How We Do in the 5-2-1

1. How We Do in the 5-2-1 Which Means How We Do Things in AP Economics at Midland High School

2. Daily Grades (Bellringers) • On many days, if not most days, you will have bellringer assignments on the board when you arrive. • Start working on them right away. • Many bellringers will be questions from the textbook. • When completing a bellringer, write the question or prompt in complete sentences on your sheet of paper. • Ugh! OMG! Why?! • Because I will pull questions from these bellringersfor use on the test. • If you have well-written questions and answers on your bellringers and read over them before the test you’re bound to get those questions correct on the test. • Score!

3. Major Grades (Tests and Notes Grades) • Major grades will be announced in advance. • We will review for tests and quizzes the day before they are given. • Quizzes count the same as tests (major grades). I use the term “quiz” to denote that it is halfway through a unit. Quizzes will be graded and available for students to study prior to tests. • The review for tests and quizzes will be in lecture form and stuff written on the white board. There will be no handouts. • You must write the review stuff by hand if you want it. If you try to take a cell phone picture of the stuff on the board I will end the review session. Laziness = No review for you! (Seinfeld reference) • On all free-response questions complete sentences are required for full credit. If I cannot read it an AP test reader cannot read it.

4. Notes Grades • 95-100%  • You have all the notes, including all the graphs, and the notes and graphs are both legible and neat. • You have followed Cornell note format. • You have both summaries and key points/questions in the appropriate margins (summaries at bottom and key points at left). • 85-94% • You have most notes, including most graphs, and things are legible and neat. • You have followed Cornell note format most of the time. • You often have summaries and/or key points in the appropriate margins. • 70-84% • You have most notes, including some graphs, and things are pretty legible. • You have followed Cornell note format most of the time. • You sometimes have summaries and/or key points in the margins. • 60-69% • You have some notes, including some graphs, and I can read if I try real hard. • You sometimes follow Cornell note format. • You rarely or never have summaries or key points in the margins. • Below 60% means you took little or no notes.

5. Returning Graded Papers • You have a folder, alphabetized by last name, in your period’s box at the back of the room. • Do not mess with the boxes or the folders. Do not take them out of alphabetical order. • I do not return graded quizzes until shortly before the test so you can study them. • I typically do not return graded tests. • If you want to know why you received the grade you received, come in during tutorial times (before school or during lunch) to discuss your test. • Aside from minimizing academic dishonesty (cheating), I hold onto the tests because I do give partial credit. • If I release the tests during class I end up with an avalanche of “why did I get ____ score when [insert name of best friend] got _____ score?” • Either I hold onto the graded tests or I stop giving partial credit.  • If there are any concerns about a grade, come see me.

6. Bonus Points! • There are incentives to help you behave and work hard, including: • Dropping lowest daily grade. • Get-out-of-daily-grade free passes. • More benefit of the doubt. • Free time. • Ways to become ineligible for these sweet bonuses: • Cell phone use during class. • Not being quiet and respectful. • Not working when you’re supposed to. • Any academic dishonesty. • Laziness.