Students will learn the importance the government places on taxes, learn about very large numbers, and will learn where tax money is spent.

Students will:

1. Learn how to say large numbers.
2. Learn where tax money is spent.
3. Be able to calculate and show taxes as a percentage.
4. Modify these percentages based on personal preference.

Ideas for Teaching

• Encourage students to discuss what areas of expenditures are important to them.
• Instead of looking at the entire budget, let them focus on specific areas, such as defense, welfare, or education.
• When they are setting up their own budget remind them that money can’t only go to what we want, this is a big country with many different people.
• Discuss what parts of the federal budget should be a state expense, and what other expenses should be added.