How reliable are the GDP statistics?

After what factors go into figuring the GDP for a country your assignment was to build a table of the most recent statistics available for the GDP of five countries of your choice.  Now, read a little further in your book to determine some of the problems or difficulties encountered in determining a country's GDP.  Using the countries you chose for your table, briefly explain how the factors outlined in your book could affect the statisitcs of these countries.  Which countries are likely to have which factors affect their reporting?

Print out your findings and your table to bring with you to class on Tuesday for discussion.

Economics Article

Using the online economics magazines linked on my class blog (upper left corner), find an article relating to any aspect of ecnomics that interests you.  Read the article, understand what it is saying and write a blog entry explaining the topic, the details of the article and why you found this particular article of interest.  You should include the link to the article as well as one picture relating to the topic.

Weekly report of stock trading

Write a detailed report outlining what stocks you now hold, what they have done, why you have made any purchases or sales and what are you thinking of purchasing this week.  Explain what the market is doing and what has been the important news surrounding the price of your companies.

What drives the price of goods? Supply and demand in real life.

The video we viewed in class demonstrates the relationship between the demand and supply of goods and how these factors establish the price of goods.  While watching the video you should take notes on how you see these factors working.  Upon completion of the video, you will complete two brief blog entries detailing the examples of water and oil discussed in the video, relating them to the subjects discussed in class.
http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=353

October Report of Stock Holdings

Stockholders’ Meeting:

Friday:

·       Present your stock information

·       Price purchased

·       Activity in October

·       Current price

·       Current status: loss or gain

·       Explain why it is where it is.

Find one new stock you are considering and explain why.

Your Portfolio

Your assignment is to write a brief synopsis of the companies that you have chosen to invest in.  In your post you should include the company's website, some information about recent news regarding the company, some information about the history of the price of their stock (also include how many shares you own and at what price you bought them) and one picture helping to illustrate something important about each company.  Please complete one post for each company in which you own stock.

Playing the Stock Market

This week we have been playing a game: purchasing stocks with our imaginary million dollars.  Students are watching their investments and learning about what makes the markets tick.  Next week (if the markets stabilize), we will each be investing real money - $1,000 each, courtesy of QSI - but in the meantime, we are trying to find just the right stocks with which to gamble.

http://www.marketwatch.com/

Factors Influencing Demand



click for full article

 Read the article, "Oil is Plentiful, Demand Weak.  Why Are Gas Prices Going Up?" - then post a brief (150 words or more) response about the factors which are influencing the demand for oil.  Identify the key components of the pricing of oil and explain why they seem to not be working the way we would expect.  With your post, please include at least two pictures and the link for the article that you are reviewing. 

Karl Marx

"The worker becomes all the poorer the more wealth he produces."  Who was Karl Marx?  There are varying opinions on the man and his ideas.  To many, he is known as the father of communism but to many he is also known as a great thinker and philosopher. 

Your task is to conduct internet research to find out more about this historic figure.  What was his early life like?  What were his greatest ideas and accomplishments and how did they come about?  These are a few of the questions you should attempt to answer.  Your assignment is to write a 300 word minimum explanation of the life of Karl Marx.  Please include at least two pictures in your posting to help illustrate relevant aspects of his life.