Lesson Plan II

Titleoflesson:MeasuringOurEconomyUsingGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)

YourName:JoshuaGuastella

Lengthoflesson:55minutes

ContextofLesson:Yesterday,thestudentswereintroducedtotheconceptofGDPand
measuringtheeconomy.Inthislesson,thestudentswilllearnmoreindepthaboutGDP
andthefourcomponentsthateconomistsusetocalculateGDP.Aftertoday,thestudents
willlearnaboutadjustingGDPforinflation.Thisunitstartsthemacroeconomicsportionof
thesemester,wherethefirstcomponentofmacroeconomicsislearninghoweconomists
measuretheeconomyandtheleadingmeasureoftheeconomyisGDP.

Overview:TodaylessonfocusesonGDPandthefourcomponentsthatGDPiscomprised
of.EconomistsuseGDPtoaccuratelymeasureanationseconomy.Thestudentswilltake
guidednotesonGDPandasaclasswillreadaplaythatdealswithfindingdifferent
componentsofGDP.Afterthestudentsreadtheplayasaclass,theywillthenhavea
formativeassessmentaboutwhatarethefourcomponentsofGDPandprovideandexplain
twoexamplesforeachcomponent.

Centralproblem/Essentialquestion:HowdoesGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)accurately
measureanationseconomicgrowth?

Objectives:

Studentswillknow/beableto:
DefineGDPandexplainthefourcomponentsthatmakeupGDP(HSCES2.1.5)

Anticipatedstudentconceptionsorchallengestounderstanding:GDPisonlycomprisedof
allFINALgoodsandservicesproducedinanationinoneyear.Theconceptofonlyfinal
goodscanbeconfusingtostudents.IntermediategoodsarenotcalculatedinGDP.
Therefore,tomediatethischallenge,attheendofmyPowerPointlectureonGDP,Iwill
givepracticeproblemstothestudents.Thesewillhelpthestudentsunderstandeachofthe
fourcomponentsofGDPmoreclearly.

Materials/Evidence/Sources:
GDPPowerPoint
Ch.13GuidedNotes
IslandGDPActivity(Play)
GDPFormativeAssessment

InstructionalSequence:

1. Thefirststepofthelessonincludesgoingoverwhattheclasslearnedyesterday.The
teacherwillaskthestudents,Cananyonetellmewhatisonewaythateconomists
measuretheeconomy?TheteacherwillbelookingforthestudentstosayGross
DomesticProduct(GDP).Theteacherwillthensaythattheclasswillbefurther
investigatinghowGDPiscomputedandwhatthefourcomponentsare.(2.5mins)
2. Theteacherwilltellthestudentstogetouttheirguidednotespacketsandthe
teacherwillopentheGDPPowerPointtobeginthelesson.Thefirstslideofthe
PowerPointletsthestudentsknowwhichsectionofCh.13theywillbelearning
today.TheteacherwillthengooverwhattheBigIdeaisandindicatethatthiswill
betheBigIdeaforthenexttwoclassperiods.Then,theteacherwillmoveontoslide
2andgoovertheLearningGoalwiththestudents.Thenextslideshowsamapof
theworld.Theteacherwillaskthefollowingquestionstothestudents,Cananyone
tellmewhattheysee?Whatdoesthisgraphshow?WhathappenedtoAfrica?Why
doyouthinkthishappened?Theteacherwillexplainthatthecountriesonthemap
areinflatedaccordingtotheirGDP.(5mins)
3. ThenextslidesofthePowerPointgooverwhatGDPisandwhatarethefour
componentsofGDP.Upuntilslide17,thatiswhenthePowerPointswitchesto
whatisnotcountedinGDP.Theteacherwillexplainwhateachofthefourthings
arethatarenotcountedinGDP,intermediategoods,usedgoods,transactionsinthe
undergroundeconomy,andgovernmenttransferpayments.Theteacherwillaskthe
studentsiftheyknowanyexamplesforeachoneofthefourthings.(5mins)
4. ThelastslidesofthePowerPointarepracticeproblemsdesignedtohelpthe
studentsunderstandmoreclearlywhatthefourcomponentsofGDPare.Eachslide
statesascenariooragoodandasksthestudentsifthisiscountedinGDP,what
componentitis,andwhatitdoestoGDP.(5mins)
5. Forthenextpartofclass,thestudentswillreadaloudtogetheraplayaboutGDP.
Theteacherwilltellthestudentstogetouttheactivityandwillassignstudentsto
sevendifferentrolesfortheplay(Captain,Student1,Student2,Billionaire,
Celebrity,CollegeProfessor,andEngineer).Afterthesevenrolesareassigned,the
studentswillreadthroughtheplay.Theteacherwillindicatetothestudentsthat
duringtheplaytheywillmarkinthechartiftheyfindanyexamplesof
consumption,investment,governmentspending,ornetexports.Theywillrecord
theseintheirchartandthentheclasswillgothroughthemtogetherafterwards(20
mins)
6. Aftertheplay,theteacherwillgothroughthefourdifferentpartsofthechart
askingthestudentsfortheiranswerstoeachone.Theteacherwillaskwhofound
anythingthatcouldbecountedintheconsumersector?(e.g.tables,clothes,
services).Nexttheteacherwillaskwhatfromtheplaycouldbecountedin
investment?(e.g.thetools,weapons,andtraps).Next,theteacherwillaskwhat
fromtheplaycouldbecountedingovernmentspending?(e.g.thedefensesystem
theycreated).Finally,theteacherwillaskeventhoughtheyarentexportingor
importinganything,couldtherebeanythingontheislandtheymadethatthey
couldexportorselltosomeoneelse?(e.g.thehammocksandtablestheymade).
Thiswillconcludetheactivity(10mins)
 7. Forthelastpartofclass,theteacherwillinformthestudentsthattheywillbe
completingtheexitslip(FormativeAssessment).Theteacherwillaskthestudents
totakethesheetoutandwillexplainthedirections.Nowthatwehavelearned
aboutthefourcomponentsofGDPandreadthroughaplaytofinddifferent
examplesofeach,Inowwantyoutofillouttheexitslip.Fortheexitslip,youwill
writewhateachcomponentisofGDPandwillexplainandprovidetwoexamples
foreachcomponent.Onyourwayoutyoucanturnthatintothebasket.(10mins)
8. Toconcludethelesson,theteacherwillexplainthattomorrowtheclasswillbe
focusingonhowtoadjustGDPforinflation.EconomistsadjustGDPforinflationso
thattheycancompareGDPsfromdifferenteconomiestooneanother.(2.5mins)

Assessment:Thefirstinformalwaythattheteacherwillassessstudentlearningisby
askingthestudentstoanswerthequestionsattheendoftheIslandGDPActivity.Thiswill
informtheteacherifthestudentscorrectlygrasptheconceptofGDPandthefour
componentsitiscomprisedof.Finally,theteacherwillgiveaformativeassessmentto
furthergaugestudentunderstanding.

Attachallhandouts,texts,images,lecturenotes,etc.
GDPPowerPoint
LectureNotes
Ch.13GuidedNotes
IslandGDPActivity(Play)
GDPFormativeAssessment