Choose
ONE of the following options for your final economics project.
·
Option 1 – Current Events News Cast (Group of up to 3)
·
Option 2-Create an Economics or Government Board Game (Group of up to 2)
Option 3 – Economics or Government Video (Group of up to 3)
· Option 4 – Economic or Government Music Video (Group of up to 3
·
Option 5 – Complete a full budget for your first year of college (Individual)
·
Option 6 -Think of a project (First ask me to get approval) (Size varies with project,
get approval first!)
If you
choose to work in a group, remember that one group grade will be given. If your group members do not work, it will be
taken out on your group grade as well.
*Broken
printers and computers will not be excused. Email if you can’t print it. The
school has several computers and printers available for student use. Plagiarism
will not be tolerated.
Be sure to cite
all sources using MLA citations (visit www.citationmachine.net, if you do not
you will receive a zero.
Option 1: News Cast
Many events have perspired over the course
of this semester, if not the school year. We have discussed a few of these
current events in class. Now it is your
job to summarize a few of those current events in a simulated News Cast.
You need to take any FIVE current events
topics related to economics
(it may even be one that we haven’t really covered in class) and transform them
into a newscast of at least five (5)
minutes. This does NOT include the
previews or the credits or commercials. Watch the news a few times to get an
idea of how it is supposed to look.
Requirements to be
turned in as a hard copy:
ü Script: Must be typed
ü Print out of the Current Event topics.
Presentation: This
project can be performed live in class if you do not have access to a video
camera and editing software. Remember
this video is supposed to be informative in nature and can be used to teach
students about economics and how it pertains to high school students.
Use the grading
rubric to help you create your video.
Option 2: Board Game
Your task is to design and create a board game suitable for
teaching the basic terms and concepts of economics or government to junior high
students. Try to create an original and
enjoyable game, because you might be teaching actual junior high students to
play it.
Use your textbook, the library, the Internet, and any other
resources that are available to you to learn about these terms and concepts.
Finally, construct the actual game, including all its components and a set of
clearly written instructions. Rubric is available online at http://new.schoolnotes.com/msdicola/
Remember to keep your vocabulary on a level that is
appropriate for the players. Also, do
not assume that they have any prior knowledge of economics or government.
Option 3: Economics Video
Yes folks,
you have had to sit through them in class, and complain about them in class,
and wonder when they were last created. Well, now it is your turn to be the
creative mastermind behind an educational economics or government video.
You can
take any economic or government topic that you wish (it may even be one that we
haven’t really covered in class) and transform it into a video of at least five
(5) minutes (that doesn’t include the previews or the credits).
Remember
this video is supposed to be informative in nature and can be used to teach
students about economics and how it pertains to high school students.
Option 4: Music Video
You can
take any economic or government topic that you wish (it may even be one that we
haven’t really covered in class) and transform it into a music video of at
least three (3) minutes long (that doesn’t include shout outs or the credits).
You can
take the words to an existing song and change them or create your own from
scratch. Either way, be sure that it includes at least 15-20 different
economic/government concepts/ vocabulary that are all relevant.
Option 5: Planning for College
GRADED COMPONENTS
All written work and research for your
final MUST BE submitted as follows:
1. Bound in a three ring binder
2. All pages numbered except the cover page,
table of
contents, and resume page.
3. The following sections will be included in
addition to the three
aforementioned pages:
a. Location description and
rationale
b. Job description and rationale
c. Residence description and
rationale
d. Necessities description and
consumer logic
e. Final budget in addition to all
“drafts” and/or “scrap” paper used
to prepare it.
f. A “Discoveries” section (to be described later).
g. Visual aids
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
YOU
HAVE…
·
$500.00 cash
·
A major credit card
with a $5,000.00 credit limit and a fixed APR of 18% on all categories.
·
A sufficient
wardrobe
·
The following debt(s)
in addition to any you incur to complete the project objectives:
a. If you choose to buy an automobile your insurance will
be
$80.00 /mo.
b. If your residence does not INLCUDE utilities you must get
a utilities quote from me.
c. If your job requires a degree/certification beyond high
school you must assume the following debt
load and
calculate the following to find the monthly
payment:
ALL OF THESE BASED
ON A 20 YEAR TERM
-
High school diploma
$0.00
-
2yr.
College/Vocational $18,000.00 at 10% APR
-
4yr College $36,000.00 at 8% APR
-
Beyond a Bachelors
degree $75,000.00 at 6% APR
d. You CAN NOT get a job that requires more than a year’s
experience unless you assume the highest
level of education.
YOU MUST…
·
Get a job
·
Get a place to live
and pay 2 months rent up front.
·
Complement your
residence with at least five items IN ADDITION to a bed (an entire bed…frame, box spring, etc.!) within
the first three months.
·
Provide yourself
with viable transportation by either purchasing a vehicle (must be motorized)
or finding a public transportation option.
**You may only walk to
work if you live within .5 of a mile of
your place of employment.**
·
Create an annual
budget that will accommodate your life using the resources available to you.
YOU CAN NOT…
·
Live with parents,
friends, relatives, etc., etc…YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!
·
Rely on anything
other than the limited list of things you HAVE above.
·
Live outside of the U.S.
·
Join the Armed
Services
***NO USE OF ONLINE AUCTION HOUSES
(EBay) FOR PURCHASES***
PROCEDURE
First, you must choose
a city/town where you will reside and/or a career field you intend to
peruse. Once you know what job(s) you
intend to go after you will want to create an up to date resume that addresses
the qualities your new employer is looking for.
What kind of degree/certification have you attained? Where did you receive it from? What kinds of relevant experiences can you
add? Most of this is going to be
fictional, that is the purpose! Try to
imagine yourself 3? 5? 7? years down the road.
Of course you may need to adjust this depending on where and what you
intend to be doing however, once you decide it is complete you must have
your resume reviewed and approved by Mr. Stein.
Next,
you will need to secure a place to live.
Also, you will need to provide transportation to and from your job and
make the necessary purchases to complement your abode. If you intend to use public transportation
you must be able to document its viability, i.e. a bus schedule. Buying a car means you’ll need to decide
between new and used, make and model, and of course provide an actual cost
analysis.
For every aspect of
this project you must provide ACTUAL documentation. You
will use newspapers, online postings, magazine classifieds, and college posting
boards, etc. in order to do this. Please
make a Xerox copy (do not shred the newspapers of the library by cutting!) of
the advertisement that includes the date and title of the source. For example:
You intend to rent
an apartment in Watertown
provide a copy of the
ACTUAL classified ad or posting that proves the apartment exists. As well, you will need to document its
location and the associated cost(s). If
the advertisement you are looking at does not provide this you will have to
either CALL (research) or find something ELSE.
You must provide a map of its location within the town/city. (Mapquest.com)
*Find phone number origins using the AnyWho search
(http://www.anywho.com/)
BUDGET
You
will need to create a monthly budget that reflects the following:
·
Gross income
·
Net income
·
Required
expenditures
·
Additional
expenditures
·
Discretionary income
You will also be
required to calculate ALL of the interest that has accrued on your debts, as
well as what your outstanding balances look like after the course of ONE year.
VISUAL AIDS
·
Map #1 (road map) – Madrid , NY
·
Map #2 (road map) –
Your new residence to your place of
employment.
·
A pie graph (like p.
25) that shows YOUR annual household budget
·
An “advertisement”
of your life!
- this is very “open ended” and could be in
almost any format. The basic theme is
“This is ME!”. Most commonly this has
been done in a collage style on poster board however I am STRONGLY encouraging
people to look toward PowerPoint slide shows or music videos. ALL presentations must exceed 3 minutes in
length, be organized and coherent.
