As the government continues to borrow money, it deepens its national debt. The national debt encompasses every level of government borrowing and spending habits. National debt comes from internal and external debt. Internal debt derived from within the country. External debt is money borrowed from other countries. According to the National Debt Clock, the national debt is over 13 trillion dollars.

Congress has continued to spend more than it makes since 1969. The Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force has issued plans to reduce the nation’s debt below 60 percent by suspending employers and employees Social Security taxes. Some solutions include spending less and taxing more. U.S. Citizens can even contribute to help pay off the debt. The share of this debt for each citizen is $44,608.76. According to the 2010 budget, the nation’s debt will increase $1 trillion a year up to 2019.

Lesson Plans

These activities cover several aspects of the national debt. Some are based on grade appropriate lessons. Others are easily adaptable to your classroom environment. Use these resources to expand your class curriculum.

• Federal Budget: A list of lesson plans on the federal budget.
• Financial Management Basics: A lesson plan on the basics national financial management.
• Introduction To The National Debt: This is lesson that has students use critical thinking to create solutions to fix the debt.
• Time to Collect: Students learn about the national debt and explore ways to help pay it off.
• National Debt vs. The Deficit: Students compare national debt and national deficit.
• U.S. Federal Debt: This lesson is for upper level students. Students evaluate the federal budget and discuss how it affects the economy.
• Debt Reduced: Teachers use this lesson to have students describe national surplus and national debt.
• The Federal Budget: A challenging game that has students balance the federal budget.

Web Quests

These inquiry-oriented lessons use information from the Internet. Teachers can use WeQuests to make an activity or unit more cohesive. WebQuest allow teachers to add technology into their teaching curriculum. These WebQuest put students on the task on understanding the national debt.

• Who’s Footing the Bill: Students must fill the shoes of money experts to gain an understanding of they would handle national debt.
• The U.S. Budget: Students are tasked to evaluate how public policy will affect national debt.
• National Response: This paper explores the proper response the government should have to national debt.
• Budget, Deficit & Debt: Students work together as a group to work and access national debt.
• U.S. Economy: Students are tasked with forecasting the economic health of the United States.
• Rounding:
• National Debt: Students are tasked with figuring out what to do with the national debt.
• Economics: Students research WebQuests to create their own web quests on economic debts.

Multimedia

Many children learn and retain visual information longer than other forms. Students will use multimedia lessons to gain a better understanding of debt. The links provide tools so that students can see more than numbers. Teachers can use these resources so that students can hear politicians discuss ways to lessen the national debt.

• Budget Deficit vs. National Debt: A comparison of budget deficit and national debt.
• Building the Economy: PowerPoint Presentation lessons discussing the reducing the nation’s debt.
• Young People and the National Debt: PowerPoint Presentation exploring how the national debt will affect young people in the future.
• How Big is the National Debt?: Students use visual tools to learn about the national debt.
• Debt and Deficit: Several politicians discuss the debt and deficit of the United States.

Additional Educational Resources

These additional resources will add more depth to your program. Some of the resources cover issues that affect the national debt. Students will understand the causes of debt. The links below describe the national debt over time.

• Understanding Taxes: A complete set of materials for teaching about taxes and the market economy.
• Big Numbers: An exercise for students to understand large numbers by learning about the nations debt.
• The Nations Debt: This paper covers the United States debt from 2002 until 2009.
• National Debt Defined: A short description of national debt.
• Thomas Jefferson on the National Debt: A look at how President Thomas Jefferson viewed national debt.
• The Federal Budget: The U.S. Budget over time with a point and click presentation.
• What’s the Worry About?: This paper explores whether there should be any concern with the national debt.
• Learning from the Crash of 1929: Materials for understanding the economic crash of 1929 and the stock market plunge in 1987.
• Economic Risks: International Institute of Management explores the economic risk and strategies of the United States.