AP Economics
| Department | Social Studies |
|---|---|
| Length | Year |
| Teacher(s) | Mr. Lyons Ms. Linsdell |
AP Economics is a Social Studies course. It teaches the material for the AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics exams.
Course Catalog Description
The course will follow the syllabus approved by the College Board. The first semester's work will focus on microeconomics. The second semester will cover macroeconomics. Students are encouraged to take the AP examinations in micro and macroeconomics.
- Homework Expectation: Approximately 0-3 hours per week (with possibly more prior to the AP exams)
Textbook
Krugman's Economics from the AP Course, 4th edition
Grading Policies
In Mr. Lyons' class, grades are assigned for tests (50 points per unit), practice tests (5 points per unit), class participation (20 points per semester), and the final exam (100 points). There are no midterms. There is no penalty for missing tests; the score for that unit will be inputted as the score on the final exam for that unit.
Should I take this course?
This course covers more material than regular Economics, teaching the content of 2 AP tests in 1 year. However, the material is not especially difficult and is often rather intuitive and relevant to the real-world. Thus, this course is recommended if you are interested in economics at a more theoretical level and are willing to study a little more.
Though there are formulas to memorize for this course, all of the math is at an Algebra-1 level. Much of the course is focused on drawing, interpreting, and manipulating graphs (ex. supply and demand, cost of production, etc.). There are few to no essays or papers, unlike previous social studies courses, and the logic is very math-like. As such, AP Economics resembles an easy science course or even a math course more than it resembles a social studies course.
Mr. Lyons is known for assigning no formal homework, though he tells students to read from the textbook and take practice tests to study for tests. Some class time is given for these activities.