Bishop Druitt College

Year 10 Commercial Studies

Economic Issues Task

Due Date: Term 2 Week 3.

Length: 2-4 pages for the body of your report.

Value: 20% of semester mark.

Purpose: This assignment allows students to apply the concepts they are learning in class to a relevant current economic issue of their choice.

Outcomes examined:

5.4	Analyses key factors affecting commercial and legal decisions
5.5	Evaluates options for solving commercial and legal problems and issues
5.7	Researches and assesses commercial and legal information using a variety of sources
5.8	Explains commercial and legal information using a variety of forms
5.9	Works independently and collaboratively to meet individual and collective goals within specified timelines

The Task

You are to present a report of a current Australian economic issue and evaluate policy options available to the government in order to manage it effectively. Your assignment should include at least 3 source articles. Source articles may include newspaper articles, economic reports from the internet or other sources of economic information.

You can negotiate a topic with your teacher or use one of the issues below:

Inflation Interest Rates Wages/IR Productivity

Unemployment Labour Force Micro-economics Economic Growth

Financial Markets Fiscal Policy Welfare Consumer Spending

Labour Participation Skills Shortage Externalities Carbon Trading

Economic Costs of the Environmental

Presentation

· Assignment to be submitted with a single staple in the top left, no folders.

· Use of graphs is essential.

· Students are required to submit their own work.

· A properly written bibliography must be included.

Assessment

· In this task you will be assessed on how well you:

· Use you knowledge and the information provided in class

· Communicate using relevant economic terminology and concepts

· Present a logical and structured answer to the question.

Marks are allocated as follows:

Part 1 – Provided sources of economic information 5 marks

Part 2 – Analysis of current economic issue 10 marks

Part 3 – Evaluation of policy option(s) 10 marks

Marking guidelines: use this table to assist you to achieve a result in the higher performance bands.

Advanced

20 - 25

· Effectively analyses key factors affecting economic decisions

· Evaluates a range of policy options for solving economic problems and issues

· Researches and assesses economic information using 3 or more appropriate sources

· Explains economic information using a variety of appropriate terminology

Highly Competent

15 - 20

· Analyses key factors affecting economic decisions

· Evaluates some policy options for solving economic problems and issues

· Researches economic information using 3 or more appropriate sources

· Explains economic information using appropriate terminology

Competent

10 - 15

· Outlines key factors affecting economic decisions

· Describes some policy options for solving economic problems and issues

· Researches economic information using some sources

· Explains economic information using some appropriate terminology

Developing

5 - 10

· Describes some factors affecting economic decisions

· Describes a policy option for solving economic problems and issues

· Researches economic information using at least one source

· Brief explanation of economic information with little appropriate terminology

Experiencing

Difficulty

0 - 5

· Lists one or more factors affecting economic decisions

· Lists one or more policy options for solving economic problems and issues

· Little evidence of researching economic information

· Little explanation of economic information or use of appropriate terminology

Useful websites:

www.bdc.nsw.edu.au/info_services/search_newspapers.php - use the Electric Library link

www.rba.gov.au

www.anz.com.au - there is an economic reports section in this website