CECsst.225 TITLE: Free Enterprise: Business Magazine Project AUTHOR: BRIAN JOHNSON, Marana High School; Tucson, AZ GRADE LEVEL: 12th OVERVIEW: The business magazine project that I incorporate into my Free Enterprise (12th grade) class is an attempt to combine many elements of methology into one lesson. The project is a group assignment that utilizes some aspects of cooperative learning. It has the capability to allow students to include computer graphics and, if the technology is available, hypermedia. It allows the creative student with poor writing skills an opportunity to express their economic knowledge and earn a grade that is not hampered by their specific learning deficiency. The students are required to research current information, demonstrate their understanding of the current economy and also demonstrate their understanding of economic concepts discussed in the course. I have been experimenting with the timeline for the project. I generally provide 2-3 days for library research but most of the work for this project is done outside of class. Students do interviews with subjects to be written about in the magazine, watch films and news programs to gather information, and cull through newspapers and magazines for current data that can be of use to their project. Because the project is normally due within 3 weeks of the original assignment, student interaction, planning and cooperation becomes a must. Generally I allow students to chose their own groups but I have been forced in some instances to make group assignments. If time permits (I generally do this assignment near the end of the semester so occasionally time is a problem), I take a class period to discuss the various projects with the classes as a whole. While the students are generally most impressed with the graphics and artwork, they often see the abstract principles that we have discussed in class appear in someone else's work in a fashion that they hadn't thought of before. **************************************************** FREE ENTERPRISE BUSINESS MAGAZINE PROJECT Your quarter project is to complete a business magazine according to the following guidelines. This is a group project. Each member of the group will get an individual and a group grade. TOPICS YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR MAGAZINE: 1993 economic conditions, economics of health care and what the Clinton White House is trying to do to deal with the problem, changes in price levels of consumer goods, inflation, forecast of the economy with President Clinton, and an interview with a local business person, union official or any person of substance who can give insight into how the current economy is affecting their work. A examination of an example of entrepreneurship and how businesses (or a specific business) operate in today's competitive market should also be included. Editorials, an interview with those students who are leaders in the stock market exercise, a "Newsweek"-type Perspectives page, an examination of the North American Free Trade Agreement and what it means to Arizona, an investment column with investment tips, a movie review of an economics- based movie (a review, not a rehash, of a currently released film), a look at the social costs of unemployment or the economic costs of crime- all of these would be worthwhile topics. You are limited to these, nor are you required to have all of them in your magazine. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: Examples of magazines and newspapers that can provide useful information include: Business Week, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, Changing Times, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report (Sources may not be older than {date is flexible depending on when the assignment is given and due.) JOB DESCRIPTIONS: MANAGING EDITOR: You organize the magazine and decide how the various parts of the magazine should be put together. You proofread all articles and assign the topics to the writers. Look over shoulders, ask questions, and bug people to do their jobs. The editor also needs to write the magazine's editorial. REPORTER: The reporters are the backbone of any publication. Your articles should be factual and interesting. Your punctuation, grammar, and form must be correct. Grammar will be taken into account in grading. Each writer needs to complete 2 articles. ART EDITOR: It is your task to choose, manufacture, and design all the art work in the publication, including the cover and advertising. You are responsible for all illustrations in the magazine, including editorial cartoons, charts and graphs. BIOGRAPHY EDITOR: Your job involves writing brief sketches about people on your staff. Bio's should be around 150 words long. Interview each staff member. Ask about their interests, goals, hobbies, and educational objectives. What have they learned in the Free Enterprise class? LENGTH OF ARTICLES: 500 words should be a guideline. Look at some of the business publications in the library to get an understanding of the style that should be used. An interview can be written in a question and answer format. No one in the group is finished until all articles are finished. Help out your fellow writers and editors. Articles should be typed to give a more impressive look to your magazine. Hand written articles look sloppy and detract from the finished product. Your art editor should be a person with a great deal of creativity. Use of computers to do the artwork and the presentation improves the product. A person who has access to and the ability to creatively use computer graphics can go a long way to improving the group grade.