Course outline · 2026-2027 · alinayang.ca Ontario Certified Teacher Rev. 2026.09

CIA4U — Analysing Current Economic Issues, Grade 12, University Preparation

Grade 12 economics, taught as inquiry: take a live Canadian issue — a tariff, a pipeline, a minimum-wage change — and work out what the economics actually says about it. Every class is paired with a short explainer and a current news story to argue with.

Course code CIA4U
Course name Analysing Current Economic Issues, Grade 12, University Preparation
Credit value 1.0
Prerequisite Any university or university/college preparation course in Canadian and world studies, English, or social sciences and humanities
Instructor Alina Yang, OCT
School Lester B. Pearson C.I. · Toronto District School Board
School year 2026–2027 · Semester 1
Curriculum The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Canadian and World Studies

Section 1 — Units of study

What the course covers

Unit 1 as it is planned, class by class. Open it for the topics and for every video, news story and documentary I use along the way — all of them public, so anyone can watch ahead or catch up.

Unit 1 Fundamentals of Economics Sep 8 – Oct 9
  • Course outline; D2L walkthrough; diagnostic — what makes an issue an economic issue?
  • Doing economics; needs and wants; netiquette
  • The inquiry process; asking good economic questions (pipeline case)
  • Concepts of economic thinking; citing sources; note taking
  • City budget simulation; scarcity as the basic economic problem
  • Opportunity cost; scarcity and financial literacy
  • Production possibilities curve (PPC): graphing and practice
  • Economic thought; economic systems: command, mixed, market
  • Political and economic spectrum; how perspective shapes policy
  • Carbon tax debate: political perspectives and the economists
  • Price headlines: cause and effect; graphing demand and supply
  • Demand shifters; change in demand vs. change in quantity demanded
  • Supply shifters; new equilibrium; the impact of a tax
  • Elasticity: concept, formula, and calculation
  • Price floors and ceilings; minimum wage debate
  • Factors of production: land, labour, capital
  • Externalities: positive and negative; who bears the cost?
  • Analysing costs and benefits: jobs vs. the environment article

18 classes · Quiz Thu, Oct 8

Practice

Section 2 — Day by day

The plan, class by class

What happens on each date, so a class that was missed can be picked up without asking.

Date Type Topic
Tue, Sep 8 Teaching Course outline; D2L walkthrough; diagnostic — what makes an issue an economic issue?
Wed, Sep 9 Teaching Doing economics; needs and wants; netiquette
Thu, Sep 10 Teaching The inquiry process; asking good economic questions (pipeline case)
Fri, Sep 11 Teaching Concepts of economic thinking; citing sources; note taking
Mon, Sep 14 Teaching City budget simulation; scarcity as the basic economic problem
Tue, Sep 15 Teaching Opportunity cost; scarcity and financial literacy
Wed, Sep 16 Teaching Production possibilities curve (PPC): graphing and practice
Thu, Sep 17 Teaching Economic thought; economic systems: command, mixed, market
Fri, Sep 18 Teaching Political and economic spectrum; how perspective shapes policy
Mon, Sep 21 Teaching Carbon tax debate: political perspectives and the economists
Tue, Sep 22 Teaching Price headlines: cause and effect; graphing demand and supply
Wed, Sep 23 Teaching Demand shifters; change in demand vs. change in quantity demanded
Thu, Sep 24 Teaching Supply shifters; new equilibrium; the impact of a tax
Fri, Sep 25 Teaching Elasticity: concept, formula, and calculation
Mon, Sep 28 Teaching Price floors and ceilings; minimum wage debate
Tue, Sep 29 Teaching Factors of production: land, labour, capital
Wed, Sep 30 Teaching Externalities: positive and negative; who bears the cost?
Thu, Oct 1 Teaching Analysing costs and benefits: jobs vs. the environment article
Fri, Oct 2 Work period Unit 1 summative — launch: magazine article analysis + economic systems infographic; rubric; article selection
Mon, Oct 5 Work period Unit 1 summative — work period: article analysis draft with graph
Tue, Oct 6 Work period Unit 1 summative — final work period: infographic
Wed, Oct 7 Review Unit 1 quiz review
Thu, Oct 8 Quiz Unit 1 Quiz
Fri, Oct 9 Buffer Buffer / catch-up day

Unit 1 only. The later units are added to this page as I finish planning them, rather than sketched in now.

Section 3 — Assessment calendar

Every quiz and test date

One quiz, dated before the first class so studying can be planned ahead.

Date Type Covers
Thu, Oct 8 Quiz Unit 1 Quiz

Section 4 — Shape of the semester

Where the days go

24 days, allocated before the first class rather than discovered in December.

Day type Share Days
Teaching
18
Work periods
3
Review
1
Quiz
1
Buffer
1
Total 24

Alina Yang, OCT

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