TITLE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE: Take Note of Our Economic Terms! -- Submitted by Dina Vashio

1. LEARNING CONTEXT
Describe the purpose, objective, or focus of the learning experience, including:

• the learning standard(s) and the specific performance indicators being assessed;
• a description of where this experience fits into the school or course curriculum; and
• what students need to know and/or be able to do to succeed with this learning experience.

This Learning Experience is based on New York State Social Studies Standard #4 - Economics: The students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decisions-making units function in the U.S. and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.

This learning experience will also incorporate the following N.Y.S. Social Studies Performance Indicators: -Performance Indicator 1.2 -- Define basic economic concepts such as scarcity, supply and demand, markets, opportunity costs, resources, productivity, economic growth, and systems. -Performance Indicator 2.1 -- Identify and collect economic information from standard reference works, newspapers, periodicals, computer data bases, textbooks, and other primary and secondary sources. -Performance Indicator 2.5 -- Present economic information by using media and other appropriate visuals such as tables, charts, and graphs to communicate ideas and conclusions.

There are pertinent connections to other curricular areas such as English Language Arts where students learn to develop appropriate note-taking skills while researching the information using a variety of resources. The students will need to know basic research and writing skills which could be enhanced by teacher-directed demonstrations and oral/overhead projector presentations and strategies. Students will also need to know how to use basic computer skills which will enable them to use the Internet to research specific topics being covered within the Learning Experience (e.g., Encarta Encyclopedia). Is should be noted that this Learning Experience is based on a Learning Unit titled: An Analysis of the Past and Present Economic Systems in the United States and Throughout the World.

2. PROCEDURE
Describe, in narrative form, the actions of students and teachers and the interactions among and between students and teachers, including how the learning experience:

• supports student progress toward attainment of the learning standards;
• reflects current scholarship in your field and "best" classroom practice; and
• incorporates technology (when used) into instruction to enhance learning and to assess student performance.

The students will develop definitions for given words related to economics through teacher directed deductive reasoning. After the students gain basic knowledge of these terms and concepts, they will be asked to write or type them, using a computer, on the DOL Note-taking Guide form. The students will use graphic presentations, where applicable, to further their understanding.

The Teacher will orally present the terms and concepts that relate to economics to the students. The teacher will engage students in thorough discussions of said terms/concepts, and supply graphic presentations (e.g., a teeter-totter for supply and demand, a football with a three seams - top, middle, bottom to represent boom, recession, depression, respectively). Then the teacher will write the definitions as presented orally, which will be accomplished through the use of a computer (with optional capacity for an overhead projector), or the use of a chalkboard. While using the computer, the teacher will demonstrate, how to successfully complete the DOL Note-Taking Guide form. This form will be posted on the classroom wall as a display chart for students to refer to as needed.

3. INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS
Describe the procedures used to accommodate the range of abilities in the classroom, including students with disabilities, limited english proficiency, or bilingual students, such as:

• instructional modifications made; and
• physical modifications of the classroom setting.

Instructional Modifications: The teacher will repeat instruction of terms not understood by students by redirecting oral presentations which included different and additional examples/situations, as needed. Use of larger print, italics, bold type and/or underlining/highlighting for emphasis would be employed. Students that may encounter difficulty copying information could be paired with another student (pair-share) to act as scribe or typist. The completed form would then be photo copied or printed for students' reference. The teacher could record the terms/concepts on a tape recorder for students having difficulty with reading. This could also be used as a study tool for all students. Teacher could make a set of term-definition matching cards out of construction paper which students would use as review guides/manipulative. There cards could be used at their seats or placed on a chart with pockets for easy viewing. The teacher would check matched pairs for accuracy and direct changes as needed.

Environmental Modification: Desks would be arranged to work in pairs, if needed. An area for a tape recorder/earphones would be set up so that students have easy access at all times.

4. TIME REQUIRED
For each aspect of the learning experience, state the amount of time for:

• planning;
• implementation (note the length of your class period, where appropriate, and the number of days to implement the experience); and
• assessment

Planning, Implementation, and Assessment Time: Approximately 2 days

5. RESOURCES
Please note any extraordinary or unique resources (human or material) needed to successfully complete this experience:

• for the student; and
• for the teacher

For the Student: DOL Note-Taking Guide form, pencil, pen, contrasting highlighting markers, computer, tape recorder/earphones.

For the Teacher: List of economic terms/concepts, chalk, chalkboard, eraser, pencil, pen, highlighters of contrasting colors, blank tape, tape recorder construction paper (any color), paper cutter or scissors, DOL Note-Taking Guide form, computer with Internet (and optional overhead projector capacity), and Grade 8 Social Studies textbook.

6. ASSESSMENT PLAN
Describe the:

• manner in which students are involved in developing assessment criteria, maintaining an awareness of their progress, and reflection on their work;
• techniques used to collect evidence of student progress toward meeting the learning standards' performance indicators (e.g. , observation, group discussions, journal writing, use of alternative testing techniques); and
• tools used to document student progress (e.g., scoring guides, rating scales, check-lists). Please submit these tools.

Techniques Used to Collect Student Progress: A word-definition matching quiz, using matching cards and/or teacher-made tests with similar matching techniques would be implemented. The teacher may also elect to use students' oral presentation of the definitions using teacher observation/analysis.

Tools Used to Document Student Progress: Teacher records grades of tests in gradebook and tracks scores on a monthly basis. An immediate review of unknown terms/concepts, provided by teacher, would follow with student discussion and teacher observation.

7. STUDENT WORK
Send three or four samples of student work:

• that reflect different levels of student performance; and
• include comments reflecting the basis for teacher's assessment.

Students' work consists of completed DOL Note-Taking Guide form for two, Grade 8 students.

8. REFLECTION
Please offer personal comments on the learning experience:

• why this lesson was developed for the specific learning standard(s) and performance indicator(s);
• what you learned from implementing this lesson; and
• how the lesson was reviewed by peers prior to submission and what you learned from the review.

Throughout this learning experience, the teacher would employ as many adaptive educational techniques as possible which would meet the needs of all learners with different multiple learning intelligences (refer to Educational/Environmental Modifications for potential examples). While employing such techniques, this would further assure and support that students would attain the learning standards. Through the use of technology, connections to other learning standards, particularly, N.Y.S. Science and Technology, Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Social Studies Learning Standard would be expanded. Reflecting on the aforementioned, it can be concluded that this learning experience depicts current scholarship and commendable classroom practices which meet the established N.Y.S. Standards.