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Most adults would immediately recognize the significance of April 15 – Tax Day, but many of our students have little concept of its importance. Luckily, teachers can tap the media library in DE streaming for content to help their students understand what taxes are, how they are assessed and collected, and how they are used by the government.

Here are some quick suggestions: (Note: When you click on the hyperlink you will be prompted to sign into your Discovery Education account to view the media. If you are not currently a Discovery Education streaming subscriber, you can activate a free trial of DE streaming and DE streaming Plus.)

• Taxes: How They Help the Government (video segment)
• The Sixteenth Amendment (video segment)
• Services (video segment – Clearview Media Pack)
• Managing Your Personal Finances: Show Me The Money : Understanding Your Paycheck (full video – Clearview Media Pack)
• Culture Clip: Taxes (video segment – Clearview Media Pack)
• Income Tax (article)

Tax Day is also the perfect time to address financial literacy with students. This can be accomplished regardless of grade level. Here are a few outside resources that may prove helpful.

Scholastic also hosts lesson plans and class activities related to taxes. – April 15 is Tax Day. They also have some nice worksheets: “Income Tax: Essential Money Math Skills,”Purchases May Have a Sales Tax: Essential Money Math Skills,” and “Review Spending and Saving Money.”

The US Mint publishes an interactive website geared to engage students in understanding financial responsibility.

PBS Kids offers a lesson plan on budget making.

If you are looking for a real-world extension of Microsoft Excel, check out Teachnology’s Microsoft Excel Budget Project. They are also some excellent personal finance templates from Google Docs.

Money Instructor also offers a host of lesson plans and teaching templates. Practical Money Skills offers similar resources, printables, and lesson plans.

BrainPOP also publishes a free interactive about taxes that is excellent.

Education
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Personal Finance
Taxes
Income Tax
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