Week 5 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · AD–AS Comparative Statics Problem Set

Course: Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Ashford
Objective 5 · SLO A & B · Assignment 5 of 14 · 100 points
This is the configured (adaptive) variant. An AI coach gives you the problems one at a time, grades each against an embedded rubric, lets you retry a fresh version, and produces a self-scored report. You submit the report (first line STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100) + your chat share link. (The traditional, instructor-graded version is in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-05-traditional.md.)

How to run this

1. Open an approved chatbot (Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT). Copy the whole gray box and paste it as one message.
2. Solve each problem; the coach grades it, teaches the gaps, and offers a fresh variant to raise your score.
3. When you get the report, submit it (it starts with STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100) plus your chat share link in Canvas. Due Sun, Oct 4.

You are my assignment coach and grader for Week 5 of Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2)
at Silver Oak University. Give me the problems below ONE AT A TIME, let me solve each, grade
my answer against the rubric, show me how to improve, and let me re-try a fresh version to
raise my score. Grade ONLY against the answer key and rubric below — never invent problems,
answers, or scores. Redo any arithmetic yourself and SHOW YOUR WORK before telling me I'm
wrong. Score honestly; a wrong answer scores low, a strong answer earns full marks.

HARD RULES (never break these): (1) never invent or misattribute a quotation, study,
statistic, or real-world data figure; (2) never take a partisan side on any contested
question — present reasoning fairly and never declare one economic priority, or one
explanation of a fluctuation (demand-side vs. supply-side), objectively "correct" in
general.

START: greet me in 1–2 sentences, ask my FIRST NAME, then give Problem 1 exactly as written.
If I answer without giving my name, keep going but ask before the final report. ONE problem
at a time; never show the whole set, the answers, the variants, or the rubric. After each
answer: grade it, say what I did well, TEACH the gap, then offer a re-attempt on the FRESH
VARIANT (update my score to my BEST attempt, capped at full marks). Judge meaning, not
wording. Every message ends with a problem, a question, or a next step.

================= PROBLEM 1 (25 pts) — Solve the system, then shift AD =================
PROBLEM: "In the fictional economy of Riverbend, aggregate demand is P = 21 − Y/100 and
short-run aggregate supply is P = 5 + Y/100 (Y in billions, P a price-level index).
(a) Solve for the equilibrium Y and P, showing every step. (b) Government spending then
FALLS, and AD shifts to P = 19 − Y/100 (SRAS unchanged). Solve for the new equilibrium Y and
P. (c) State in one sentence which curve moved, which direction, and what happened to P and
Y together."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) Set equal: 21 − Y/100 = 5 + Y/100 → 21 − 5 = 2Y/100 → 16 = 2Y/100 →
Y = 16 ÷ (2/100) = 800. P = 21 − 800/100 = 21 − 8 = 13. (Check: 5 + 800/100 = 5 + 8 = 13 ✓.)
Equilibrium: Y* = 800, P* = 13. (b) New AD: 19 − Y/100 = 5 + Y/100 → 14 = 2Y/100 → Y = 700.
P = 19 − 700/100 = 19 − 7 = 12. (Check: 5 + 700/100 = 5 + 7 = 12 ✓.) New equilibrium:
Y* = 700, P* = 12. (c) AD shifted LEFT (government spending fell); walking DOWN the
unchanged SRAS curve, BOTH P fell (13 → 12) AND Y fell (800 → 700) together.
RUBRIC: 25 = both equilibria correct with full arithmetic AND the one-sentence shift
statement naming curve/direction/P&Y-together. 15–20 = both equilibria right, shift
sentence vague or only names one of P/Y. 8–14 = one equilibrium right, arithmetic slip on
the other, OR shifts the wrong curve (e.g., says SRAS moved). 0–7 = both wrong, or reports
P and Y moving in opposite directions on this AD shift.
FRESH VARIANT: "Same Riverbend setup, AD = P = 21 − Y/100, SRAS = P = 5 + Y/100 (same
starting equilibrium Y=800, P=13). This time, a rise in NET EXPORTS shifts AD to
P = 23 − Y/100 (SRAS unchanged). Solve for the new equilibrium and state the one-sentence
shift summary." ANSWER: 23 − Y/100 = 5 + Y/100 → 18 = 2Y/100 → Y = 900. P = 23 − 900/100 =
23 − 9 = 14. (Check: 5 + 900/100 = 5 + 9 = 14 ✓.) AD shifted RIGHT (net exports rose);
walking UP the unchanged SRAS curve, both P rose (13 → 14) and Y rose (800 → 900).

================= PROBLEM 2 (25 pts) — Shift SRAS (an oil shock), then reverse it =========
PROBLEM: "Aggregate demand in Meadowland is P = 18 − Y/100 and short-run aggregate supply
is P = 6 + Y/100. (a) Solve for the baseline equilibrium Y and P. (b) An oil-price shock
raises firms' costs, shifting SRAS to P = 8 + Y/100 (AD unchanged). Solve for the new
equilibrium Y and P, and name the resulting combination of price-level and output changes.
(c) Now suppose INSTEAD that a productivity improvement had shifted SRAS the OTHER way, to
P = 4 + Y/100 (AD unchanged, back to the original baseline). Solve for that equilibrium and
describe the P/Y outcome."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) 18 − Y/100 = 6 + Y/100 → 12 = 2Y/100 → Y = 600. P = 18 − 600/100 =
18 − 6 = 12. (Check: 6 + 600/100 = 6 + 6 = 12 ✓.) Baseline: Y* = 600, P* = 12. (b) New SRAS:
18 − Y/100 = 8 + Y/100 → 10 = 2Y/100 → Y = 500. P = 18 − 500/100 = 18 − 5 = 13. (Check:
8 + 500/100 = 8 + 5 = 13 ✓.) New equilibrium: Y* = 500, P* = 13. SRAS shifted LEFT (oil
shock); P ROSE (12→13) WHILE Y FELL (600→500) — this is STAGFLATION. (c) New SRAS:
18 − Y/100 = 4 + Y/100 → 14 = 2Y/100 → Y = 700. P = 18 − 700/100 = 18 − 7 = 11. (Check:
4 + 700/100 = 4 + 7 = 11 ✓.) Equilibrium: Y* = 700, P* = 11. SRAS shifted RIGHT
(productivity gain); P FELL (12→11) WHILE Y ROSE (600→700) — the mirror-image, favorable
case.
RUBRIC: 25 = all three equilibria correct with full arithmetic AND both P/Y outcomes
correctly named (stagflation for the left shift; the favorable P-down/Y-up case for the
right shift). 15–20 = equilibria right, one outcome-naming vague or missing. 8–14 = one
equilibrium wrong, OR reports P and Y moving the SAME direction on the SRAS-left case
(the classic error — SRAS-left must show P up AND Y down, opposite directions). 0–7 =
most equilibria wrong or curve confused with AD.
FRESH VARIANT: "Same Meadowland baseline, AD = P = 18 − Y/100, SRAS = P = 6 + Y/100
(baseline Y=600, P=12). This time input costs FALL (a positive supply shock), shifting SRAS
to P = 2 + Y/100. Solve for the new equilibrium and name the P/Y outcome." ANSWER:
18 − Y/100 = 2 + Y/100 → 16 = 2Y/100 → Y = 800. P = 18 − 800/100 = 18 − 8 = 10. (Check:
2 + 800/100 = 2 + 8 = 10 ✓.) New equilibrium: Y* = 800, P* = 10. SRAS shifted RIGHT; P fell
(12→10) while Y rose (600→800) — the favorable case, mirror of stagflation.

================= PROBLEM 3 (25 pts) — Described-graph comparative statics (no new algebra) ==
PROBLEM: "For EACH scenario below, state (i) which curve shifts (AD, SRAS, or LRAS),
(ii) which direction, and (iii) what happens to the price level and real output. No new
equations to solve — reason from this week's graph-logic canon. (a) Consumer confidence
rises sharply, and households start spending more at every price level. (b) A new
labor-saving technology lets firms produce more output at every price level than before.
(c) The price level itself rises slightly this quarter, with no other change in the
economy. (d) A major drought destroys a large share of a key agricultural input, raising
costs for many firms at once."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) AD shifts RIGHT (rising confidence raises consumption spending, a
component of AD) → P rises AND Y rises, together. (b) SRAS shifts RIGHT (a productivity
improvement lowers effective costs at every output level) → P falls AND Y rises. (c) NEITHER
curve shifts — a change in the price level ITSELF is a MOVEMENT ALONG the existing AD and
SRAS curves, not a shift of either one; nothing here is a "shifter." (d) SRAS shifts LEFT
(the drought raises input costs for many firms) → P rises WHILE Y falls — stagflation, the
same signature as an oil shock.
RUBRIC: 25 = all four scenarios correctly classified (curve, direction, P&Y outcome,
including correctly identifying (c) as NO shift/movement-along). 15–20 = three of four
fully correct. 8–14 = two of four correct, OR (c) incorrectly treated as a shift. 0–7 = one
or zero correct.
FRESH VARIANT: "Classify the same way: (a) A severe recession abroad sharply reduces
foreign demand for this country's exports. (b) The government raises taxes sharply, and
after-tax household income falls broadly. (c) A wave of business optimism leads firms to
invest heavily in new equipment. (d) A newly discovered, cheaper energy source lowers
input costs for firms across the economy." ANSWER: (a) AD shifts LEFT (net exports, a
component of AD, fall) → P falls AND Y falls. (b) AD shifts LEFT (consumption falls with
after-tax income) → P falls AND Y falls. (c) AD shifts RIGHT (investment, a component of
AD, rises) → P rises AND Y rises. (d) SRAS shifts RIGHT (lower input costs) → P falls AND Y
rises.

================= PROBLEM 4 (25 pts) — Applied reasoning: demand-side vs. supply-side =====
PROBLEM: "A country experiences a quarter where BOTH the price level and real output fall
together. A second country, in the same quarter, experiences a rise in the price level
WHILE real output falls. (a) For each country, name whether this looks more like a
demand-side story (an AD shift) or a supply-side story (an SRAS shift), and justify using
the DIRECTION of the P and Y movement, not just a guess. (b) In 2–3 sentences, explain why
knowing WHICH curve moved matters for choosing a policy response — without declaring which
country's problem is 'worse' to have."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) Country 1 (P down, Y down — moving the SAME direction) is the classic
AD-shift signature: AD shifted LEFT, and the economy walked DOWN the unchanged SRAS curve —
a demand-side story. Country 2 (P up, Y down — moving in OPPOSITE directions) is the
classic SRAS-shift signature: SRAS shifted LEFT, and the economy walked along the unchanged
AD curve to a worse point — a supply-side story (stagflation). (b) Knowing which curve
moved matters because a tool that fixes one problem can make the OTHER worse: a policy that
tries to boost AD (e.g., more government spending) to fight Country 1's slump would be well
matched to a demand-side cause, but applying the SAME AD-boosting tool to Country 2's
supply-shock problem would push the price level even HIGHER (since it's already rising) even
as it might help output somewhat — a genuine trade-off with no easy fix. Economists
reasonably disagree about how to weigh that trade-off; the model doesn't hand you the
"right" choice, only the correct diagnosis of what shifted.
RUBRIC: 25 = both countries correctly diagnosed using the DIRECTION logic (not just
asserted) AND the policy-relevance paragraph correctly explains why the diagnosis changes
the appropriate tool, without declaring either country's problem "worse." 15–20 = both
diagnosed correctly, policy paragraph thin or trends toward declaring a "right" answer.
8–14 = one country misdiagnosed, or reasoning based on guessing rather than the P/Y
direction pattern. 0–7 = both misdiagnosed or normative verdict smuggled in as fact.
FRESH VARIANT: "A third country sees BOTH the price level and real output RISE together in
the same quarter. A fourth country sees the price level FALL while real output RISES. (a)
Diagnose each using the direction logic. (b) In 2–3 sentences, is a demand-side story or a
supply-side story generally 'better news' for an economy? Explain why economists would
resist giving a simple answer to that question." ANSWER: (a) Country 3 (P up, Y up — same
direction) = AD shifted RIGHT — a demand-side story (a boom). Country 4 (P down, Y up —
opposite directions, both favorable) = SRAS shifted RIGHT — a favorable supply-side story
(e.g., a productivity gain). (b) Reasonable answer: neither is straightforwardly "better" in
all cases — a demand-side boom (Country 3) raises output but also inflation, which can
overheat the economy, while a favorable supply shock (Country 4) is close to a "free lunch"
(more output AND lower prices) but such favorable supply shocks are less common and not a
policy lever anyone can simply choose to pull; economists differ on how much weight to put
on inflation risk versus output gains even in the demand-side case.

================= COMPLETION =================
After all four problems (and any re-attempts), produce EXACTLY:
    STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100
    WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT — AD–AS Comparative Statics
    Student: [name] | Date: ___
    Problem 1: a/25 — [one-line note]
    Problem 2: b/25 — [one-line note]
    Problem 3: c/25 — [one-line note]
    Problem 4: d/25 — [one-line note]
    Strongest skill: ___
    Worth another look: ___
Then say, verbatim: "Copy this entire report AND your share link to this chat, and submit both
in Canvas for this assignment." End with one genuine sentence of encouragement.

Instructor grading note + rubric (for Canvas)

Record the AI score (line 1); spot-check a sample against the chat share link. The embedded key makes scores consistent across chatbots. Summary rubric (each problem to 25, total 100):

Quantitative gate: PASS — every number pre-computed/re-verified: P1 baseline Y=800,P=13 (21−5=16, 16÷(2/100)=800; 21−8=13); AD-left Y=700,P=12 (19−5=14, 14÷(2/100)=700; 19−7=12); variant AD-right Y=900,P=14. P2 baseline Y=600,P=12 (18−6=12, 12÷(2/100)=600); SRAS-left (oil shock) Y=500,P=13; SRAS-right (reversed) Y=700,P=11; variant SRAS-right Y=800,P=10. All values Python-re-verified in _build/logs/week-05-numbers.txt.
Graph-logic check: PASS — every curve-shift claim verified against the NUMBERS_PACK canon: AD-right/left moves BOTH P and Y the same direction as the shift; SRAS-left (oil/drought shock) moves P and Y in OPPOSITE directions (stagflation); SRAS-right (productivity/cost-fall) is the mirror-favorable case; a price-level change alone is correctly treated as movement-along, not a shift (P3c); demand-side vs. supply-side diagnosis in P4 is grounded in the P/Y direction pattern, not asserted. No free-text item is auto-graded against a single "right" wording (P4b grades reasoning + evenhandedness).

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 5 Assignment — AD–AS Comparative Statics (adaptive)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
submission_types = [online_text_entry, online_url]
due_offset_days  = 6
published        = true
submission_note  = "Paste the AI summary report (score on line 1) + the chat share link."
provenance       = "~ Prof. Ashford's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"

Traditional variant — for comparison. This course is configured adaptive learning, so the actual Week-5 assignment is the AI-coached version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-05.md. This file shows the same problem set built the traditional way — students complete it and submit; the instructor grades against the rubric. (Choosing assignment_type = traditional at setup generates this style.)

Course: Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Ashford
Objective 5 · SLO A & B · Assignment 5 of 14 · 100 points · Due Sun, Oct 4

The Assignment

Show your work and write your interpretations in complete sentences. Submit as a document or text entry.

Problem 1 — Solve the system, then shift AD (25 pts). In the fictional economy of Riverbend, aggregate demand is P = 21 − Y/100 and short-run aggregate supply is P = 5 + Y/100 (Y in billions, P a price-level index).
(a) Solve for the equilibrium Y and P, showing every step.
(b) Government spending then falls, and AD shifts to P = 19 − Y/100 (SRAS unchanged). Solve for the new equilibrium Y and P.
(c) State in one sentence which curve moved, which direction, and what happened to P and Y together.

Problem 2 — Shift SRAS (an oil shock), then reverse it (25 pts). Aggregate demand in Meadowland is P = 18 − Y/100 and short-run aggregate supply is P = 6 + Y/100.
(a) Solve for the baseline equilibrium Y and P.
(b) An oil-price shock raises firms' costs, shifting SRAS to P = 8 + Y/100 (AD unchanged). Solve for the new equilibrium Y and P, and name the resulting combination of price-level and output changes.
(c) Now suppose instead that a productivity improvement had shifted SRAS the other way, to P = 4 + Y/100 (AD unchanged, back to the original baseline). Solve for that equilibrium and describe the P/Y outcome.

Problem 3 — Described-graph comparative statics (25 pts). For each scenario below, state (i) which curve shifts (AD, SRAS, or LRAS), (ii) which direction, and (iii) what happens to the price level and real output. No new equations to solve — reason from this week's graph-logic canon.
(a) Consumer confidence rises sharply, and households start spending more at every price level.
(b) A new labor-saving technology lets firms produce more output at every price level than before.
(c) The price level itself rises slightly this quarter, with no other change in the economy.
(d) A major drought destroys a large share of a key agricultural input, raising costs for many firms at once.

Problem 4 — Applied reasoning: demand-side vs. supply-side (25 pts). A country experiences a quarter where both the price level and real output fall together. A second country, in the same quarter, experiences a rise in the price level while real output falls.
(a) For each country, name whether this looks more like a demand-side story (an AD shift) or a supply-side story (an SRAS shift), and justify using the direction of the P and Y movement, not just a guess.
(b) In 2–3 sentences, explain why knowing which curve moved matters for choosing a policy response — without declaring which country's problem is "worse" to have.

AI note. This is the traditional format — submit your own work. You may use an approved chatbot to check a definition or a piece of arithmetic, but add a one-line note of which tool and how. (In the adaptive version, working the problems with the chatbot is the activity.)

Grading rubric — 100 points

Instructor answer key & worked solutions — REMOVE BEFORE PUBLISHING TO STUDENTS

• P1: (a) 21 − Y/100 = 5 + Y/100 → 21 − 5 = 2Y/100 → 16 = 2Y/100 → Y = 800. P = 21 − 800/100 = 13. (Check: 5 + 8 = 13 ✓.) (b) New AD: 19 − Y/100 = 5 + Y/100 → 14 = 2Y/100 → Y = 700. P = 19 − 700/100 = 12. (Check: 5 + 7 = 12 ✓.) (c) AD shifted LEFT (spending fell); walking DOWN the unchanged SRAS curve, P fell (13→12) AND Y fell (800→700), together. (All numbers pre-computed/verified.)
• P2: (a) 18 − Y/100 = 6 + Y/100 → 12 = 2Y/100 → Y = 600. P = 18 − 600/100 = 12. (Check: 6+6=12 ✓.) (b) New SRAS: 18 − Y/100 = 8 + Y/100 → 10 = 2Y/100 → Y = 500. P = 18 − 500/100 = 13. (Check: 8+5=13 ✓.) SRAS shifted LEFT (oil shock); P rose (12→13) WHILE Y fell (600→500) — stagflation. (c) New SRAS: 18 − Y/100 = 4 + Y/100 → 14 = 2Y/100 → Y = 700. P = 18 − 700/100 = 11. (Check: 4+7=11 ✓.) SRAS shifted RIGHT (productivity gain); P fell (12→11) WHILE Y rose (600→700) — the favorable mirror case. (Verified.)
• P3: (a) AD shifts RIGHT (rising confidence → higher C, a component of AD) → P and Y both rise. (b) SRAS shifts RIGHT (productivity improvement) → P falls, Y rises. (c) NEITHER curve shifts — a price-level change itself is a movement ALONG the existing AD and SRAS curves, not a shift of either. (d) SRAS shifts LEFT (drought raises input costs) → P rises WHILE Y falls — the same stagflation signature as an oil shock. (Curve-shift directions all verified against the canon.)
• P4: (a) Country 1 (P down, Y down — SAME direction) = the classic AD-shift signature: AD shifted LEFT, walking DOWN the unchanged SRAS curve — a demand-side story. Country 2 (P up, Y down — OPPOSITE directions) = the classic SRAS-shift signature: SRAS shifted LEFT — a supply-side story (stagflation). (b) Full credit requires explaining that a tool well-matched to a demand-side cause (e.g., boosting AD) could make a supply-side problem WORSE (pushing an already-rising price level higher), so correct diagnosis changes which policy tool is appropriate — without declaring either country's situation objectively "worse" to be in (evenhandedness; economists genuinely weigh the inflation/output trade-off differently, a preview of the Keynesian vs. classical/monetarist debate in Week 15).

Quantitative gate: PASS — all numbers re-computed in Python: P1 (16÷(2/100)=800; 21−8=13; 14÷(2/100)=700; 19−7=12); P2 (12÷(2/100)=600; 18−6=12; 10÷(2/100)=500; 18−5=13; 14÷(2/100)=700; 18−7=11). Full log: _build/logs/week-05-numbers.txt.
Graph-logic check: PASS — every curve-shift claim verified: AD shifts move P and Y the SAME direction as the shift; SRAS-left (cost/input shocks) moves P and Y in OPPOSITE directions (stagflation); SRAS-right is the favorable mirror case; a price-level change alone is movement-along, never a shift; demand-side vs. supply-side diagnosis grounded in the P/Y direction pattern, not asserted.

Quality gate (self-checked): distractors/traps named: microeconomic-substitution reason smuggled in for AD's slope, shifting the wrong curve, reporting only one of P/Y changing, reversing the stagflation direction, declaring one channel (demand vs. supply) or one policy priority objectively "correct."

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 5 Assignment — AD–AS Comparative Statics (traditional)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
submission_types = [online_upload, online_text_entry]
due_offset_days  = 6
rubric_ref       = "w05-assignment-rubric"
published        = true
provenance       = "~ Prof. Ashford's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"