YEAR 11 ECONOMICS COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Outline
Overview
The 10 Level Economics syllabus aims to enable candidates to understand economic terminology, concepts and theories, use basic economic numeracy and interpret economic data, use the tools of economic analysis, express economic ideas logically and clearly in a written form and apply economic understanding to current economic issues. This course also develops skills of communication, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of both qualitative and quantitative economics data information by creating a link to real-life examples.
Learning Outcomes
The aims are to enable students to:
- know and understand economic terminology, concepts, and theories
- use basic economic numeracy and interpret economic data
- use the tools of economic analysis
- express economic ideas logically and clearly in a written form
- apply economic understanding to current economic issues.
Unit Overviews
Term 1
Section 5 Economic development
Approximate length: 6 weeks
As an economy develops there will be changes in population, living standards, poverty, and income redistribution. Therefore, the effects of changes in the size and structure of population and of other influences on development in a variety of countries are explored.
Cambridge International Curriculum Standards
- To be able to define Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
- To be able to describe and have a general understanding of the causes and consequences of economic growth.
- To be able to define the term recession.
- Should be able to describe simple measures and indicators of comparative living standards, such as GDP per head, Human Development Index.
- To be able to describe why some countries are classified as developed and others are not.
- Should be able to describe the difference between absolute and relative poverty.
- To be able to recognize and discuss policies to alleviate poverty.
- Should be able to describe the factors that affect population growth (birth rate, death rate, fertility rate, net migration) and discuss reasons for different rates of growth in different countries.
- To be able to analyze the problems and consequences of these population changes for countries at different stages of development.
- To be able to discuss differences in living standards within countries and between countries, both developed and developing.
- To be able to describe the effects of changing size and structure of population on an economy.
Section 6 International trade and globalization
Approximate length: 7 weeks
This unit describes the advantages and disadvantages of specialization at regional and national levels, making use of the concepts of absolute and comparative advantage. It then considers the structure of the current account of the balance of payments. The causes and consequences of current account deficits and surpluses are examined. The causes and consequences of exchange rate fluctuations are also considered. Finally, it explores how domestic industries can be protected from foreign competition and the contrasting merits of protectionism and free trade.
Cambridge International Curriculum Standards
- To be able to describe the benefits and disadvantages of specialization
- To be able to describe the structure of the current account of the balance of payments.
- To be able to discuss the causes and consequences of current account deficits and surpluses.
- Should be able to define exchange rates.
- To be able to discuss the causes and consequences of exchange rate fluctuations.
- To be able to describe methods of protection.
- To be able to discuss the merits of free trade and protection.
General teaching methodologies will include Online and Face to Face (Blended) learning, Face to face students will be in class while online learners will log in remotely and follow the instructor, who will have the laptop camera facing the smartboard. Teaching will be done using a combination of writing and illustrating on the smartboard and PowerPoint presentations. This should include a combination of oral and visual methods to differentiate instruction modes to cater to student preferences effectively.
Use of Phoenix to allocate differentiated activities catering to varying learning abilities of the students – these online activities will include quizzes, assignments, research-based projects, digital group activities and formative tests.
Feedback to students will be given through the Gems Phoenix platform. Feedback will include rubrics, teacher, and peer marking.
Questions from students – time allocated to allow students the opportunity to ask questions and give written and oral feedback through digital platforms.
