Enrichment Experience Mandala (Grades 9-12)
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Economics/Economics Honors
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Economic decisions affect us every day of our lives. Understanding economics means thinking about how scarcity, or limited resources, requires us to make choices and evaluate one option against others. In this course, you will recognize examples of economics in your daily life. You will see how the economic choices of larger groups, like businesses and governments, affect you and others. As you progress through the course, you will recognize that the costs and benefits of choices connect individuals and groups around the world.
The purpose of this course is to help you become a smart consumer who understands the flow of an economy between individuals, businesses, governments, and the rest of the world.
Note: content varies depending on course version. For currently enrolled students, please refer to the syllabus located in the course information area for curriculum specifics.
Competencies
Economic Concepts
Students will demonstrate an understanding of economic concepts by summarizing fundamental economic questions, evaluating opportunity cost, explaining supply and demand, and explaining the role of currency.
Money Management
Students will demonstrate an understanding of money management by differentiating wants and needs, explaining considerations for saving and investing, and describing budget plans.
Entrepreneurial Business
Students will demonstrate an understanding of entrepreneurial business by explaining types of entrepreneurial businesses, summarizing business hurdles, and explaining ways to ensure efficient money management.
Macroeconomic Concepts
Money and the Federal Government Competency Statement: Students will demonstrate an understanding of money and the Federal Government by explaining federal involvement in money management, explaining the value fluctuation of money, and analyzing the health of the nation’s money.
Monetary Value in Economic Systems
Students will demonstrate an understanding of monetary value in economic systems by explaining types of economic systems, comparing goals of a country’s economics, and explaining the value of a dollar.
The Effects of Money Movement
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the effects of money movement by summarizing money movement, explaining the intended and unintended consequences of money movement, and explaining the effects of eminent domain.
Major Topics and Concepts
Segment I:
Economic Basics
- 01.00 Welcome to Economics
- 01.01 How Do I Plan for Success?
- 01.02 What Is Economics?
- 01.03 Why Can’t I Have It All?
- 01.04 Demand
- 01.05 Supply
- 01.06 The Soap Opera of Supply and Demand
- 01.07 The Green and What It Means
- 01.08 What’s the Big Idea? Discussion-Based Assessment
- 01.09 Economic Basics Exam
It All Begins With You
- 02.00 It All Begins With You
- 02.01 Is It a Want or a Need?
- 02.02 Sharing With Uncle Sam?
- 02.03 Save, Invest, or Spend?
- 02.04 Why Budget?
- 02.05 What’s the Big Idea?
- 02.06 It All Begins With You Exam
Taking Care of Business
- 03.00 Taking Care of Business
- 03.01 Could You Be an Entrepreneur?
- 03.02 What are Factors of Production?
- 03.03 Who Is the Boss?
- 03.04 Selling It!
- 03.05 Getting the Most for Your Money
- 03.06 Building a Better Business
- 03.07 What’s the Big Idea? Discussion-Based Assessment
- 03.08 Taking Care of Business Exam
Getting Political
- 04.00 Getting Political
- 04.01 Ultimate Roller Coaster
- 04.02 Should the Government Control the Economy?
- 04.03 How Does the Fed Affect Me?
- 04.04 The Fed’s Toolbox
- 04.05 Uncle Sam’s Toolbox
- 04.06 What’s the Big Idea? Discussion-Based Assessment
- 04.07 Getting Political Exam
Thinking Globally
- 05.00 Thinking Globally
- 05.01 How Economists’ Ideas Affect Us
- 05.02 How Can We Organize an Economy?
- 05.03 What are My Country’s Goals?
- 05.04 Why Do Countries Trade?
- 05.05 Should Free Trade Be A Goal?
- 05.06 Does Inflation Matter?
- 05.07 What’s the Big Idea?
- 05.08 Thinking Globally Exam
Circular Flow
- 06.00 Circular-Flow
- 06.01 Economic Relationships
- 06.02 What Are Externalities?
- 06.03 How Do Externalities Affect You?
- 06.04 What’s the Big Idea? Discussion-Based Assessment
- 06.05 Circular Flow Project
- 06.06 Segment Exam
Closed
Experiences allow students to demonstrate mastery of competencies through various real-world or hands-on learning opportunities, such as travel, service learning, independent study, internships or entrepreneurship. During an experience, students elect to meet all or some of the competencies in a particular competency group (ie. English 1, Economics, Biology, …), as an alternative to taking the course. Each experience is customized to the student’s opportunity. The student works with a VLACS instructor to determine deliverables that demonstrate mastery of the competencies and secures an outside expert to enrich the experience.
In Experiences students will:
- Meet weekly with their instructor.
- Secure an outside expert.
- Plan the experience prior to completing it. Credit is not awarded for experiences completed prior to enrollment and completion of the planning process.
- For many experiences, spend time at a business or other location.
Types of Experiences:
Independent Study
By signing up for an independent study, you will be able to direct your own learning, identifying what you want to learn and how you will demonstrate that you have mastered your learning objectives.
Internship
Internships allow you to gain professional experience, make connections, and become familiar with a career while working on site with mentors and professionals in a career of your interest.
Travel
While travel can be a great experience for learning life lessons, it is also an excellent way to acquire the knowledge and skills that allow you to demonstrate mastery in a variety of competencies. The world is a classroom and travel experiences will connect your real-world experiences to the learning that you seek.
Service Learning
In-Service Learning, you collaborate with members of your community to address issues to improve your community. You will connect your service with discipline-specific content so that learning can take place through problem solving and collaboration.
Entrepreneurship
Starting your own business is a great way to learn. This type of experience allows you to engage in an entrepreneurial experience and receive credit for competencies you master through this experience.
Competencies
Economic Concepts
Students will demonstrate an understanding of economic concepts by summarizing fundamental economic questions, evaluating opportunity cost, explaining supply and demand, and explaining the role of currency.
Money Management
Students will demonstrate an understanding of money management by differentiating wants and needs, explaining considerations for saving and investing, and describing budget plans.
Entrepreneurial Business
Students will demonstrate an understanding of entrepreneurial business by explaining types of entrepreneurial businesses, summarizing business hurdles, and explaining ways to ensure efficient money management.
Macroeconomic Concepts
Money and the Federal Government Competency Statement: Students will demonstrate an understanding of money and the Federal Government by explaining federal involvement in money management, explaining the value fluctuation of money, and analyzing the health of the nation’s money.
Monetary Value in Economic Systems
Students will demonstrate an understanding of monetary value in economic systems by explaining types of economic systems, comparing goals of a country’s economics, and explaining the value of a dollar.
The Effects of Money Movement
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the effects of money movement by summarizing money movement, explaining the intended and unintended consequences of money movement, and explaining the effects of eminent domain.
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