Macroeconomic Model Comparison:
This project is a
creative activity that summarizes and compares the four primary macroeconomic
models studied during the semester (i.e. Classical, Keynesian, Monetarist, Rational Expectations/New Classical). Each group may choose
the way to present such summary/comparison – cartoon, poster, booklet, music,
or some other kind of visual – as long as it makes full use of the 20-minute
time requirement. Each group will present before the class during the week we
address Macroeconomic Theories (11/24-26). Chapter 17 will be especially helpful in
providing information relevant to this project.
As members of teaching teams, you will
plan, present, and teach your classmates new economic concepts twice during the
semester. This project will not only teach you more about macroeconomic issues,
it will also help you develop and practice life skills that will make you a
very desirable college applicant and employee.
These projects are each worth 100 points (10% of each quarter & 10%
of the semester grade. There will be
individual accountability (through confidential anonymous peer assessment) as
well as group accountability.
Group projects will be assigned with
predetermined presentation dates and student groups will be determined by the
instructor. Each group will then be
responsible for researching and effectively teaching the topic to “their"
class. When teaching, all members of the teaching team
will take an active role in the lesson.
Because individual accountability will also be assessed during the
presentation, all group members must be prepared to answer questions and
present the information (yes, even in the absence of one or more team
members). The lesson should be at least
20 minutes in length and should include a means of determining your lesson's
success. While other groups are
teaching, each person in class will take notes on the information being
presented as the information will be important to future projects and/or exams.
Criteria for Grading Lessons: Grades will be awarded on several
levels. Presentation will be worth a
possible 80 points. These points can be
subdivided into 4 areas: 5 possible points for creativity, 50 possible points
for topic information, 15 points for individual accountability [to be determined by performance & peer evaluation], and 10 points for
professionalism. Lesson plans will also
be required of each teaching team. These
lesson plans will be worth up to 20 points and must include explanations regarding
your teaching strategy (i.e. why and how did you decide upon the teaching
strategy utilized?) a
typed outline of your presentation, and use of resources in addition to the
course text, (a bibliography must be turned in). As added incentive, up to 5 bonus points may
also be awarded for creating props, handouts, typed information, and/or an
exceptional presentation.
Note: Possible teaching styles include:
1.
Verbal/Linguistic: This style consists mainly of giving out
information and calling for it to be repeated to you. Ask questions, use riddles, what if 's,
graphic organizers such as webbing or compare & contrast visuals, charts,
ranking ladders, outlines, debates, acronyms, or word associations. Your information should be clear,
to-the-point, and easy to read.
2.
Musical/Rhythmic: This technique incorporates music. Use musical associations, create songs, teach
an informative rap, tell stories with a chorus
for your students to repeat, use jingles.
3.
Kinesthetic: Use your bodies to get your point
across. Play charades, do role plays,
use puppets, location spectrums, game shows.
Involving your students in some kind of physical activity is always
helpful.
4.
Visual: if they can see it, your students will
be more likely to understand it. Create posters,
drawings, pictures, cartoons, diagrams, or jigsaw puzzles to teach your
topic. You may even use video as long as
it is appropriate for the classroom.
Teaching
Project Grading Breakdown:
Possible
Presentation:
Creativity: 5
points
Information:
50
points
Individual
Accountability (determined by performance & peer evaluation)
15
points
Professionalism 10
points
Lesson
Plans (to be turned in)
Justification
of (reasons for) teaching strategy 5
points
Outline
of Lesson information (typed) 5
points
Outside
Information (beyond text book: work cited & copies required): 10 points
Bonus Points
Creating
props,
handouts,
typed info,
exceptional presentation (up
to) 5 points
Total: 100
points
National
History Day Documentary/Exhibit Project: (optional
replacement for Paper #2).
In
an effort to foster historical research, analysis, and interpretation while
developing student creativity and technology skills, students groups (of 3-5
students) may create Macroeconomics oriented video documentaries as a first
semester research project (as a substitution for Paper #2). These
documentaries, because they are based upon the National History Day documentary
category requirements, will be eligible for entry into the Archbishop McCarthy
Social Studies Fair in January and may subsequently earn a trip to Social
Studies competitions at the County, State, and National levels. Documentaries must meet the following general
and documentary-specific criteria as outlined in the National History Day Contest Rule Book 2007-2008:
**Please
note that the following requirements have been developed +/or reproduced from
the National History Day Contest Rule
Book 2008-2009:
[General
Guidelines for Documentaries and Exhibits]
Annual Theme: Your entry must be clearly related to the annual theme and
explain your topic’s significance in history. ** This year’s Theme is “The Individual
in History: Actions & Legacies”
Group Entries: All students in a group entry must be involved in the research
and interpretation of the group’s topic.
Construction of
Entry: You are responsible for the research,
design, and creation of your entry. You may receive help and advice from teachers and parents on the
mechanical aspects creating your entry.
Title: Your entry must have a title that is clearly visible on all
written materials.
Title Page: Required as the first
page of submitted written material.
Process Paper: A process paper is a
description of no more than 500 words explaining how you conducted your research and created your documentary.
Annotated
Bibliography: An
annotated bibliography is required for all documentaries. It should contain all
sources that provided usable information or
new perspectives in preparing your entry. You will look at many more sources than you actually use. You should
list only those sources that contributed to the development of your entry.
Sources of visual materials and
oral interview must be included. The annotation for each source must explain
how you used the source and how
it helped you understand your topic. Annotations of web sites should include a
description of who sponsors the site.
***
Please note that you must separate your
bibliography into primary and secondary sources. Some sources
may
be considered as either primary or secondary. Use your annotations to explain
your reasoning for classifying any
sources
that are not clearly primary or secondary. Listing a source under both primary
and secondary is inappropriate.
Sample
Bibliographic Reference:
Bates, Daisy. The Long Shadow of
Sample
Annotation associated with the sample reference above
Daisy
Bates was the president of the Arkansas NAACP and the one who met and listened
to the students each day. This first
hand account was very important to our documentary because it made us more
aware of the feelings of the people
involved.
Style
Guides: Style for
citations and bibliographic references must follow MLA format
[Documentary Specific Guidelines]
A
documentary should reflect your ability to use audiovisual equipment to
communicate your topic’s significance, much as professional documentaries do. The documentary
category will help you develop skills in using photographs, film, video,
audiotapes, computers, and graphic presentations. Your presentation should
include primary materials but must also be an original production.
Time
Requirements: Documentaries may not exceed 10 minutes in
length!!! Timing will begin when the first visual image of the presentation appears and/or the first sound of the
presentation is heard. Color bars and other visual leads in a video will be counted in the time
limit. Timing will end when the last visual image or sound of the presentation concludes (this includes
credits).
Introduction: You must announce only the title of
your presentation and names of the participants. Live narration and
comments prior to or during the presentation are prohibited.
Student Production: All entries must be student-produced.
You must operate all equipment. You must provide the
narration, voice-over, and dramatization. Only those
students listed as group members (entrants) may participate in the
production or appear on camera. **Note: this does not
include interviews of participants in a historical event or of experts.
Entry Production: Your entry must be an original
production. You may use professional photographs, film, slides,
recorded music, etc. within your presentation. However, you
must integrate such items into your presentation and give
proper credit within the presentation as well as in your
annotated bibliography. You must operate all editing
equipment used in the production of your presentation.
(**Note: Using material created by others specifically for use
in your project (entry) violates this rule, except that
which already exists).
Credits: At the conclusion of the documentary,
you should provide a general list of acknowledgements and credits for all sources. These credits should
be a brief list and not full bibliographic citations. All sources (music,
images, film/media clips, interviews,
books, websites) used in the making of the documentary should be properly cited
in the annotated bibliography.
Displays: Stand alone
displays are prohibited.