exchange goods and/or services. 

Notes for Class: Thursday, 28 January

Game Theory
Game theory is widely regarded as having its origins in the mid-nineteenth century with the publication in 1838 of Augustin Cournot's Researches into the Mathematical Principles of the Theory of Wealth, in which he attempted explain the underlying rules governing the behaviour of duopolists. However, it was with the publication in 1944 ofJohn von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern's The Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour that the modern principles of game theory were formulated.  Game theory has been widely applied to the behaviour of producers with a few or only one competitor.
What is a game?
All games have the following:
  1. Rules, which govern conduct of the players
  2. Pay-offs, such as win, lose or draw
  3. Strategies, which influence the decision making process.
In applying game theory to the behaviour of firms we can suggest that firms face a number of strategic choices which govern their ability to achieve a desired pay-off, including:
Decisions on price and output, such as whether to:
·       Raise
·       Lower
·       Hold
Decisions on products, such as whether to:
·       Keep existing products
·       Develop new ones
Decisions on promoting products, such as whether to:
·       Spend more on advertising
·       Spend less
·       Keep spending constant
Firms could derive a range of possible pay-offs from their strategy choices, including:
·       More profits for shareholders
·       Greater market share
·       Improved chances of survival

·       Getting rid of a rival

The Prisoner’s Dilemma
The Prisoner's Dilemma is a simple game which illustrates the choices facing oligopolies. As you read the scenarios, you can play the part of one of the prisoners.
The scenario
Robin and Tom are prisoners:
They have been arrested for a petty crime, of which there is good evidence of their guilt – if found guilty they will receive a 2 year sentence.
During the interview the police officer becomes suspicious that the two prisoners are also guilty of a serious crime, but is not sure he has any evidence.
Robin and Tom are placed in separate rooms and cannot communicate with each other. The police officer tries to get them to confess to the serious crime by offering them some options, with possible pay-offs.
The options
Each is told that if they both confess to the serious crime they will receive a sentence of 3 years. However, each is also told that if he confesses and his partner does not, then he will get a light sentence of 1 year, and his partner will get 10 years. They know that if they both deny the serious offence they are certain to be found guilty of the lesser offence, and will get a 2 year sentence.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Tuesday, 26 January, 2016 Part II: Economics

Students were asked to take a pretest of their knowledge of Economics .

Then the class read this opinion piece about young people and work Local Kids would rather play Xbox than make money shoveling. It’s pitiful.. The class then discussed the piece.

Next, students were given a graphic organizer to help them think about their future goals (further below). Students are to create an illustrated timeline based on this graphic organizer for next class (30 point summative assignment).


Name ______________________________________________________ Date _______________________ Period _______
Your (Financial) Future (What do I want? Where do I want to be? What don’t I want?): Timeline
    Your future begins now, and now, and now. Choices you make today and tomorrow will affect your tomorrow and all your other tomorrows. While eating a tub of ice cream right now may create immediate satisfaction, it may also limit your choices for later. (Yes that is a simplified metaphor.) Dream big! But, if you don’t plan big, it’s unlikely you can fulfill those dreams. What do you think will make you happy? When you know where you’re going, it’s easier to find the path that will get you there.
    After creating some goals for your future, you are to make an illustrated timeline of your goals. Your timeline should include choices you will make in order to help make your goals reality. Use the back of the sheet to list common (or not so common steps to achieving goals).

2 Years:
5 Years:
10 Years:
30 Years:
50 Years:
Where do you imagine living?
Be specific about your living situation. Create  a list of what you need as well as what you may want.





What do you imagine will do to pay for your lifestyle? Is this something you really enjoy or is it something that “pays the bills”?





Will you need to do or not do something in order to achieve a goal (live the vision you have later in life)?





What do you want to spend free time doing? What do you know about these activities, do they require any special tools, equipment, monthly payments?





Who will be part of your life?







Other parts of your vision and dreams: