Lesson Four: Balance the Budget Teacher Guide

Lesson Four: Balance the Budget – Teacher Guide

Learning Objectives.

Students will be able to:

 analyze the decisions that must be made in the government when determining how money is allocated.

 simulate the budgeting process through active and paper simulations.

 analyze their appropriations bills and budget against that of the President, comparing and contrasting.

 review the following vocabulary: appropriations, subcommittee, resolution, bills, and budget.

Time Needed: One class period

Materials Needed:

Student worksheets

Copy Instructions:

Make copies for students based on class groupings described below. (All pages should be single-sided.)

STEP BY STEP

q ANTICIPATE the lesson by reviewing budgeting process with your students.

q DIVIDE students into groups of four.

q DISTRIBUTE Representative Designations. Each group should contain Representatives #1 and #2 and Senators #1 and #2.

q DISTRIBUTE two Budget Resolution handouts and two sets of Appropriations Bills to each group.

q INSTRUCT students to take an Appropriations Bill handout for each committee assigned to them on their Representative Designation slip.

q PROJECT the Simulation Directions screen using a transparency or projector, reviewing the directions with your students step by step and reminding them to look at the overhead if they are stuck.

q CIRCULATE around the classroom checking for completion, and facilitating discussion and compromise.

REMINDER - The Presidential Budget page will take your students approximately 5 minutes, so leave time at the end of class for this final step.

- Remind your students at the end that they have only looked at a small part of the full federal budget!

- Share fun facts with your students about the budget such as the total of the 2011 annual budget ($3.83 trillion estimated) or the amount of time it takes for Congress to create the federal budget (from the first Monday in February to October 1st).

This lesson plan is part of the Budgeting series by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civic education. For more resources, please visit www.icivics.org/teachers, where you can access the state standards aligned to this lesson plan. Provide feedback to .

Lesson Five: The Market Economy – Teacher Guide

Learning Objectives. Students will be able to:

 Describe the characteristics of a market economy, including the principle and protection of private property rights

 Identify the relationship among supply, demand, scarcity, and opportunity cost

 Analyze how profit, incentive, and competition motivate individuals, households, and businesses

 Describe the circular flow that shows the interaction among consumers/households, businesses/producers, and markets

 Analyze how changes in technology, costs, and demand interact in competitive markets to determine or change the price of goods and services

 Compare the market economy to other types of economies (command, traditional, mixed)

Time Needed: One class period

Materials Needed:

Student worksheets

Projector & Transparencies

Copy Instructions:

Reading (2 pages; class set)

Note-taking Worksheet (class set)

Worksheet (2 pages; class set)

STEP BY STEP

q ANTICIPATE by asking how many students would want to spend next Saturday pulling weeds (or picking up trash) for free. Now ask how many would want to do it if they knew they would earn $500 for one day’s work. Ask students to try to explain the difference. Guide them toward concepts of motivation, incentive, and profit.

q DISTRIBUTE one reading page to each student.

q READ with the class, pausing to discuss and explain as necessary.

q DISTRIBUTE one “Six Traits of the Market Economy” note-taking worksheet to each student

q PROJECT a blank version of the “Six Traits of the Market Economy”

q WORK THROUGH each trait, discussing with students and helping them fill in the blanks

q PROJECT the “Prices Up, Prices Down” active participation activity. If possible, cover up the scenarios so that you can reveal one scenario at a time. You may also use the optional PowerPoint.

q REVEAL each scenario. Have the class answer up or down as a group by showing you “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” As you go along, discuss with the class why prices would go up or down in each case.

q DISTRIBUTE one worksheet to each student

q ASSIGN students to complete the worksheet activities. You may want to use the projection master to help students complete Activity B.

q REVIEW the answers if you wish.

q CLOSE by asking students to silently recall one trait of a market economy. Call on students until all six traits discussed in the lesson have been named.

This lesson plan is part of the Government & the Market series by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civic education. Visit www.icivics.org/teachers to access the state standards aligned to this lesson plan and for more resources. Provide feedback to .

Lesson Six: Government and the Economy– Teacher Guide

Learning Objectives. Students will be able to:

 Compare the government’s role in free market, command, and mixed economies.

 Analyze the role of consumers, private producers, and the government in the U.S. mixed economy.

 Explain the effects of government policies on the free market.

 Describe how government policies allow either free or restricted trade.

 Identify U.S. laws and regulations adopted to promote economic competition.

 Identify U.S. laws protecting consumer rights and avenues of recourse.

Time Needed: One class period

Materials Needed:

Student worksheets

Scissors and glue or tape

Power Point with projector (optional)

Copy Instructions:

Reading (2 pages; class set)

Review Worksheet (1 page; class set)

Graphic Organizer (2 pages side by side; 1 organizer per pair or trio of students)

Graphic Organizer Directions (1/2 page; 1 per pair or trio)

STEP BY STEP

q ANTICIPATE by asking students if they’ve ever seen an ad for cell phone service. What do they think makes one cell phone provider better than another? Then ask if they think the government ever gets involved in cell phone service. They likely won’t know, but ask them to guess how the government might get involved.

q DISTRIBUTE the reading page to the class.

q READ the page with the class, pausing to discuss as appropriate.

q CHECK for understanding by doing the True/False active participation activity. Either follow the directions on the Active Participation Guide or run the Power Point.

q PAIR students together or put them in groups of three. (This activity is not designed for groups of more than three.)

q DISTRIBUTE the scissors and glue, one set of directions, and one two-page graphic organizer to each pair or trio.

q REVIEW the directions to make sure students understand what to do.

q ALLOW students to complete the graphic organizer.

q GIVE the review worksheet to those who finish (and ultimately to all students).

q REVIEW the answers to the graphic organizer activity as a class, either out loud or using the second part of the Power Point. If you have an interactive white board, you can also use the Power Point to fill in the graphic organizer together as a class.

q ALLOW students to work on the review worksheet if there’s time.

q CLOSE by asking students to silently picture the graphic organizer in their minds. What were the three main categories? (government, consumers, and producers) What were the two main functions of government? (protect consumers and protect competition) Who were the consumers? (you!)

This lesson plan is part of the Government & the Market series by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civic education. Visit www.icivics.org/teachers, to access the state standards aligned to this lesson plan and for more resources. Provide feedback to .

Lesson Seven: Taxation – Teacher Guide

Learning Objectives. Students will be able to:

 Identify the government’s sources of tax revenue

 Explain that government uses tax money to provide certain goods and services.

 Explain how federal, state, and local taxes support the economy as a function of the U.S. government.

 Describe the impact of taxation.

 Analyze a pay stub.

 Calculate sales tax and compare the effect of different tax rates on total price paid.

Time Needed: One to two class periods

Materials Needed:

Student worksheets

Projector (optional)

Transparencies (3, or project from computer; optional)

Copy Instructions:

Reading (2 pages; class set)

Review (2 pages; class set)

Tax Activity (2 pages; class set)

STEP BY STEP

q ANTICIPATE by asking students to explain what a “tax” is. Who pays taxes? To whom are they paid? Can students think of a time when they themselves have paid taxes?

q DISTRIBUTE the Taxation reading to each student.

q READ with the class, pausing to discuss as appropriate. [Please note: The threshold for qualifying for the estate tax is subject to change. In recent years, the threshold has been as high as $5 million, but Congress could put it as low as $1 million.]

q DISTRIBUTE the Tax Activity worksheets to each student.

q PROJECT the Reality (Pay)Check projection master. Go through the sample pay stub with students and discuss.

q ALLOW students to complete the Reality (Pay)Check activity.

q PROJECT the sales tax projection master. Use it to explain to students that the rate of sales tax can vary depending on where you are (tax rules, of course, vary from state to state). Make sure students understand that on this map, the state sales tax applies everywhere, and that the cities are inside the county, so the county sales tax applies inside the cities.

q ALLOW students to complete the How Much Does It Cost? activity. You may want to walk through these together if they struggle with the math.

q REVIEW the answers to the activities if you wish.

q DISTRIBUTE the review worksheet.

q ASSIGN students to complete the review worksheet.

q CLOSE by asking students to silently recall one type of tax they learned about. Call on students until all the taxes discussed in the lesson have been named.

This lesson plan is part of the Government & the Market series by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civic education. Please visit www.icivics.org/teachers for more resources and to access the state standards aligned to this lesson plan. Provide feedback to .