AP Econ to join AP Gov

Jarrod Westberg plans to teach new AP Goverment and AP Economics course with Karl Grubaugh Gazette Photo/MAGGIE LOUIS

As GBHS students began registration for the 2010-11 school year, it became apparent that a new class was added to the list – AP Government combined with AP Economics.
   Though it may share the name of a course already offered at GBHS, this new AP Government/AP Economics course is quite unique.
    Rather than only being a single semester, the new AP Government/AP Economics will be a year-long course and will include three new classes: AP macro- and microeconomics and Law and Justice.
   The idea for this combination began two years ago when GBHS AP Government teacher Jarrod Westberg and GBHS economics teacher Karl Grubaugh started to play around with the idea.

   At the time they were working with other teachers in the district to create a blocked course.
   “We started the ball rolling a couple of years ago and then it dropped back off the radar screen,” Grubaugh said.
    This was because of a small flaw in the plan. There was a hole in the course load between AP macro- and microeconomics and AP Government.
   The only option they could see at the time was to create a new course, something neither of them wanted to do.
   Without a course to fill the void, the idea was set aside.
   This year, however, Westberg and Grubaugh discovered a new course that is already in existence in the district: Law and Justice.
   “(Westberg will) adjust (Law and Justice) a little bit to make it work, but it fits,” Grubaugh said. “And  we  don’t have tocreate a course.”
   With the new course filling the void, GBHS decided to pursue the year-long block once again.
   The biggest appeal for this new course is the number of AP credits it offers students.
   The standard AP Government class only counts as one AP credit. The new AP Government block, however, will offer three AP credits.
   “(With) the whole college chase and what the world looks like these days, I think that’s an advantage,” Grubaugh said.
   Another advantage the block offers is the distribution of the curriculum over the course of a year, rather than condensing all the information into one semester.
   “I wouldn’t be responsible for teaching econ anymore on my part of the section,” Westberg said. “I could open up my class for more time and slow my content down so that it’s not so much drill and kill.”
   With less of a time crunch, Westberg and Grubaugh would be able to go more in depth with their lessons, something that some students appreciate.
   “I like that it’s a (year-long course) because you’ll learn more,” GBHS junior Briana Whitney said. “It’s more beneficial to college (because you get more credit).”
   Some students, however, are less optimistic about the time commitment.
    One concern that students have is its similarity to the AP European History and AP US History blocks. After taking such courses, some students are unsure about committing to another year-long block, especially one covering four different courses.
   “I like having (a class) all year long, but I (also) like the idea of having (AP Government) just one semester,” GBHS junior Emily Tate said. “That way I can just focus on one class.”
    GBHS senior Greg Sinclair said that he was not a fan of having a course all year long as a senior.
   “Making (AP Government/AP Economics) a year-long class would’ve been a bigger time constraint,” Sinclair said. “I would’ve been disappointed because I wouldn’t have gotten to take a class that I wanted to.”
    While some students, such as Sinclair, disfavor the block because of its length, others are more inclined to take the course for that very reason.
   “Senior year (is when) you finish a lot of classes,” Whitney said. “So it looks better for applications (to have) another class, versus having another elective.”
   Another perk of the block is the three new courses included in the course, such as Law and Justice.
   Unlike the other three courses included in the AP government block, Law and Justice does not count for AP credit. This will provide students with a reprieve and lighten the course load a bit.
    It will also allow for Westberg to go more in depth with some of the topics included, but often glossed over, in standard AP Government.
   “(In Law and Justice) we can actually focus more on civil rights, civil liberties, court cases and big issues that have occurred,” Westberg said, “and we can focus on those with much more detail.”
   Another advantage of the course is the AP Economics portion.
    Having a strong economic base can be incredibly useful for students looking to attend schools in the UC system, as the UC system does not offer business majors.
   Because of this, students who are looking to pursue a career in business must select majors pertaining to different areas of business.
    As expressed by Grubaugh, an economics major is one of the most relevant majors for those interested in business.
   “(For) students who are talented enough to be UC eligible but have some ideas about wanting to perhaps work in the world of business, economics is the most direct link in terms of subject area on the UC campus,” Grubaugh said.
    Taking a class such as AP Economics can give such students an upper hand.
    This is aided by the length of the course, which gives students a chance to cover more subject matter.
   “We’re going to get micro and macro in 18 weeks,” Grubaugh said. “They’re going to know more.”
    In the end, the expansion of the course to encompass a full year ultimately benefits students who choose to take this new course. �
   “It would not be the same if they only had it first semester,” Grubaugh said. “But (in) a year, they get the whole treatment – they get the whole show.”