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Eighth Grade - Social Studies
Activities
All Kinds of Entrepreneurs
Financial and Economic Concept: Entrepreneurism
Eighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 1: Students will interpret the role of geography in shaping United States history.
Standard 2: Students will investigate the relationship between events of different time periods
This project introduces high school economics students to the many facets of entrepreneurism. Most students think of an entrepreneur as someone who owns a business. But this exercise helps students appreciate the range of entrepreneurial activity in the economy and understand the important role that entrepreneurs play in introducing change into the marketplace. The activity demonstrates that anyone can be an entrepreneur as long as he or she has the creativity to find new ways to combine existing factors of production. Finally, the activity helps students generate their own entrepreneurial ideas and think of themselves as future leaders.
A Balancing Act
Financial and Economic Concept: Monetary and Fiscal PolicyEighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 2: Students will investigate the relationship between events of different time periods
Objective 1: Develop an awareness of current events
Objective 2: Analyze how contemporary concerns and events affect and are affected by history
Monetary Policies and Tools
- Current monetary policy goals of the Federal Reserve and the factors that have recently influenced monetary policy goals.
- 3 Tools of Monetary Policy
Possible Activities/Assignments:
- Have students complete quiz of the material.
- Have students write an essay or short answer question about monetary policy.
- Assign students to research news about the current Monetary and Fiscal policy.
Past and Present Entrepreneurs
Financial and Economic Concept: EntrepreneurismEighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 2: Students will investigate the relationship between events of different time periods
Objective 2: Analyze how contemporary concerns and events affect and are affected by history
- Teen Business Link - Explain the laws in place that entrepreneurs have to follow when establishing a business.
Possible Activities/Assignments:
- Recent & Popular Famous-Entrepreneurs Articles - Have students research current and historical entrepreneurs
- Assign students to create a business plan and include laws they would have to keep in mind
We're In the Money
Financial and Economic Concept: Monetary and fiscal policy Eighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 4: Students will analyze European colonization and settlement of North America.
Objective 3: Examine the economic, political, and social patterns in the development of the 13 English colonies.
In this lesson students study money and its place in the economy. They participate in a barter activity to understand the need for money, and then they use the comic book: Once Upon a Dime (order 35 copies free) to learn about how money works in a society. Finally they explore both our modern money and money in our history.
Complete Lesson Plan (pdf)
Note: Worksheets for the comic book are on pages 11-12 of lesson plan.
Understanding Taxes
Financial and Economic Concept: Federal, State, and Local Taxes Eighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 6: Students will understand the structure and function of the United States government established by the Constitution.
Objective 2: Analyze the compromises that led to the ratification of the Constitution.
Before the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788, the federal government lacked the power to raise revenue directly. Even after the Constitution was ratified, federal revenues came mostly from tariffs and excise taxes. These taxes tend to be regressive, because people with lower incomes had to pay a higher percentage of their income than did people with higher incomes.
During the Civil War, the federal government required much more revenue than the tariffs and excise taxes could provide. A tax on income was established in 1862 but was abolished after the war. The ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913 gave Congress the right to levy and collect income taxes. Income taxes tend to be progressive because they tax a larger percentage of income from high-income groups than from low-income groups.
The goal of American lawmakers has always been to balance the need to raise revenue, the desire to be fair to taxpayers, and the desire to influence the way taxpayers save and spend their money.
Information Sheet – History of Taxation (pdf)
Worksheet/Activity (pdf)
PowerPoint (pdf)
Tic Tac Taxes
Financial and Economic Concepts: Federal, state, and local taxes Eighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 6: Students will understand the structure and function of the United States government established by the Constitution.
Objective 4: Analyze the rights, liberties, and responsibilities of citizens.
Use information sheet above to fill in the activity sheet.
Tic Tac Taxes Activity Sheet (pdf)
Students may need help understanding the information sheet.
This is an interactive game that is a great review of the information presented above. Students need a computer and a partner. Students drag their X or O to where they want it to be. For their letter to keep its place, they have to answer the question correctly.
Note: If a computer lab is not available, this game could be played from the teacher computer with the class divided into two teams to answer the questions.
What is Taxed and Why
Financial and Economic Concept: Federal, State, and Local Taxes Eighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 6: Students will understand the structure and function of the United States government established by the Constitution.
Objective 4: Analyze the rights, liberties, and responsibilities of citizens.
This lesson will help students understand that federal, state, and local governments need revenues to provide goods and services for their residents.
PowerPoint (pdf)
State and Local Revenue and Expenditures
Sample from Online Activity:
"Imagine that you are the town manager of a city named Springville. This year Springville received a $60,000 grant from the federal government to help support certain public services. Congress has recently voted to reduce this funding to $45,000 next year. One of your primary goals as town manager is to avoid cutting services. Together, you and several city council members have proposed various ways to raise additional revenue. Some have proposed increasing property taxes. Others want to increase the local sales tax from 1 percent to 2 percent. Another proposal is to charge individual income taxes at a flat rate of 2 percent. How will each proposal affect the taxpayers of Springville? Calculate the following…"
- Define an entrepreneur. (Be sure that students understand the difference between an inventor and an entrepreneur.)
- Predict what qualities are important for a successful entrepreneur.
- Brainstorm with the class and compose a list of successful entrepreneurs.
- Have students choose an entrepreneur and investigate the career path he/she followed.
- Ask students to write a resume, in acceptable format, for the entrepreneur.
- Have students share the resume with the class.
- Create a bulletin board with finished resumes.
- Compare your predictions with your findings about what makes an entrepreneur successful.
Resume of a Famous Entrepreneur
Financial and Economic Concept: Entrepreneurism Eighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 10: Students will understand the development of the American West following the Civil War.
Objective 1: Analyze the factors that brought people west.
For this activity, students learn about what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
Complete Lesson Plan (When accessing this lesson you may be prompted to sign in. Simply select your town and enter your zip code and area code.)
PowerPoints
The Boston Tea Party PPT
Financial and Economic Concept: TaxesEighth Grade – United States History I
Standard 4: Students will analyze European colonization and settlement of North America.
Objective 3: Examine the economic, political, and social patterns in the development of the 13 English colonies.
Sample from PowerPoint:
In 1773, Britain’s East India Company had a lot of tea that they could not sell in England. The company was almost bankrupt. Trying to save the company the government passed an act called the Tea Act. That act gave the company the right to export its tea right to the colonies without paying any regular taxes. With this advantage the company could sell their tea for less than the American tea. The tea sellers in America were afraid of no one buying their tea because the British tea was cheaper.
