Council for Economic Education
FRED and the Federal Budget Interactive Lesson
How can a federal debt accumulate over time? The Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) dashboard allows scholars to actively research each aspect of the federal budget. In pairs, they analyze economic data to determine the best way to...
Federal Reserve Bank
FRED in the Classroom: Debt and Deficit
Here is a hands-on activity where your class members will discover different ways to measure the government's financial situation and work to add data and redraw graphs in order to calculate the ratio of gross federal debt held by the...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Dems and dat dang debt
Warm up the class with this political cartoon analysis. They use the provided guiding questions to analyze a cartoon depicting issues of debate regarding Federal debt. Critical thinking is a must with this instructional activity.
Curated OER
Understanding the Debt Ceiling Debate and the Budget Control Act of 2011
Upper graders listen to a podcast on the EconTalk website featuring economist Keith Hennessey. The podcast focuses on the Budget Control Act of 2011, the national debt, and government spending. They read specifics about the BCA, then...
Heritage Foundation
The Constitution, Federalism, and the States
The divide between federal and state government is responsible for much of tension that continues to this day, partly because of the US Constitution. The activities in the 14th lesson plan in a series of 20 are designed to help learners...
Council for Economic Education
Federal Budget Lesson Plan and Fiscal Ship Student Game
The federal budget has never been so fun! Using an interactive game, high schoolers choose from a variety of policy options after identifying goals and try to balance these changes in policy with a federal budget.
ProCon
Student Loan Debt
Should college loan debt be easier to discharge in bankruptcy? Scholars sort through the top three pros and cons to decide for themselves in preparation for a class debate or discussion. Learners may also participate in an online poll to...
Curated OER
Chapter 18: Deficits, Surpluses, and the Public Debt
Sobering, informative, and relevant for today, this presentation is sure to fill in some of the gaps between the current financial crisis and the theories of economics. With explanatory graphs and strong discussion points, these slides...
Curated OER
Piecewise Modeling with Multiple Functions: Federal Debt
Students analyze data on debt and write an equation. In this statistics lesson plan, students are given data from different time periods, and are asked to graph and analyze the data. They work in groups, and are assigned different parts...
Curated OER
Debt and Deficits
Students identify, research and interpret the national debt and deficits of the past through today and why it has risen significantly in the last 20 years. They analyze the size and impacts and discuss the various policy measures for...
Curated OER
Introduction to the National Debt
Students relate the national debt to the economy. In this algebra lesson, students discuss what the national debt is, create a national budget based on priority and what the government should spend money on. They analyze their findings...
Curated OER
Should America Balance the Federal Budget?
Students analyze the federal budget of the United States. In this national debt lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of the balancing the federal budget. Students respond to discussion...
Woodrow Wilson International Center For Scholars
The Fiscal Ship
Can young economists right the fiscal ship of the United States before it sinks? Learners use an interactive simulation to navigate the waters of the federal deficit in an effort to curb the federal deficit. They make active decisions of...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Between the Lines, National Debt
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about national debt and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Federal Reserve Bank
Choices Are Everywhere: Why Can’t We Just Have It All?
Here is a resource covering a range of terms and concepts regarding scarcity, opportunity cost, and government debt in economics.
Curated OER
Extra Credit: It’s No Fairy Tale
Learners discuss their knowledge of payday loans and credit cards. In this Economics lesson, students complete a read an article and Q&A activity in groups, and play a vocabulary bingo game and a quiz game on payday loans. Learners...
Curated OER
State Government Debt in Utah: Rapid Growth in Recent Years
Young scholars examine growth of debt in Utah state government from 1991 to present, compare general obligation debt and revenue debt incurred by state, identify four primary methods used by governments to finance projects, and complete...
Curated OER
Powers of Congress
Have your class fill out this comprehension sheet while reading about the powers of Congress. There are ten multiple choice questions focused on the rights, powers, and limitations of Congressional law.
Curated OER
Interest Rates
Use a KWL chart and discussion to explore the concept behind loans with interest based on percentage rates. Learners examine different types of interest, the history of interest loans and calculate the costs of a loan over a ten-year...
Curated OER
Balance of Payments (BOP)
Learners work through ten transactions that will help them understand credits and debts on a global scale. They then discuss each transaction in terms of the global economy. An extension activity and discussion questions are included.
Curated OER
Understanding Tax: Your Role as a Tax Payer
Every adult should know that it is their responsibility to help fund public goods and services by paying taxes. Help young people get a handle on the history, evolution, purposes for, and reasons why they should pay taxes too.
Curated OER
Economics: Actions of Government
Young scholars examine the susceptibility of legislators to agricultural lobbyists to support subsidy programs. In small groups, they role-play as members of interest groups that might be affected by inflation.
Curated OER
Balancing the Budget
Students identify the different components that make up the federal budget. They discuss the relationship between government revenues and spending and between budget deficits and the national debt. Students predict how changes in...
Federal Reserve Bank
The Fed's Role in Making and Setting Monetary Policy: Part 2
How does the Federal Open Market Committee work to formulate the nation's monetary policy in the United States? As the second segment of a lesson on the role of the Fed in setting monetary policy, class members will learn about open...