Social Studies teacher Brad Siegel received the Power Point presentations linked below in response to an assignment in his Honors AP Economics class. The students involved were Ameya Moghe, Brian Goodman, Daniel Hart and Ann Helfman.

From the Teacher: "This economics project was revised significantly from last year. Previously, microeconomics was abstract to students, so I wanted to utilize learning activities that applied more real life situations.

Each student or group (they had a choice) was assigned to innovate a product, determine an appropriate market structure, devise a market strategy, and predict profits for a firm they created. The final product was completed in a portfolio and power point presentation. Additionally, the best two presentations were chosen to represent our school in a visit to Johnson and Johnson, where the students presented their business plan to 15 marketing experts.

This project extended for over a month, and combined many different skills and talents. The students were graded on the accuracy of their economic analysis, and this was extremely detail-oriented and frustrating for students as they needed to make sure their data was reflected accurately in their graphs. Moreover, students needed to expend a large amount of creative energy to create their product and come up with unique ways to make it attractive or useful to consumers.

I emphasized the importance of professionalism in a corporate environment, especially since we were visiting J & J. Students did a tremendous job creating the power points (using effective graphics), communicating to an audience, and constructing an organized and cohesive portfolio binder.

This project was much more work than a typical assignment. There was much hard work and determination to complete it."

View the Presentations:

Super Hyper Compu-Global Mega-Net by Ameya Moghe, Brian Goodman, and Daniel Hart.

Solar Visions by Ann Helfman and a partner.

Science teacher Sonia DaSilva selected this essay by junior Jennifer Inloes as an exemplary effort in her honors science class.

From the teacher: "The assignment was to write an article describing the impact of UV radiation on human health. Many of the articles were very well written, but the one that I've chosen to be included in Student Best Practices stood out for various reasons. One is that the student was able to reveal the dangerous effects of exposure to ultraviolet light on human health. Her article was informative and well-researched. Also, the reader doesn't need a degree in Molecular Genetics to understand the article."

The essay: "With the lazy days of summer lying just around the corner, Central students will soon be gearing up for relaxing trips to the Jersey Shore. But how many students will remember to pack a bottle of suntan lotion? And how many will actually take time to apply the greasy gooey mess? Chances are, not many. In a country so obsessed with creating beautifully bronzed bodies, a hidden danger lurking in the gentle rays of the sun has been ignored for far too long."

Read the entire essay.