AP Macroeconomics - Course Purpose, Structure, Grading, and Schedule

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by iuabcfuw

AP Macroeconomics course guide focused on preparing students to pass the AP Macroeconomics Examination through conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and quantitative analysis. The program uses Principles of Economics (Fourth Edition) by N. Gregory Mankiw as the primary learning text, organizing instruction into seven macroeconomics units plus a comprehensive review. Assessment emphasizes unit tests and chapter quizzes, supported by rubrics for free-response questions, while pacing is mapped to specific chapter ranges and dates from August 2014 through May 2015.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Course Purpose and Description

Textbook

Course Structure and Assessments

Grading

Examination and Schedule

Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts

Unit 2: Measurements of Economic Performance

Unit 3: National Income and Price Level

Unit 4: Financial Sector

Unit 5: Stabilization Policies

Unit 6: Economic Growth and Productivity

Unit 7: Open Trade and Currency Exchange

Review for AP Exam

Overall Teaching Approach

AP Macroeconomics Purpose and description The primary purpose of this course is to prepare students to take and pass the AP Macroeconomics Examination. The exam will consist of 60 multiple choice questions and 3 free response questions. As a result, this course is structured to help students learn macroeconomics by developing critical thinking skills through the understanding, application, and analysis of fundamental economic concepts. To do this, students will be expected to apply quantitative and mathematical skills to economics. Students will also be expected to apply economic logic to a wide variety of real-world and hypothetical situations. Textbook The Textbook for this course is Principles of Economics: Fourth Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw. It will be our primary tool for learning the seven macroeconomics units that will be addressed on the AP Macroeconomics Examination. Structure Since the AP Macroeconomics Examination will have 60 multiple choice questions and 3 free response questions, assessments in this course will follow a similar breakdown. Assessments will take place at the end of each chapter and at the end of each unit, with multiple choice questions making up much of each assessment. When there are free response questions on assessments, they will be evaluated using a rubric, just as the free response questions on the AP exam will be. Prior to assessments, classwork and homework will make up a majority of the coursework, with additional activities, such as case studies and projects, being used at my discretion. Grading Since students in this course are preparing for an exam, assessments will make up a majority of the marking period grades. Specifically; assessments that are deemed unit tests will count as 50% of the marking period grade, assessments that are deemed chapter quizzes will count as 40% of the marking period grade, and any other graded classwork and homework will count as 10% of the marking period grade. When additional activities are done, such as case studies or projects, they will count as a chapter quiz. Overall, students will be graded in this course through the use of the grading practices that are described in the student handbook for the Milford Public Schools. Please be sure to read and review this portion of the student handbook. Schedule At the present time, the 2015 AP Macroeconomics Examination is scheduled for Thursday, May 14th. It is with this in mind that the pacing and sequencing of this course has been prepared, with the schedule as follows*; | Unit Title | Textbook Chapters | Topics of Study+ | Dates | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Unit 1 : Basic
Economic Concepts | 2 through 9 (pp. 19-195) | Scarcity, Choice, Opportunity Cost, Production Possibilities Curve, Comparative Advantage, Supply & Demand, Market Equilibrium, Business Cycle | August 27th, 2014-October 10th, 2014 | | Unit 2 : Measurements of Economic Performance | 23, 24, and 28 (pp. 507-543, 613-635) | National Income Accounts, Gross Domestic Product, Real vs. Nominal GDP, Inflation, Nominal vs. Real Values, Costs of Inflation, Unemployment | October 13th, 2014 -October 31st, 2014 | | Unit 3: National Income and Price Level | 33 and 34
(pp. 739-797) | Aggregate Demand,
Aggregate Supply, Multiplier Effect, Crowding Out Effect, Short Run & Long Run Analysis, Sticky vs. Flexible Wages, Real Output, Real Price Level, Actual vs. Real Full Employment, Output | November 3rd, 2014-December 5th, 2014 | | Unit 4 : Financial Sector | 26, 27, and 29 (pp. 575-610, 641-657) | Money, Banking, Financial Markets,
Financial Assets, Stocks and Bonds, Present and Future Value , Money Creation, Money Supply, Money Demand, Loanable Funds Market, Central Bank, Quantity Theory of Money, Real vs. Nominal Interest Rates | December 8th, 2014-January 16th, 2015 | | Unit Title | Textbook Chapters | Topics of Study+ | Dates | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Unit 5 : Stabilization Policies | 30 and 35 (pp. 661-685, pp.

FAQs

What is the main goal of this AP Macroeconomics course?

The course is designed to prepare students to take and pass the AP Macroeconomics Examination by building critical thinking and applying economic concepts to real-world and hypothetical situations.

What textbook is used as the primary learning resource?

The course uses Principles of Economics: Fourth Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw as the primary tool for learning the macroeconomics units covered in the exam.

How is student performance graded in this course?

Assessments make up most marking period grades: unit tests count for 50%, chapter quizzes for 40%, and other graded classwork and homework for 10%. Case studies or projects count as a chapter quiz.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by iuabcfuw