If your dc has self-studied for APMacroeconomics and/or microeconomics,

[Leonor]

If your dc did well on the AP exam, please share what you did.

 

What textbook, review books did you use?

 

Thanks

[plansrme]

I'm gonna feel so shunned.

 

I posted almost this exact same question a couple of month ago and got nothing. Nada. Not one response.

 

I noodled around on the CB's website and found many mentions of the McConnell Brue textbook, so with that ringing endorsement, I purchased the textbook, an instructor's manual and some other study guide or something (I don't remember what all I have--waiting until summer to go through it thoroughly), along with an exam prep guide from Borders. I got all of the McConnell Brue stuff off of half.com or some other used book site, for a few bucks each.

 

Obviouly I have no idea whether it will work. Check back with me this time next year.;)

 

Terri

 

Terri

[Kathy in Richmond]

Entering the conversation with trepidation :)....(Sorry, Terri - I was traveling about a month ago; maybe your question went by then. I don't remember seeing it!)

 

My kids both self-studied AP microeconomics with good results. We also used the McConnell Brue textbook after checking around the internet - it appeared to be a popular choice. If I remember, I just bought a cheap older edition on Amazon's used textbooks site. We also had a workbook that followed that text and a Barron's AP review book. I could look up our schedule for you if you think it would help.:)

 

I don't remember this one being particularly difficult. Both kids enjoyed the material, but they did it totally on their own. I didn't read along. They both tackled it in 12th grade when I was super busy with college transcript paperwork, so I can't give my own opinion.

[Leonor]

Entering the conversation with trepidation :)....(Sorry, Terri - I was traveling about a month ago; maybe your question went by then. I don't remember seeing it!)

 

My kids both self-studied AP microeconomics with good results. We also used the McConnell Brue textbook after checking around the internet - it appeared to be a popular choice. If I remember, I just bought a cheap older edition on Amazon's used textbooks site. We also had a workbook that followed that text and a Barron's AP review book. I could look up our schedule for you if you think it would help.:)

 

I don't remember this one being particularly difficult. Both kids enjoyed the material, but they did it totally on their own. I didn't read along. They both tackled it in 12th grade when I was super busy with college transcript paperwork, so I can't give my own opinion.

 

I was hoping you would post. After seeing that your children self-studied for 20 APs, I was thinking of sending you a pm but posting helps everyone.

I would appreciate anything you could share---schedules, etc.

Thanks.

[Leonor]

I'm gonna feel so shunned.

 

I posted almost this exact same question a couple of month ago and got nothing. Nada. Not one response.

 

I noodled around on the CB's website and found many mentions of the McConnell Brue textbook, so with that ringing endorsement, I purchased the textbook, an instructor's manual and some other study guide or something (I don't remember what all I have--waiting until summer to go through it thoroughly), along with an exam prep guide from Borders. I got all of the McConnell Brue stuff off of half.com or some other used book site, for a few bucks each.

 

Obviouly I have no idea whether it will work. Check back with me this time next year.;)

 

Terri

 

Terri

 

Sometimes that happens because everyone is so busy, especially this time of year. Sometimes the forum gets so many new threads in one day that the one you post might be overlooked if someone is not on for a couple of days.

I have not been on much in the past couple of months. It has been a very busy speech and debate tournament season. When I'm not on, I don't go back to all the days I missed. It's impossible with this forum being so busy.

I'm glad there is someone to give us information. I was thinking AP Economics might not be as popular.

Thanks for sharing your information and posting.

We are looking to do this at the same time. My ds will be a senior next year. I'm contemplating AP Macro and Micro because the college he is interested in will give credit for their Economics course if ds gets 4 or 5 on both AP Exams.

[Leonor]

Anyone who has already done AP Macroeconomics?

[Kathy in Richmond]

Text: Economics by McConnell and Brue, 16th (wow! not a typo, this must have been around for a long time) edition. The text begins with a general introduction to economics followed by macroeconomics, and finally microeconomics. It's written in such a way that the student can jump directly from the intro to microeconomics if they wish to only study that portion (what my kids w/o problems)

Supplements: Study Guide to accompany M & B, by Walstad and Bingham. You can get a guide that covers the whole text or just the macro or micro chapters. Each chapter includes a quick intro to the material, a checklist of objectives, chapter outline, important terms, objective questions, and short answer/essay questions (answers included). My kids liked this a lot & told me it was more than enough. They used it alongside each chapter as they read.

Test Bank to accompany M & B - lots of multiple choice and t/f practice; good for AP exam review, though I don't think my kids actually got to this book.

Instructor's Resource Manual to accompany M & B by Gleason and West. This book has instructional objectives, teaching comments, very detailed lecture notes, and answers to end-of-chapter textbook questions. It would be great in a classroom situation, but my kids found the workbook above to be plenty for self-studying and never used this resource (this and the test bank were loaned to me by a dear friend, but i never found a real need for them)

Barron's AP Micro/Macro review book - We found this handy for multiple choice practice in the month leading up to the exam, along with FRQs downloaded from the college board website.

Syllabus for Microeconomics: (reading text & accompanying workbook weekly)
week 1: Ch. 1 & 2 Nature & Method of Econ; The Economizing Problem
week 2: Ch. 3 & 4 Individual Markets; The Market System
week 3: Ch. 5 US Economy: Private & Public Sectors
week 4: Ch. 6 US in the Global Economy
week 5: Ch. 7 Measuring Domestic Output & National Income
week 6: Ch. 20 & 21 (skipping to micro) Elasticity of Demand & Supply; Consumer Behavior & Utility Maximization
week 7: Ch. 22 & 23 Costs of Production; Pure Competition
week 8: Ch. 24 Pure Monopoly
week 9: Ch. 25 & 26 Monopolistic Competition & Oligopoly; Techonology, R&D, and Efficiency
week 10: Ch. 27 Demand for Resources
week 11: Ch. 28 & 29 Wage Determination; Rent, Interest, & Profit
week 12: Ch. 30 & 31 Government & Market Failure; Public Choice & Economics of Taxation
week 13: Ch. 34 & 35 Income Inequality & Poverty; Labor Market Institutions & Issues
week 14: Ch. 36 & 37 Economics of Health Care; International Trade
week 15: Ch. 38 & 39 Exchange Rates, Balance of Payments, & Trade Deficits; Economics of Developing Countries
week 16: Ch. 40 Transition Economies: Russia and China
the 3 weeks before the test: Barron's review book and FRQ online

[Leonor]

Thank you!

[plansrme]

Anyone who has already done AP Macroeconomics?

 

In case it is any help, the instructor's manual to McConnell Brue (I also have 16th ed. of everything that K has) has a chart showing which chapters are micro vs. macro.

 

Terri

[Kathy in Richmond]

You're welcome!

 

I should add that you could consolidate our syllabus a little bit by doing two chapters every week. On the weeks where I only have one chapter listed, it was due more to being busy with other commitments than to that particular chapter being more difficult than usual. On normal weeks, my kids had no problems getting through two chapters.

 

Also, the omission of Chs. 32 & 33 from the microeconomics portion of the text was intentional, as those particular topics weren't on the AP syllabus.