These activities to go hand in hand with NPP's A Peoples Guide to the Federal Budget, but can also be used independently.
| Title | Chapter | Type | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campaign Finance | 4 | Group | Students will examine the multi-faceted issues facing campaign finance and what impact it has on our government. |
| Cartoon Analysis – Lobbying | 4 | Group | Students will utilize a primary source – a political cartoon – to analyze and to categorize political messages and meanings. |
| Cartoon Analysis – Transparency | 2 | Group/Individual | Students will utilize a primary source – a political cartoon – in order to analyze a political message. |
| Debate on Keynesian vs Supply Side Economics | 4 | Group | Students will be able to discuss two different economic theories and apply them to contemporary issues. |
| Federal Spending Trade-Offs | 6 | Individual | Students will be able to determine the estimated amount of federal income taxes from their state (and possibly their county, city or town) that went to fund specific federal programs/initiatives. Students will then be able to examine what else those tax dollars could have funded. |
| Four Corners – Lobbying | 4 | Group | Students will form and defend an opinion on lobbying and will be able to articulate the current debate surrounding lobbying. |
| Four Corners – Where Does the Money Go? | 2 | Group/Individual | Students will be able to articulate a position on federal spending (verbally and in writing). |
| Historic Events and the Federal Budget | 3 | Group | Students will analyze the changes in government spending in relation to historic events throughout the 20th Century. |
| History of the Federal Budget | 3 | Group/Individual | Students will research and explain the various changes in the budgetary process from 1789 through the present. |
| Social Program Priorities | 6 | Group | Students will be able to describe and understand at least ten social programs funded by the federal budget. Students will work together in groups to prioritize funding for these programs. |
| Spending Priorities | 5 | Group/Individual | Students will be able to articulate how tax dollars are allocated between different spending categories. |
| The Impact of Government | 1 | Group | Students will be able to discuss the impact of government decisions on their lives. |
| The Political Spectrum | 3 | Group | Students will be able to place issues on a political spectrum and identify where they are most likely to position themselves |
| Why Should You Care About the Federal Government? | All | Group | Students will be able to analyze the federal budget from multiple perspectives. |
| Write a Letter to Your Congressperson | 6, 7 and 9 | Individual | Students will be able to write a letter to their Congressperson about something they would prioritize regarding federal spending and/or revenue, and what impact their decision would have on them or their community. |
| Write and Respond: Democracy | All | Group | Students will be able to express their ideas, feelings and questions about democracy in writing and verbally. |
| Your Tax Dollars | 5 & 6 | Group/Individual | Students will be able to understand graphically where their tax dollars go. |
