Economics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University

Fall 2019

AP/ECON 1000 Sections A & J

Introduction to Microeconomics

Instructor Avi J. Cohen

Office 1072 Vari Hall
Phone 736-2100 ext. 77046
Office Hours Thursdays 10am - 1pm
Email Use Discussion Board within Moodle for all course issues;
avicohen@yorku.ca only for personal correspondence

Course Webpage

https://moodle.yorku.ca On the website, be sure to read How to Succeed in ECON 1000/1010 and to look at
Course Resources (PASS, Clinics, Webinars).
.
Course Format and Lectures

Sections A and J of ECON1000 blend face-to-face and online captures of lectures. Whether you are enrolled
in Section A or J, you have the choice of attending lectures (T, Th 8:30-10 am in CLH I) or watching online the
digital captures of the same lectures. Lecture captures will be posted by the end of the day of the live lecture.
All students in both sections have the same content and dates for quizzes, term tests and final exam.
Term tests and the final exam must be written in-person on the Keele campus.

Saturday Term Tests

The two term tests for Sections A and J are on Saturday October 19 (day after Fall Reading Week ends)
and Saturday November 16. Saturday tests will be 1 hour, somewhere between 10 am and noon.
• Students who cannot attend these test dates should chose a different section of the course.

Course Description

“Economics is a science of thinking in terms of models joined to the art of choosing models which are relevant
to the contemporary world. It is compelled to be this, because, unlike the typical natural science, the material
to which it is applied is, in too many respects, not homogeneous through time. The object of a model is to
segregate the semi-permanent or relatively constant factors from those which are transitory of fluctuating so
as to develop a logical way of thinking about the latter …. Good economists are scarce because the gift for
using ‘vigilant observation’ to choose good models, although it does not require a highly specialized
intellectual technique, appears to be a very rare one.” – John Maynard Keynes

Introduces the principles and methods of economics with emphasis on microeconomic theory. Topics
include general and basic concepts of demand and supply, utility analysis and demand, production and costs,
pricing in competitive and monopolistic markets, and government regulation. Note: Successful completion
of this course, together with AP/ECON 1010 3.00, is required for all students who intend to pursue additional
courses in economics at the 2000-, 3000-, and 4000- level and in order to pursue degree studies in
economics, business economics, and financial and business economics.

Course credit exclusions: GL/ECON 2500 3.00 (prior to Fall 2014), SB/INTL 1200 3.00.
Acceptable course substitutes are available in the Calendar.

Required Course Materials

• Microeconomics: Canada in the Global Environment, 10th ed., M. Parkin and R. Bade (Pearson, 2019).
• MyEconLab (Pearson 2019) Required for graded online quizzes (10% of course grade) and practice
problems.

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 1 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug

Optional Course Materials
• FlexText for Principles of Microeconomics, 1/e, by A. Cohen and H. King (Pearson 2016). An excellent
additional resource containing summary notes, helpful hints and practice questions with solutions to help
prepare for quizzes, tests and exams. Some test and exam questions will come directly from the FlexText.

For Students taking BOTH ECON 1000 & ECON 1010

• A bundled package: bound Microeconomics textbook, bound Macroeconomics textbook, MyEconLab, E-text,
Micro FlexText and Macro FlexText for $199.95.
• Another value option: Loose leaf Microeconomics textbook, Loose leaf Macroeconomics textbook,
MyEconLab, E-text, Micro FlexText and Macro FlexText for $179.95.

For Students taking ECON 1000 Only

• A bundled package: bound Microeconomics textbook, with MyEconLab, E-text, FlexText for $149.
• Another value option: Loose leaf Microeconomics textbook, MyEconLab, E-text, Micro FlexText for $110.
• To save money, a digital only package containing E-text and MyEconLab is available for $95 at the
York bookstore or online at www.MyEconLab.com.
• FlexText for Principles of Microeconomics, 1/e (Pearson 2016) for $50.
• MyEconLab only: available from Pearson website (not bookstore) for $55.

Any additional required readings will be posted to the course website.

Weighting of Course

Activity Weight (%)

Warm-Up/Follow-Up Exercise 2
Quizzes (best 5 of 6) 10
In-Person Test 1 20
(Saturday Oct 19, 10 am – noon)
In-Person Test 2 20
(Saturday Nov 16, 10 am – noon)
In-Person Final Exam 48
Total 100%

Course Work

There will be two 75 minute lectures per week. Please silence all cell phones before entering the lecture hall.
I would appreciate it if you would not text right in front of me – I find it very hard to concentrate and deliver good
lectures when I face texting students ignoring me. Lecture notes (in the form of PowerPoint slides) will be
available by midnight the night before class on the course Moodle website. You should bring the lecture notes
to class, as the pace of lectures presumes you have the notes in front of you.

If you choose not to attend lectures, or want to review a lecture, digital lecture captures will be available on
Moodle by the end of the day of the live lecture.

You should login to Moodle and MyEconLab at least 3 times a week to stay current with course information and
assignments.

The term tests and final exam consist of multiple choice (MC) questions. For each term test I will choose 30 MC
questions. The comprehensive final exam will have 75 multiple choice questions – 30 of those questions will be in
common with other ECON 1000 sections and 45 of those questions will be chosen by me alone. These questions
will be similar to the Study Plan/Sample Test problems in MyEconLab and the FlexText for each textbook
chapter.

In Moodle, see How to Succeed in ECON 1000/1010 for additional practice resources and advice.

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 2 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug

The Study Plan/Sample Test and FlexText problems will not directly affect your grade. However, the importance
of doing these questions cannot be overemphasized. Next to attending and understanding the lectures, working
out the answers to the assigned questions is the most important preparation for the term tests and exam. You will
not do well if you cannot answer the assigned questions. The term tests and exam will also cover news
stories and other non-textbook material covered in lecture.

One danger of a course where you do not have written, graded assignments is that you fall behind in your
reading and studying. In most university courses, but in Economics in particular, falling behind is a recipe for
disaster, as last minute cramming does not work. The failure rate on first term tests in Economics is typically
high because students do not take this advice. To help prevent this outcome, I will have online quizzes
throughout the term that must be completed by specific dates.

To increase your chances of earning a higher grade, be sure to attend lectures. One common mistakes
students make is to think that because the PowerPoint lecture notes are available online, there is no reason
to attend lectures. The notes contain the main concepts, but do not contain the detailed explanations and
examples that help you make sense of the concepts. The tests and exam focus less on recall of information,
and more on application of concepts to different situations. That is also why working the practice problems in
MyEconLab is important.

The lecture schedule on pages 8-9 indicates, for each week, the textbook chapters you should be reading and
the MyEconLab Assignments. I may not always finish a topic on the listed date, in which case I will continue
lecturing on that topic at the start of the next class, before moving on to the listed topic for that date. Quiz due
dates are also listed on the lecture schedule. Only after each Quiz due date will you be able to review your
answers to the Quiz.

Discussion Boards

All questions about course content (economics) must be posted to the Moodle Discussion Boards. There is a
separate Discussion Board for each textbook-chapter of the course, as well as for Course Administration
questions and General Microeconomic questions. The TAs monitor these boards, but often a classmate will
provide a correct answer more quickly. Post questions, responses, comments about any course material –
lectures, textbook, MyEconLab, media stories, etc. All new postings/threads require a subject line. I will jump in
after the TAs if I have something to add. I will not answer individual content question by email unless your
posted question has not been answered satisfactorily on the discussion board. There 1000 of you in ECON 1000,
and 1 of me.

Warm-Up & Follow-Up Exercise

1% of grade: warm-up exercise (an online exercise intended for the first week of class). The exercise involves
answering questions about personality traits or study goals and should take about 1 hour. Its purpose is to learn
more about how to help promote academic and personal success.

1% of grade: A follow-up second survey to the warm-up exercise (an online exercise intended for the last week of
class) that should take about 15 minutes to complete.

MEL Study Plan Assignments

You must do the MyEconLab (MEL) Study Plan practice questions for each chapter. These multiple-choice
questions give targeted feedback, depending on your answer, that will help you learn.

These Study Plan questions are not graded, but until you get a minimum number of Pearson “Mastery Points”
from doing Study Plan “Quiz Me” questions, you will not get access to the graded quiz for that chapter and will
lose those marks.

Quizzes

There are 6 graded online quizzes, worth in total 10% of the course grade. Only the best 5 quizzes count. If you
miss a quiz, the other 5 quizzes count. For every quiz you miss after one missed quiz, you receive zero for 2% of
your course grade. Because quizzes can be accessed for a week from any computer or tablet with an internet
connection (quizzes will not work on phones), anywhere in the world, I do not accept any excuses for missing
a quiz. There are no make-up quizzes.

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 3 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug

Tentative Quiz Dates and Coverage (dates may change as course progresses)

Quiz Due Date Chapters Covered

Quiz 1 Sept 27 Micro Chs. 2,3

Quiz 2 Oct 11 Micro Chs. 4, 5.2-3 only, 6.1-3

Quiz 3 Nov 1 Micro Chs. 8, 10

Quiz 4 Nov 15 Micro Chs. 11,12

Quiz 5 Nov. 29 Micro Chs. 14.2, 15

Quiz 6 Dec 3 Micro Chs. 16.1-2 only, 17.1-2 only

You cannot access any graded quiz until you have completed Quiz Zero with a perfect score of 100% and earned
the required Mastery Points from doing Study Plan “Quiz Me” questions (see next section).

Online Quiz Rules

• The first quiz, Quiz Zero, is designed to ensure that you are familiar with all of the rules of this course. All of
the answers to the questions in Quiz Zero may be found in the course outline. You may take Quiz Zero as
many times as necessary until you get all questions right. While you will not receive any marks towards your
final course grade, you will not be able to access the graded quizzes until you complete Quiz Zero with a
perfect score. Quiz Zero will also help you get familiar with MyEconLab.

• There are 6 graded quizzes. Your best 5 are each worth 2%, collectively worth 10% of your final course
grade. There are no make-up quizzes or alternative assignments.

• You will have at least 5 days to complete each of the 6 graded quizzes, and they can be accessed from any
computer or tablet with an internet connection (quizzes will not work on phones), anywhere in the world.
Accordingly, I do not accept any excuses for missing a quiz.

• Each quiz has 15 multiple choice questions. For each quiz, you have one attempt, and 30 minutes to
complete it. You must finish a quiz once you start it.

• Besides the pre-requisite of a 100% score on Quiz Zero, you cannot access any graded quizz until you earn
50% of the required Mastery Points from doing Study Plan “Quiz Me” questions for the textbook chapters for
that quiz. For example, if Quiz 1 covers Chs. 2-3 and the Study Plans for those chapters have 9 possible
Mastery Points (5 for Ch. 2, 4 for Ch. 3), you must earn at least 4 Mastery Points to access graded Quiz 1.

• Every time a student takes a quiz, new questions are taken from a pool of questions, the order of the
questions is scrambled, and the order of the answers is scrambled. Sometimes longer questions require
you scroll down to see the entire question. If that is the case, you will see a scroll bar on the right.

• You will receive a score immediately after taking each graded quiz. You will only be able to review each
quiz after the due date. To review quiz answers after the due date, click on the Results tab on the left
navigation bar in MyEconLab.

• Do not take any quiz until you have completed reading the assigned chapters and completed as many
Study Plan questions as possible. Many quiz questions are taken from the Study Plan and Sample Tests
in MyEconLab. Doing those problems will dramatically improve your chances of getting a higher score on
the quizzes. Remember, you have only one attempt, just like on an in-class test.

• Access all graded quizzes from the links that will appears on the Course Home page of MyEconLab.

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 4 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug

In-Person Tests & Final Exam

Test 1 20% of course grade. 1 hour. Saturday October 19,

30 MC questions chosen by instructor. between 10am and noon.
Covers material in Quizzes 1-2

Test 2 20% of course grade. 1 hour. Saturday November 16,

30 MC questions chosen by instructor. between 10am and noon.
Covers material in Quizzes 3-4.

Make-Up Test 1 hour. Saturday November 23,

30 MC questions chosen by instructor. between 10am and noon.
Covers material in Quizzes 1-4

Final Exam 46% of course grade. 2.5 hours. December 5 - 20). Comprehensive,
75 MC questions (30 common to all covering all course material with
sections 45 chosen by instructor). more emphasis on material in
Scheduled during the official exam period Quizzes 5-6.
by the Registrar’s Office.

Test and Exam Rules

• No student will be allowed to write a test/exam prior to the scheduled date.

• No student will be allowed to rewrite a test/exam in order to improve the letter grade.
• York University is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all members of the
community. In case, any of the exam dates clash with the day of your religious observance, you are
responsible for contacting me at least two weeks in advance. To arrange for an alternative date,
you must complete a Religious Accommodation Form (see Important Academic Forms section).
• Cheating and plagiarism are serious offences by York University. Please visit the Academic Integrity website
http://www.yorku.ca/acadinte/students/index.htm to read the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty.
• Cell phones, electronic translators, iPods, MP3 players, earbuds and other electronic devices are not
permitted in tests and exams. These items must be powered off and kept in your bag or jacket.
• NO calculators are required or allowed for all tests and exams.
• This year we will begin implementing a new system to electronically validate student IDs.
Students ARE REQUIRED to bring their York Student ID Card to ALL tests and exams.
Your test/exam will not count without York Student ID. Other forms of photo ID are NOT acceptable.
• Permissible items to carry in tests and exams are pencils, student ID, coats and purses.

Assigned Final Exam Seating

Students will be assigned a seat for their final exam in the course. A class list with an assigned seat number for
each student will be provided by instructors closer to the exam period. Please also refer to Moodle for this
information. Students are expected to know their assigned seat when arriving at the exam writing center.

Missed Tests

No permission is ever given to a student to write a test or exam in advance of its scheduled date.

• A student who misses a test will be provided the opportunity to write a make-up test at the end of the term
with proper documentation supporting their absence. Failure to submit proper documentation by the required
deadlines will result in a grade of zero on the test. The weight of a missed test cannot be transferred to the
final exam. The only way to earn the marks if you miss a test is to write the make-up test.

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 5 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug

• A student who misses a test will be allowed to write a make-up test only if the student provides a completed
Registrar’s Office Attending Physician’s Statement showing a physical incapability of writing the test/exam,
dated the day of the test/exam or earlier. Any other forms of doctor’s note, especially one stating simply
that “The student was seen in my office” are not acceptable. Students who miss a test and do not provide
acceptable documentation receive a grade of zero.
• Students who miss either term test and provide acceptable documentation will write the Make-Up test which
is held Saturday November 23, one week after Test 2. There is only one comprehensive Make-Up test
each term, covering the material in both Tests 1 and Test 2. You must be available at that time to write
the Make-Up Test. No other times will be scheduled. If you miss Test 1 and are granted permission to write
the Make-Up Test, you must still write Test 2. If you miss Test 1, write the Make-Up test, and skip Test 2, you
will receive a zero for Test 2. If you miss only Test 2 and are granted permission to write the Make-Up Test,
the Make-Up Test will count only for Test 2.
• The weight of a missed term test cannot be transferred to the final exam. The only way to earn the marks if
you miss a test is to write the Make-Up Test.
• The Make-Up Test is only for students who missed an original test. No student is ever allowed to write a
Make-Up Test in order to improve a score from the original test.

Deferred Final Exam Policy

Students must fill out the Deferred Standing Agreement form (see Important Academic Forms section) and
submit it along with all original supporting documentation to the Department of Economics located in 1144 Vari
Hall within 10 business days of the original exam date. Submitting the form does NOT guarantee permission to
write the deferred exam. Only submissions that meet all requirements will be granted permission. Students whose
submissions are not granted receive a zero for their final exam score.

There is only one date for the Deferred Final Exam, which will be held in early March. The exact date will be
announced by early February.

Deferred Standing for the final exam will be considered only under the following circumstances:

1. MEDICAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Exams missed due to medical circumstances must be supported by

a York Attending Physicians Statement filled out completely by a medical doctor or licensed
psychologist/counselor, dated within 48 hours of the final exam date. The statement must include:

• Full name, mailing address, telephone number and Ontario License number of the physician.
• The nature of the illness and its duration (i.e., specific dates covered)
• An indication of whether the illness and/or medication prescribed would have SERIOUSLY affected
the student’s ability to study and perform over the period in question.

Physician’s office may be contacted to verify that the statement was actually completed by the physician.

2. NON-MEDICAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Exams missed due to non-medical circumstances must be

supported by appropriate documentation, i.e., death certificates, obituary notice, automobile accident
reports, airline/bus ticket receipt for emergency travel (with the date of booking on the ticket), etc.
Airline/train/bus ticket/receipts for emergency travel must indicate destination, departure, and return
dates. Having to work at the time of the exam or non-emergency travel are not valid excuses for missing
an exam.

Grading Policy

Historically, the average grade across all sections of Economics 1000/1010 is C+ (65-69 on the York scale).

The average course grade in each section of 1000 (or 1010) will reflect the relative performance of students in
that section on the common part of the final examination.

• The average course grade for a section whose students perform above (below) average on the common part
of the final examination will be higher (lower) than the average course grade for other sections.
• In cases where a section’s average on the common part of the final exam is exceptionally high or low,
that section average may be slightly higher than 69 or slightly lower than 65.

Average marks on each term test may vary considerably across sections.
AP/ECON 1000 A&J 6 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug
• Term test marks are never adjusted.
• However, students in a section where the average mark on a term test is low are NOT disadvantaged.
• The average FINAL course grade awarded in each section, after adjustments, will reflect the performance of
that student's section on the common part of the final examination.

The grading scheme for the course conforms to the 9-point grading system used in undergraduate programs at
York (e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ = 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments and tests will bear either a letter grade designation
or a corresponding number grade (e.g. A+ = 90 to 100, A = 80 to 89, B+ = 75 to 79, etc.).

Important Academic Forms

• Religious Accommodation - http://registrar.yorku.ca/sites/registrar/files/pdf/exam_accommodation.pdf

• Deferred Standing - http://registrar.yorku.ca/pdf/deferred_standing_agreement.pdf
• Attending Physician’s Statement Form - http://registrar.yorku.ca/pdf/attending-physicians-statement.pdf

Important Dates
Fall Term 2019 (F19)

Last date to add a course without permission of instructor September 17

Last date to add a course with permission of instructor October 1

Last date to drop a course without receiving a grade November 8

Course Withdrawal Period (withdraw from a course and receive a November 9 - December 3
grade of “W” on transcript)

Information for Students

All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the following information, available on the Senate
Committee on Curriculum & Academic Standards webpage.

• York’s Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures is located on the York University Senate webpage.
As per Senate Policy, academic honesty and integrity is defined as conduct that violates the ethical or legal
standards of the University community or of one’s program or specialization is subject to severe penalties.
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and consequences of these offences, as contained in
the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty. More information on academic integrity for students can be found
on the York Academic Integrity Website.
• Ethics Review Process for research involving human participants located using the Senate Policy Research
Involving Human Participants link
• Course requirement accommodation for students with disabilities, including physical, medical, systemic,
learning and psychiatric disabilities can be accessed using the Academic Accommodation for Students with
Disabilities link.
• Information on student conduct standards can be reviewed on the Code of Student Rights and
Responsibilities webpage.
• Students requiring religious accommodation should review the Religious Accommodations Guidelines
using the Religious Observance link.

Let’s Go

If you don’t learn a lot of Economics, or find this course interesting or enjoyable, then I’m not doing my job.
I love teaching this course, and consider it my responsibility to help you to do well. Learning Economics
means working hard (on average, 5 hours studying per week on Economics alone). But if you are willing
to put in the time, I will do everything I can to help you succeed. If you have questions in lecture, ask them.
If you see media stories about Economics that interest you, post them. If you have suggestions for improving
the course, please let me know. What you will get out of this course, as what you will get out of your
University experience, and life in general, depends entirely on what you put into it.

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 7 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug

 LECTURE SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS
Fall 2019 AP/ECON 1000 A&J

WEEK OF TOPIC READING MEL ASSIGNMENTS, OPTIONAL WEBINARS QUIZZES

ASSIGNMENTS & FLEXTEXT (FT) PROBLEMS (tentative dates)
(Webinars on Moodle)

Sept. 5 Introduction to Microeconomics Register for MyEconLab (MEL) Quiz Zero

only through the link in Moodle available

Sept. 10 What is Economics?: Chs. 1-2 Ch. 2: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests
Theory, History, Measurement, Policy: Webinar Chs. 1-2
The Economic Problem FT-2 T/F All MC 1-23 SAP All

Sept. 17 Overview Ch. 3 Ch. 3: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests

Economic Theory: Demand & Supply Webinar Ch. 3
FT-3 T/F All MC All SAP All

Sept. 24 Elasticity; Ch. 4; Ch. 4: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests Quiz 1 due
Efficiency and Equity; Ch. 5 Webinar Ch. 4 Friday. Sept. 27
(112-119 only) FT-4 T/F All MC All SAP All
Ch. 5: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests
Webinar Ch. 5
FT-5 T/F None MC 2-23 SAP None

Oct. 1 Government Action in Markets Ch. 6 Ch. 6: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests
(131-142 only) Webinar Ch. 6
FT-6 T/F 1-10 MC 1-16 SAP 1-3

Oct. 8 Utility & Demand Ch. 8 Ch. 8: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests Quiz 2 due
Webinar Ch. 8 Friday. Oct. 11
FT-8 T/F 1-13 MC 1-23 SAP All

Oct. 12-18 No classes – Reading week

TEST 1 – Saturday Oct. 19

Oct. 22 Output & Costs Ch. 10 Ch. 10: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests
Webinar Ch. 10
FT-10 T/F 1-4 MC 1-5 SAP 1
FT-11 T/F All MC All SAP All

Oct. 29 Perfect Competition Ch. 11 Ch. 11: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests Quiz 3 due
Webinar Ch. 11 Friday Nov. 1
FT-12 T/F All MC All SAP All

Nov. 5 Monopoly Ch. 12: Ch. 12 MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests

Webinar Ch. 12
FT-13 T/F All MC All SAP 1-3

Nov. 12 Oligopoly Ch. 14 Ch. 14: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests Quiz 4 due
(328-335 only) Webinar Ch. 14 Friday Nov. 15
FT-15 T/F None MC 6-13 SAP 1, 5

TEST 2 – Saturday Nov. 16

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 8 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug

Nov. 19 Externalities: Ch. 15: Ch. 15: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests
Public Goods and Common Ch. 16 Webinar Ch. 15
Resources (375-381 only) FT-16 T/F All MC All SAP All
Ch. 16: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests
Webinar Ch. 16
FT-17 T/F None MC 1-19 SAP 1-4

Nov. 26 Markets for Factors Ch. 17 Ch. 17: MEL Study Plan/Sample Tests Quiz 5 due
of Production (397-401 only) Webinar Ch. 17 Friday Nov. 29
FT-18 T/F None MC 2-6 SAP 1-3

Dec. 3 Review Quiz 6 due

Tuesday Dec. 3

FINAL EXAM – December 5 – 20, 2019

AP/ECON 1000 A&J 9 Fall 2019 Revised 28 Aug