http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/ en tutor2u.net Copyright 2012 2012-02-05T22:50:15+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-economies-of-superbowl-advertising http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-economies-of-superbowl-advertising#When:22:50:15Z A highlight of the year for many sports fans, the Superbowl presents advertisers with a unique opportunity to reach over 110 million captive viewers. RESOURCE SERIES, Super Starter Sunday, MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Costs revenues and profit, 2012-02-05T22:50:15+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-nail-polish http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-nail-polish#When:20:15:36Z Over the past year Superdrug have seen nail polish sales rise by 37 %. L’Oreal’s nail polish sales were up 24%, double the increase in lipstick and lipgloss sales. ‘We live in an image-obsessed world and nail varnish has become the ultimate accessory. Women want a quick and affordable way to get the latest look. A new varnish provides an expression of individuality and the same buzz as a new outfit for 10 per cent of the cost.’ RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2012-02-02T20:15:36+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/happiness http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/happiness#When:14:25:57Z The world of work has fundamentally; more part time and flexible working hours. However this is not a change which is making many of us happy, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. A report, published today, examines working life in 1952 – and what it is like for workers in this country 60 years later. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, 2012-02-01T14:25:57+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tescos-market-share-drops http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tescos-market-share-drops#When:21:09:12Z Tesco’s market share has fallen below 30% for the first time in 7 years. This time last year Tesco commanded a 30.5% market share. Sainsbury’s and Iceland both saw their market shares rise. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2012-01-31T21:09:12+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-video-widening-gap-between-cities http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-video-widening-gap-between-cities#When:14:26:11Z This is a great short video on the widening gap between UK cities. Lots of key terms for your budding economists to listen to. OTHER TOPICS, 2012-01-23T14:26:11+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/perfectly-price-inelastic-supply http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/perfectly-price-inelastic-supply#When:15:30:07Z What cost $10 in 1937 and would now set you back $1 million? RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, Super Starter Sunday, MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, OCR GCSE Economics, 2012-01-20T15:30:07+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/introduction-to-globalisation-via-the-uk-car-market http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/introduction-to-globalisation-via-the-uk-car-market#When:14:56:23Z For those of us eagerly awaiting the release of the Case Study for OCR GCSE Economics Unit 593, the topic of globalisation provides a nice stepping stone to the more challenging material. Data out this week from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders gives an insight into the motor industry and shows an increase of 5.8% in production by Britain’s car assembly plants. OTHER TOPICS, Globalisation, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, OCR GCSE Economics, 2012-01-20T14:56:23+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/sales-will-take-their-toll http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/sales-will-take-their-toll#When:10:09:31Z Interesting figures released today by the Office for National Statistics show that retail sales, excluding fuel, grew 0.6% in December 2011 compared with November 2011. These figures represented a 1.7% increase from December 2010. This seems to paint a rosy picture. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2012-01-20T10:09:31+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-whats-in-a-name http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-whats-in-a-name#When:09:12:26Z It has been suggested in a new report that Skegness should change its name to boost demand in the ailing resort. This links really well with fashion and trends in demand. Skegness has become less popular with the rise of the package holiday (substitute) and younger people seeing Skegness as a less desirable place to go on holiday. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2012-01-20T09:12:26+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-uk-debt-compared http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-uk-debt-compared#When:20:49:23Z Here is a great graph for using with your students to do a delicious data question. RESOURCE SERIES, Delicious Data, 2012-01-19T20:49:23+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/figure-of-the-day-unemployment http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/figure-of-the-day-unemployment#When:19:57:51Z Just watching the news and I heard a great statistic that you could use with your students this week. For every job vacancy in the UK there are 5.8 unemployed people. Five years ago this figure was 2.8. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Employment & unemployment, 2012-01-18T19:57:51+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/end-of-the-line-for-the-staycation http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/end-of-the-line-for-the-staycation#When:14:51:35Z The staycation became the answer to recession blues. It was cheaper to stay here in the UK than go abroad at a time when real incomes were falling. The cost of taking a holiday in the UK is the highest in Europe, given the price of accommodation, food, attractions and petrol. 2012-01-18T14:51:35+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/house-prices-fall http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/house-prices-fall#When:10:01:57Z According to official figures, house prices declined in all areas of Britain except London, East Midlands and the North East over the last year. House prices in Britain fell by 0.3 per cent on average in the year to November 2011. OTHER TOPICS, 2012-01-18T10:01:57+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/should-the-pound-shop-be-renamed http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/should-the-pound-shop-be-renamed#When:09:52:52Z MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2012-01-17T09:52:52+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/supermarket-price-wars-cause-inflation-fall http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/supermarket-price-wars-cause-inflation-fall#When:09:47:30Z Figures released today show that inflation has fallen to 4.2% in December. Many retailers, in particular the supermarkets launched heavy tactics to ensure sales in the run up to Christmas. A supermarket price war broke out after Tesco announced a £500 million price-cutting campaign, Asda guaranteed to be 10% cheaper than its rivals and Sainsbury’s launched its own brand price matching scheme. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2012-01-17T09:47:30+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-recession-boosts-fast-food-demand1 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-recession-boosts-fast-food-demand1#When:21:38:27Z The recent recession has led to a surge in demand for fast food. This means that 50.4% of all meals eaten out of the home are now at a so-called quick service restaurant, up from 47.3% just two years ago. The term quick service restaurant is used by the industry to describe any outlet where the consumer queues to buy take-away food so includes coffee shops. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2012-01-15T21:38:27+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/global-house-prices http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/global-house-prices#When:14:48:18Z Some really interesting data here on global house prices. It shows that the UK is ranked 30th in terms of how house prices have changed in quarter 3 of 2011. OTHER TOPICS, 2012-01-09T14:48:18+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/christmas-2011-who-were-the-winners-and-losers http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/christmas-2011-who-were-the-winners-and-losers#When:12:08:28Z The Guardian has done it again with a brilliant interactive guide to the winners and losers on the high street this Christmas. 2012-01-09T12:08:28+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/fun-with-widgets http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/fun-with-widgets#When:11:57:12Z Here are some interesting widgets that you could get your website administrator to put on your economics page of the school website. This site has a widget for US national debt and this one shows UK national debt. if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget(‘383109ce-1c24-4ed5-b0d2-0aba2ac9b1ac’); Get the UK National Debt Clock - Small widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info) Please Enable Javascript for this Finance widget to work 2012-01-09T11:57:12+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-grocery-shop-is-getting-cheaper http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-grocery-shop-is-getting-cheaper#When:01:41:35Z A great article here for students to get to grips with what real terms is. Comparing the grocery shop today with what it would have cost in1862 shows that A Victorian shopper would have needed £1,254.17 in real terms to fill their weekly basket with a selected range of food, drink and house-hold items, compared with £93.95 today. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2012-01-08T01:41:35+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-oil-prices http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-oil-prices#When:08:34:45Z A great demand and supply in action story to start the year off. Oil prices have risen by 4%. The cost of Brent crude jumped $4 a barrel to $111.4 by yesterday. The reason is the tensions between Iran and the US. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2012-01-04T08:34:45+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/starting-a-business-video http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/starting-a-business-video#When:14:42:45Z This video clip is more of a business one but still great for Economists as well. Deborah Meaden on BBC news this morning talking about entrepreneurs and starting a business. Click here to see the video MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2012-01-03T14:42:45+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/unemployment-rises-again http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/unemployment-rises-again#When:08:06:31Z With the news yesterday that unemployment has once again risen there is a huge number of useful articles to use with our students. First of all here is a great short video. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Employment & unemployment, 2011-12-15T08:06:31+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eurozone-in-charts http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eurozone-in-charts#When:11:49:42Z Another great set of interactive graphs here. This set allows you to compare all EU countries deficits, GDP, debt and unemployment. Not only is this great for starting up some discussion but also could be used for some delicious data questions. OTHER TOPICS, European Union & Economy, 2011-12-14T11:49:42+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/best-and-worst-case-scenarios-for-the-eu http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/best-and-worst-case-scenarios-for-the-eu#When:11:45:15Z Here is a great interactive graphic from the BBC to show the best and worst case scenarios for the EU. A good resource to be using at the end of term! OTHER TOPICS, European Union & Economy, 2011-12-14T11:45:15+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-graphic-european-debt http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-graphic-european-debt#When:10:49:12Z It can be quite hard for students to understand the European debt crisis. This interactive graphic from the Telegraph is great for showing students. OTHER TOPICS, European Union & Economy, 2011-12-13T10:49:12+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-chocolate-prices-soar http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-chocolate-prices-soar#When:10:38:00Z Here is a great demand and supply in action story to get students practising their diagrams and explaining them. The price of chocolate is set to soar over the next decade. This is due to a worldwide shortage of cocoa beans. In addition growing taste for cocoa in China, rising demand for dark chocolate and an awareness of its health benefits are forcing up demand. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-12-13T10:38:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/structural-unemployment http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/structural-unemployment#When:15:22:50Z Sticking with the unemployment theme, this article would be useful for explaining structural unemployment. Many businesses are complaining they need workers but they are finding it hard to find suitably skilled staff. After reading the article students could discuss ways in which the government could reduce this type of unemployment. Link 2011-12-08T15:22:50+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/jobs-for-christmas-seasonal-employment http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/jobs-for-christmas-seasonal-employment#When:15:10:29Z Here is a video to show season employment. Before showing the video I asked my class to think of companies that only require extra workers at Christmas. Link         2011-12-08T15:10:29+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/how-happy-are-you http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/how-happy-are-you#When:22:44:51Z British people rate their life satisfaction as 7.4 out 10 in the new flagship happiness survey. The poll of 4,200 adults was carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). OTHER TOPICS, 2011-12-01T22:44:51+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/can-you-crack-the-code-recruitment-in-action http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/can-you-crack-the-code-recruitment-in-action#When:14:52:44Z This is Business Studies but it would make an interesting starter for a lesson on recruitment. GCHQ has released a matrix style code which visitors of the site are given 7 hours to crack. Anyone successfully unearthing the word will be directed to the GCHQ recruitment website. This is a clever way of ensuring they are targeting the right potential employees. Can anyone in your class crack the code! Code website Sky News 2011-12-01T14:52:44+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-for-christmas http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-for-christmas#When:16:41:31Z What does Call of Duty have in common with a four-pint bottle of milk? 2011-11-28T16:41:31+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/update-on-working-walls http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/update-on-working-walls#When:10:58:11Z For all of the delegates at the TEBBLE conferences this year I thought I’d give an update on the state of my classroom walls. 2011-11-28T10:58:11+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/supply-and-demand-in-action-are-the-aussies-going-off-beer http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/supply-and-demand-in-action-are-the-aussies-going-off-beer#When:10:38:59Z Here is a good example of supply and demand in action from Australia where despite having a reputation as beer lovers, demand for the drink has slumped to a 60 year low. I am going to ask my class to discuss what the cause of this could be and draw a diagram to show how it might affect prices of beer. Link 2011-11-28T10:38:59+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/price-elasticity-of-supply http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/price-elasticity-of-supply#When:15:37:37Z Heston Blumenthal’s Hidden Orange Christmas pudding is expected to sell out once again at Waitrose as the last few reach the shops next week. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2011-11-27T15:37:37+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/stat-for-the-day-housing-market http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/stat-for-the-day-housing-market#When:09:13:21Z According to new research from the Bank of England young people should be prepared to rent until the age of 44. A leading member of the Bank said homeownership in Britain is set to fall sharply and the number of people forced to rent will rise. Homeownership has fallen from 70.9% in 2003 to 67.4% today with the rest of people renting. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2011-11-24T09:13:21+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/britain-v-germany-the-economic-fight http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/britain-v-germany-the-economic-fight#When:10:41:40Z Another great interactive guide from the Guardian. This one is comparing Britain and Germany in terms of who is better off. This could be a great starter activity, getting students involved. 2011-11-23T10:41:40+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tax-do-you-pay-in-more-than-you-get-back http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tax-do-you-pay-in-more-than-you-get-back#When:10:35:45Z This is a great tax calculator from the BBC. You could make up some fictitious households for your students to compare. A great tool to look at tax and benefits in the UK. There is also a short video to introduce the topic. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Fiscal policy, 2011-11-23T10:35:45+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/web-of-debt-interactive-data http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/web-of-debt-interactive-data#When:10:42:37Z Some great interactive data from the BBC on who owes who and how much. A great way to show GCSE (and A Level) students. OTHER TOPICS, Globalisation, 2011-11-18T10:42:37+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-uk-gdp-growth http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-uk-gdp-growth#When:07:52:52Z Great graph here showing UK GDP growth between 2007 and 2011. RESOURCE SERIES, Delicious Data, 2011-11-16T07:52:52+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/inflation-great-short-video http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/inflation-great-short-video#When:14:46:20Z I showed my class this really good short video on inflation this morning. It is great as a recap or a starter on inflation. Lots of the key points students need to know are in there. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2011-11-15T14:46:20+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/petrol-prices-a-breakdown http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/petrol-prices-a-breakdown#When:15:21:10Z Last week I blogged about the prospect of increasing petrol prices. I have just found some useful information on the breakdown of the price at the pump. This would be really useful for teaching indirect taxes. 2011-11-14T15:21:10+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-the-christmas-turkey http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-the-christmas-turkey#When:09:20:52Z The cost of the Christmas turkey could be as much as 25% higher this year. As a result you will pay about £50 for an average 12lb turkey, up from £40 last year. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-11-14T09:20:52+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/costs-of-production-iphone-4s http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/costs-of-production-iphone-4s#When:10:03:22Z The graphic below is a great way to help to explain to students about costs of production and value added. The iPhone 4S costs £499 in the shops. However you may be surprised to hear that the total cost of producing it is £112.89. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2011-11-13T10:03:22+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/will-this-stop-people-buying-cigarettes-market-failure-in-action http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/will-this-stop-people-buying-cigarettes-market-failure-in-action#When:11:36:50Z When I teach the cures of market failure I always say LETS intervene. This means governments could legislate, educate, tax or subsidise to reduce the market failure. This video shows a great example of the Australian government using legislation to reduce consumption of cigarettes which are a demerit good. Do your class think this is a good solution or can they think of anything better? Sky News   2011-11-11T11:36:50+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eu-growth-rates-delicious-data http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eu-growth-rates-delicious-data#When:10:14:40Z A great graphic here on growth rates in the UK, Germany, France and the EU as a whole. RESOURCE SERIES, Delicious Data, 2011-11-11T10:14:40+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/vat-relief-on-dvds http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/vat-relief-on-dvds#When:10:12:06Z The Treasury is scrapping an exemption on VAT for goods valued at less than £15 dispatched from the Channel Islands RESOURCE SERIES, Super Starter Sunday, MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Fiscal policy, 2011-11-09T10:12:06+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/mnemonic-monday-party-season-nearly-christmas http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/mnemonic-monday-party-season-nearly-christmas#When:09:53:13Z It seems that Christmas festivities start earlier and earlier each year, so this mnemonic is rather fitting at the beginning of November. This is a great one for remembering cross price elasticity. RESOURCE SERIES, Mnemonic Monday, 2011-11-07T09:53:13+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-petrol-prices http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-petrol-prices#When:09:40:57Z News coming in today suggests that we are going to see prices at the petrol pumps rise considerably over the next few years. The reason behind this will be increasing demand from the fast growing Asian economies. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-11-07T09:40:57+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/what-is-qe http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/what-is-qe#When:13:34:48Z I am sure many of us have had students coming and asking what quantative easing is. Here is a great short clip explaining it. 2011-11-04T13:34:48+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-petrol-prices http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-petrol-prices#When:19:06:57Z Fuel prices have risen by an eye watering 49% in the last two years. Experts are predicting prices to go up another 10p next year. It begs the question - when will fuel price increases ever stop? Data found that the cheapest region for petrol is Yorkshire and the Humberside, with the average price 132p per litre. Whereas the most expensive area for petrol is London and the South East, with an average price of 137p per litre. 2011-11-03T19:06:57+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/is-the-euro-crumbling http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/is-the-euro-crumbling#When:18:03:33Z This may have happened to you recently. A student asks you what caused the crisis in Europe and you try to explain but fail to make it sound particularly interesting. This quick animation from the BBC is much better at explaining the situation than me and would be a great starter for any lesson this week. Link         2011-11-02T18:03:33+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/mnemonic-monday-supply-factors http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/mnemonic-monday-supply-factors#When:06:23:22Z This weeks mnemonic hopefully will help students remember the factors which cause the supply curve to shift. PINTSWC RESOURCE SERIES, Mnemonic Monday, 2011-10-31T06:23:22+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/top-toys-fashion-and-trends http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/top-toys-fashion-and-trends#When:06:10:36Z On Monday we looked at the mnemonic for remembering the factors that cause the demand curve to shift. This story nicely illustrates the fashion and trends factor. Here are the top 12 toys for this Christmas. 2011-10-25T06:10:36+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/mnemonic-monday-demand-factors http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/mnemonic-monday-demand-factors#When:06:03:38Z So as we all embark on teaching demand and supply I thought it would be a good idea to remind ourselves of the useful mnemonics for this topic. This week we will look at the factors which cause the demand curve to shift. RESOURCE SERIES, Mnemonic Monday, 2011-10-24T06:03:38+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/inflation-interactive-guide http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/inflation-interactive-guide#When:12:08:08Z The updated inflation interactive guide is here. Following the announcement earlier today that inflation has jumped to 5.2%. The interactive guide is a great way for students to get an idea of what has been going on with inflation since 2006. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2011-10-18T12:08:08+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/luxury-items-buck-the-trend http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/luxury-items-buck-the-trend#When:13:54:37Z We are expecting demand for goods and services to be dropping as the economic outlook worsens. Not so says Burberry, makers of expensive luxury items such as the trench coat and handbags. They have seen revenues rise 30% in the six months to September 30th. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-10-12T13:54:37+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-superstar-donut http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-superstar-donut#When:16:18:21Z Here is a nice example for supply and demand. Greggs have managed to fight the recession with one very successful product, the superstar doughnut. You have a choice of strawberry milkshake, triple choc vanilla, jaffa cake or coconut snowball doughnut, personally I’d have the jaffa cake. Demand has shot up for the product due to a very successful advertising campaign aimed at Greggs 280,000 Facebook fans. 2011-10-06T16:18:21+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-fish-and-chips http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-fish-and-chips#When:12:14:01Z 1,200 people queued to get their hands on a fish and chip takeaway meal for just £1. Fosters Fish and Chips shop in Didsbury, Manchester, was offering the special promotion to celebrate its first birthday. And the £4.75 savings on the usual price appeared to be reason enough for 1,200 customers to wait hours in line. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-09-21T12:14:01+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-pumpkins http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-pumpkins#When:22:14:00Z The recent hurricane on the East Coast of America has seriously affected the crop of pumpkins ahead of Halloween. The US is facing a shortage this year after Hurricane Irene destroyed hundreds of pumpkin patches across the region. Wholesale prices have doubled in some places as farmers nurse their surviving pumpkin plants toward a late harvest. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-09-19T22:14:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/where-to-shop-if-poundland-looks-a-bit-pricy http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/where-to-shop-if-poundland-looks-a-bit-pricy#When:09:23:00Z When a pound shop appears across the road there are a number of strategies that you could use to compete. Stocking better quality products or employing a more knowledgeable staff would be obvious options. Less obvious would be to try and compete on price. Do your students think this is a viable strategy? 2011-09-09T09:23:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/unemployment-hot-spots http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/unemployment-hot-spots#When:16:02:00Z Liverpool, Nottingham and Glasgow have found themselves, for the second year running, with the highest level of households where no-one is in work. Liverpool and Glasgow the figures actually fell in the past year from 32.1% and 31.1% to 31.9% and 30.7%. However in Nottingham it increased from 31.3% to 31.6%.   MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Employment & unemployment, 2011-09-08T16:02:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tax-meters-for-german-prostitutes http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tax-meters-for-german-prostitutes#When:15:39:00Z A new school year and I’m starting with a bit of a controversial blog. With the Eurozone in crisis Germany are looking to increase their tax income by targeting a previously tax dodging industry.  This video is a great starter for any lesson on tax. 2011-09-05T15:39:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/cost-cutting-at-cadbury http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/cost-cutting-at-cadbury#When:08:51:00Z In an effort to maintain profit margins as the price of commodities rise Cadbury are cutting the number of chocolates in their tins of Roses and Heroes but keeping the price the same. The weight of a tin of Roses is to be reduced from 975g to 850g. This means 11 fewer chocolates. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2011-09-05T08:51:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-graphic-for-a-starter http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-graphic-for-a-starter#When:20:23:01Z As we all start to think about the start of term here is a good graphic that could be used for a starter lesson for getting the students to start thinking about macroeconomics. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, 2011-08-27T20:23:01+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/how-much-of-our-spending-goes-on-food http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/how-much-of-our-spending-goes-on-food#When:15:23:00Z Food and the proportion of income spent on it is a common theme in GCSE Economics often showing up in the multiple choice paper. Generally speaking the lower your income the higher the proportion of your income is spent on food. Below is a great infographic looking at the percentage of people’s total expenditures spent on food in the countries of the world (source: civileats) Unsurprisingly, the more developed the country, a smaller proportion of their income is spent on food. 2011-08-23T15:23:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/unemployment-map http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/unemployment-map#When:15:11:00Z This unemployment map would make a greater starter for a discussion on consequences of unemployment. It shows a real North-South divide opening up. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Employment & unemployment, 2011-07-22T15:11:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/thomas-cook-and-co-op-set-to-take-off http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/thomas-cook-and-co-op-set-to-take-off#When:10:05:00Z The Competition Commission have given the green light for Thomas Cook and the Co-op Travel Agent to merge. This merger will create the largest travel agents in the UK. Prior to the merger these two companies have been two of the three largest firms in this market. 2011-07-21T10:05:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/shoppers-flock-to-aldi http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/shoppers-flock-to-aldi#When:09:09:00Z Normal service now resumes. Having finished marking lots of great GCSE papers I am done for another year! So I am sure we have all noticed the price of our weekly shop is constantly rising. I was shocked when I got to the till at Tesco this week! Well it seems that the squeeze on our incomes in pushing people towards shopping at discount shops like Aldi. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2011-07-20T09:09:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/cable-car-in-rio-slum-supply-side-policies-in-action http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/cable-car-in-rio-slum-supply-side-policies-in-action#When:12:40:00Z Look at this for a great supply side policy from Brazil. One of the biggest slums in Rio is now home to a 3.5 km cable car system. It aims to transport residents quickly into the city, saving them hours of journey time as they avoid steep and narrow roads. Hopefully this will improve the productivity of the workers shifting the countries PPF outwards. Video 2011-07-07T12:40:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/to-rent-or-buy-that-is-the-question http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/to-rent-or-buy-that-is-the-question#When:08:09:00Z The number of private renters in the housing market has increased by 1 million since 2005. The number of owner-occupied houses has fallen in this period. The data below would make a good delicious data piece: MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2011-07-07T08:09:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-food-prices1 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/delicious-data-food-prices1#When:07:17:00Z Another great piece of data on the rising food prices. The data below may require greater teacher input because the price rises are expressed in indices but it could be a great exercise to help students understand indices. 2011-07-07T07:17:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/what-are-rare-earth-minerals-turns-out-they-are-very-important http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/what-are-rare-earth-minerals-turns-out-they-are-very-important#When:13:32:01Z Here is an interesting supply and demand example. Did you know smart phones contain ‘rare earth’ minerals which are vital for them to work? I didn’t, but it turns out that these minerals were becoming scarce with China (who have 97% of the total supply) restricting supply, possibly to increase prices. Well panic over because a Japanese company have found huge deposits of the minerals on the floor of the Pacific which could increase the known deposits by 1000 times. How would this look on a demand and supply diagram? Great video to go with story 2011-07-04T13:32:01+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/controversial-statement-starter http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/controversial-statement-starter#When:09:05:00Z Firms should employ more Britons. This would make a great discussion, especially towards the end of term. Add to it a great short video from the BBC on this topic. This could be a starter or a main course depending on your students. RESOURCE SERIES, Super Starter Sunday, 2011-07-01T09:05:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/video-recipes-and-non-price-competion http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/video-recipes-and-non-price-competion#When:21:56:00Z If you are exploring complementary goods in economics, and also introducing USPs in business studies, these short video clips may highlight Waitrose’s attempts to market their own brands and their Cookery School. It can also be used to explore ideas about non-price competition between supermarkets. A discussion could include comparision of business pricing strategies: viz. high sales, low volumes versus lower volumes with a higher margin per unit sold. There is also some added value for the pupils, learning how to prepare, cost and price a simple meal. 2011-06-24T21:56:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-evaluation-for-base-rate-questions http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/great-evaluation-for-base-rate-questions#When:09:43:00Z First of all sorry for the lack of blogs this month, exam marking has reared its ugly head and taken over my life again. Even so I saw this video and thought it is so important that I should post it. One of the most important factors for long answer questions at GCSE or A level is evaluation. Here is a fantastic one for how a reduction in the base rate may not have as big an effect on demand. You would normally say a reduction in the base rate will reduce people’s mortgage interest repayments so they will have more disposable income which could lead to an increase in consumption shifting the AD curve to the right. Here is a great however... 2011-06-23T09:43:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-strawberries-and-raspberries http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-strawberries-and-raspberries#When:11:51:00Z Strawberries and now raspberries have arrived into the shops extraordinarily early this year and the fruit itself has been larger, sweeter and juicier than any we have had in years. This glut is a result of an unusually early spring and, essentially, good pollination. Growers are fully expecting to outdo the 9,000 tonnes of raspberries sold last year, according to British Summer Fruits. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-06-18T11:51:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/going-on-holiday-this-summer http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/going-on-holiday-this-summer#When:11:34:00Z So you have booked your holiday, excited about going, you have your spending money all sorted but there is a problem….... how far will it go? Exchange rates have had a huge impact on peoples spending power when they go abroad on holiday. The weak pound has been welcomed by exporters but holiday makers do not like it. To explain this I am going to use one of my favourite and longest serving mnemonics - WIDEC. OTHER TOPICS, Exchange rates and currencies, 2011-06-18T11:34:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/data-china-eu-uk-and-germany http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/data-china-eu-uk-and-germany#When:11:21:00Z Some good data here on projected growth rates for China, EU, UK and Germany. Great for a data comparison style question, such as: RESOURCE SERIES, Delicious Data, 2011-06-18T11:21:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/fantastic-graphics-on-asia http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/fantastic-graphics-on-asia#When:11:42:00Z For all students studying international Economics this interactive data from the BBC is fantastic. You can compare GDP and income statistics with life expectancy, education, energy and health for a number of Asian countries. This is a must for all GCSE students and even students studying standard of living at A Level. OTHER TOPICS, Globalisation, 2011-06-15T11:42:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eu-says-yes-to-croatia http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eu-says-yes-to-croatia#When:14:09:00Z Croatia is going to be the 28th country to enter the European Union. This likely to happen in 2013. Click here to see a profile of Croatia. This is particularly useful for those students taking the global ad international paper for GCSE. OTHER TOPICS, European Union & Economy, 2011-06-10T14:09:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/squeeze-on-family-income http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/squeeze-on-family-income#When:08:58:00Z Food prices have hit a two year high putting a big strain on family incomes. I have certainly noticed in the past 6 months my weekly food bill is rising almost week by week, even though I am buying the same things! With the price of petrol, insurance and energy also rising alongside wage freezes in some sectors, families are facing a very tough balancing act. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2011-06-08T08:58:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/petrol-pushes-cost-of-owning-a-car-up http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/petrol-pushes-cost-of-owning-a-car-up#When:13:17:00Z We have all seen the constantly increasing price of petrol in recent times. So you will not be surprised to hear that the increasing cost of petrol is one of the main factors causing the cost of running a car to jump by 20%. In addition insurance premiums have risen significantly. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2011-06-06T13:17:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/car-shortage-supply-and-demand-in-action http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/car-shortage-supply-and-demand-in-action#When:14:06:00Z The earthquake in Japan has caused a shortage of cars in American dealerships. This would be a great video for introducing the effect of a reduction in supply on prices. 2011-05-27T14:06:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/2000-for-one-champions-league-ticket http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/2000-for-one-champions-league-ticket#When:13:40:00Z Official tickets for the 2011 Champions League final tomorrow cost between £80 and £300 but as usual the black market price is much higher. After watching the video, can your pupils draw a diagram that shows how this situation would look on a demand and supply diagram? A similar question has come up in an OCR past paper with a perfectly inelastic supply curve and a maximum price line 2011-05-27T13:40:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/fuel-economy-labels-demerit-goods http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/fuel-economy-labels-demerit-goods#When:15:05:00Z This year I bought my first ever car. I absolutely love it, comments about it being a hairdressers car have not impact on me whatsoever but I am starting to wish it didn’t use up so much petrol.  Maybe I would have bought a more sensible car if the UK had fuel economy labels like the ones being introduced in the US. As large gas guzzling cars are demerit goods, this example could be used in a lesson to show how providing information to customers about the negative externalities of their purchase could reduce the consumption of demerit goods. 2011-05-26T15:05:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/peppa-pig-the-cash-cow http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/peppa-pig-the-cash-cow#When:09:29:00Z As a mum of small children I know all about Peppa Pig! For those that do not know, Peppa is a cartoon character who loves jumping in muddy puddles. Peppa has become big business not only is it a favourite on TV for many young children but there is a huge array of merchandise that can be bought. According to the latest industry figures, Peppa is now the fourth-highest selling character toy in Britain – ahead of Thomas the Tank Engine and Fireman Sam. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Competitive markets, 2011-05-24T09:29:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/how-crisps-are-made-technological-economies-of-scale http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/how-crisps-are-made-technological-economies-of-scale#When:09:31:20Z Here is a nice video to use when explaining how large companies can benefit from technological economies of scale allowing their cost per unit to reduce. It takes you through all of the stages of making crisps, not surprisingly everything is done by machines. It could also be used for a lesson on how companies are trying to become more energy efficient. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Costs revenues and profit, 2011-05-23T09:31:20+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/no-more-heated-toilet-seats http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/no-more-heated-toilet-seats#When:15:31:00Z Japan is braced for a summer of electricity shortages after the earthquake and tsunami. This has caused demand for energy efficient gadgets to shoot through the roof with eco-friendly fridges and energy efficient LED lights selling well. On the down side companies are cutting down on the use of electricity with lights being turned off and electric toilet seats unplugged This video would be a really interesting starter to any lesson; I’m going to use it in PSHE with my year 7’s tomorrow to discuss how dependent we have become on electricity. 2011-05-19T15:31:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/iraq-to-ban-smoking http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/iraq-to-ban-smoking#When:15:22:00Z Here is some absolute gold for discussing how governments can reduce the use of demerit goods. In Iraq (a country that possibly has bigger fish to fry) they are talking about banning smoking in all public areas. Apparently cigarettes cost as little as 33 cents and kill more people than terrorists. What do your students think of this idea? 2011-05-19T15:22:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-chocolate-digestives http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-chocolate-digestives#When:13:37:01Z The recent economic crisis has apparently made us all reach for the chocolate digestive. Sales of traditional favourite biscuits have been on the rise in the last year. The total market is up by 22 per cent over the past five years to some £2.2billion. It is not just biscuits that have seen a rise in consumption due to the economic crisis, other comfort foods like sausage rolls and meat pies have also seen a rise in demand. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-05-18T13:37:01+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/inflation-up-again1 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/inflation-up-again1#When:14:53:01Z Figures released today show that the CPI has risen to 4.5% in April. This is a larger than expected rise. Click here for a great short video. And for those students working on their revision ahead of their exams the BBC have produced a great short article “Inflation explained” MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price stability and inflation, 2011-05-17T14:53:01+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-fake-tan-sales-soar http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-fake-tan-sales-soar#When:07:05:00Z Another great demand and supply in action to help you revise. The afternoon of the Royal wedding Debenhams saw sales of fake tan rise by 219% compared with the same day last year. It would seem that people saw the wonderful glow of Kate and Pippa Middleton and wanted to be like them - F in PASIFIC. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-05-16T07:05:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eurozone-crisis-in-graphics http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/eurozone-crisis-in-graphics#When:21:30:00Z Here is a great set of data on the Eurozone crisis from the BBC. Graphs showing the budget deficits, GDP, unemployment and debt in the Eurozone countries and the UK. This is great for setting practice data questions and revision of some key topics. MACROECONOMICS TOPICS, 2011-05-15T21:30:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-bumper-strawberry-crop http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-bumper-strawberry-crop#When:09:16:00Z Another great demand and supply in action story to help you revise. Here we see the weather affecting the supply of strawberries (W in PINTSWC). Due to the excellent weather in the UK in April there has been a bumper crop of strawberries already. This is excellent news for British firms as their sales have increased significantly. MICROECONOMICS TOPICS, Price mechanism, 2011-05-10T09:16:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-porridge-sales-surge http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/demand-and-supply-in-action-porridge-sales-surge#When:07:06:00Z It would seem the porridge is the new in dish. Once again we see a great demand and supply in action story in this BBC video. It shows how fashion and trends (F in PASIFIC) have caused the demand for porridge to rise. This would be a great starter activity in the run up to exams, getting pupils to watch the video and draw a demand and supply diagram to show the change. RESOURCE SERIES, Demand and Supply in Action, 2011-05-06T07:06:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-scent-of-big-money-supply-and-demand-in-action1 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/the-scent-of-big-money-supply-and-demand-in-action1#When:10:31:04Z The royal wedding had many winners including designer Sarah Burton and shops stocking royal memorabilia. There were a few losers of course but the less said about Princess Beatrice’s hat the better! British brand Illuminum has come out smelling of roses as Kate Middleton is reported to have worn their fragrance ‘White Gardenia Petals’ on the big day. It is expected that the perfume will become a worldwide sell-out as anything associated with the wedding is very much in vogue. Another great example of how fashion and taste can shift demand. 2011-05-05T10:31:04+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/will-the-death-of-bin-laden-affect-the-world-economy http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/will-the-death-of-bin-laden-affect-the-world-economy#When:11:30:00Z Here is an interesting video and article that debates whether the death of bin Laden will have any economic impact. The analyst says no but what do your students think? Link 2011-05-04T11:30:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tourists-discouraged-from-entering-the-uk-exchange-rate-evaluation http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/tourists-discouraged-from-entering-the-uk-exchange-rate-evaluation#When:11:04:00Z Economic theory suggests that when a country has a relatively weak currency like our own, tourism should take a boost as foreigners will be attracted by cheaper prices. The first 2 minutes of this video are great for an evaluation point as despite having a weaker currency than Europe, we are attracting a lot less tourists from China and India than Germany and France. The cause seems to be too much red tape and high visa costs. Video 2011-05-04T11:04:00+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/cycle-to-barcelona http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/gcse-economics/comments/cycle-to-barcelona#When:10:58:03Z This Easter me and a friend cycled to Barcelona for charity covering just over 900 miles in ten days. Despite a couple of scary moments including being upended by my trailer and cycling down the side of a fairly major motorway in Spain, the trip was a great success. The purpose of the journey was to raise money to pay for a Land Rover in West Kenya which will be used as a hospital ambulance. A total of £3,500 is the target; any contribution would be really appreciated! Just Giving Website Link 2011-05-04T10:58:03+00:00