Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Calculating the Numbers in Your Paycheck
Young scholars review a pay stub from a sample paycheck to understand the real-world effect of taxes and deductions on the amount of money they take home.
Independence Hall Association
American Government: Financing State and Local Government
Taxes are collected by federal, state, and local governments to pay for a wide variety of services. This article helps students understand where their tax money goes.
iCivics
I Civics: Taxation
This lesson teaches the basics of taxes: what they are, who pays them, what kinds exist, and what they're used for. Students learn how people's income is taxed, how much revenue taxes generate, and how taxes and government services are...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: Federal Taxation
Check out this interactive timeline documenting the history of federal taxation in the United States.
Social Studies Help Center
Social Studies Help Center: Taxation
A great discussion on taxation is found here. Explains what a "good tax" is, the two principles of taxation, the three types of taxes, and taxes as a source of revenue.
Other
Bible gateway.com: Matthew 17:24 27
An account from the Bible in which Jesus helps His disciples pay for taxes by providing a coin in a fish's mouth.
Other
An Exploration of Historic Prejudice: The Chinese
The Chinese began coming to British Columbia in the mid-1800's. They suffered terrible abuse during their voyages to get there and much discrimination afterwards, often forced to work in dangerous conditions. Many of them sought gold...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Economics Usa: Control the u.s. Debt!
Learn about the different types of expenses that the U.S. budget must pay for and try your hand at balancing the federal budget.
PBS
Pbs: Where Does Your Paycheck Go?
Using real copies of pay stubs, students will examine them to see where all the deductions go. An extensive teacher's guide can be downloaded - the lessons are also intended for other sections of this website.
Internal Revenue Service
Irs: Refund, Amount Due, and Recordkeeping
This lesson plan will help students understand refunds, amounts due, and recordkeeping requirements.
Internal Revenue Service
Irs: The Taxpayer's Responsibilities Lesson Plan
This lesson plan will help students understand that they have basic responsibilities as taxpayers.
Other
1890 Poll Tax List, Valencia County, Nm
This is an interesting list to view; although there is no additional information, scrolling through names will give a student the idea of those people who lived in the area and were expected to pay the tax to vote.
A&E Television
History.com: Knights of Labor
An article regarding the Knights of Labor and their struggle for the eight-hour day, abolition of child labor, equal pay for equal work, and political reforms including the graduated income tax.
Digital History
Digital History: Paper Money and Shays' Rebellion [Pdf]
A very good explantion of the frustration and desperation felt by farmers not only in Massachusttetts but throughout the new United States as states attempted to collect taxes in order to pay off war debts. Daniel Shays and his men were...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: 24th Amendment
Short, simple summary with the full text of the 24th amendment that made it illegal to make anyone pay a tax to have the right to vote.
Amazing Change Ministries
The Miracles of Jesus: Coin in Fishes Mouth
The Matthew 17: 24-27 section of Scripture where Jesus pays a temple tax with a coin in the mouth of a fish.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Can You Solve the Counterfeit Coin Riddle?
You're the realm's greatest mathematician, but ever since you criticized the Emperor's tax laws, you've been locked in the dungeon. Luckily for you, one of the Emperor's governors has been convicted of paying his taxes with a counterfeit...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Clean Land Thanks to Us! (Educator Page)
In this lesson about the EPA, students will find out that their government pays for goods and services by taxing people and companies.
The History Cat
The History Cat: The Constitutional Convention: Creating the Constitution
Explains why the Articles of Confederation were not strong enough to hold the country together. One result was a farmers' rebellion in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, which was precipitated by a debt crisis that caused many farmers to...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Can You Solve the Penniless Pilgrim Riddle?
After months of travel, you've arrived at Duonia, home to the famous temple that's the destination of your pilgrimage. The walk from the welcome center to the temple isn't a long one but there's a problem. Can you outsmart the city's...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Shays Rebellion
Learn interesting facts about Shays Rebellion whose primary cause was the economic crisis in the country and the taxes introduced to pay the war debts incurred during the War of Independence.
Curated OER
Wikipedia: National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts: Liberty Farm
This house belonged to abolitionists and suffragists Abby Kelley Foster (1811-87) and Stephen Symonds Foster (1809-81), and was used by them as a site on the Underground Railroad. The property also featured prominently in the Fosters'...