What Role Does Money Play in Community Problem-Solving?
In this lesson, students will learn how to make wise economic decisions related to civic action.
How does money influence the policymaking process?
- Consider the factors that influence people’s decisions
- Analyze America’s system of lobbying
How is money used to spread awareness for a cause?
- Learn about the costs and benefits of an economic decision
- Practice labelling costs and benefits as direct, indirect, and intangible
- Experiment with ways to quantify intangible costs and benefits using market research
- Consider the role money plays in the success of an awareness campaign
How does money impact outreach projects?
- Brainstorm fundraiser ideas
- Consider what role money plays in the success of a fundraiser
- Practice cost-benefit analysis calculations related to fundraisers “breaking even” and “being worthwhile”
- Learn how to set proper “default donation” values.
Discipline: Social Studies
Sub-discipline(s): Economics
Grade level: 9-12
Summative Performance Task
Description: The students will consider the economic decisions that will contribute to the success of their solution plans. They will create “pitches” for their plans related to cost-benefit analysis.
Assessment method(s): Slideshow; explanatory aids (posters, handouts, etc.), written outline
Assessment criteria:
- Did the student explain why – from an economic standpoint – their solution plan would include lobbying, spreading awareness, and/or fundraising?
- Could the student identify reasonable costs and benefits for their solution plan?
- Could the student accurately and consistently label costs and benefits as direct, indirect, or intangible?
- Did the student come up with a feasible, effective, and detailed market research plan that would help them make better economic decisions related to some aspect of their solution plan?
- Did the student list multiple cost-saving strategies and explain using them wouldn’t hurt the effectiveness of their plan?
- Did the student come up with a realistic budget (money and/or resources) for their solution plan based on research? In other words, did they identify what they would need to execute their plans and where they could get them?
- Did the student explain at least 2 opportunity cost decisions they made while budgeting their solution plan?
- Did the student do relevant and accurate mathematical calculations as part of their analysis?
- Overall, did the student demonstrate the ability to consistently make wise economic decisions by weighing the pros and cons of different courses of action?
Taking Informed Action
Description: Having already created pitches for their solution plans, the students will now deliver their pitches to classmate “consultants.” The consultants will provide feedback, and the students will have a chance to revise their plans after receiving this feedback.
Assessment method(s):
Slideshow; explanatory aids (posters, handouts, etc.); written outline; video presentation
Assessment criteria: Same as the summative assessment criteria.
Types of activities featured in this lesson plan...
C3 Standards
- D2.Eco.2.9-12 Use marginal costs and marginal benefits to construct an argument for or against an approach or solution to an economic issue.
- D2.Eco.4.9-12 Evaluate the extent to which competition among sellers and among buyers exists in specific markets.
- D2.Eco.5.9-12 Describe the consequences of competition in specific markets.
- D2.Civ.5.9-12 Evaluate citizens’ and institutions’ effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Give your students a more integrated educational experience
Overlapping standards and skills
- Civics: In the first section of this lesson, the students learn about the role of money in America’s system of lobbying. In a civics class, the students could dive deeper into how this system works.
- Math: Throughout this lesson, the students must solve simple story problems as part of the cost-benefit analysis process, giving them multiple opportunities to practice mathematical problem-solving.
- History: In this lesson, the students complete activities related to lobbying, awareness campaigns, and fundraising efforts. In a history class, they could further their learning by exploring how these forms of civic action have changed over time, and why. They could also study examples of how these civic action strategies have changed the course of history.
- Psychology: In this lesson, the students learn about the factors that influence people’s economic decisions. As economic decision-making is a form of human behavior, governed by psychological phenomena, this would be a good topic of discussion in a psychology class, as well. Knowing how people think and act – and why – could help the students make better economic decisions related to community problem-solving.
- English: The writing activities featured in this lesson – potentially including the summative – will give students a chance to practice their writing skills; consider collaborating with an English teacher.
Relevant lessons from other disciplines
English Lesson: How can we effectively communicate to promote change?
Civics Lesson: How do citizens solve problems democratically?
Civics Lesson: How should the diverse perspectives of community members influence the development of civic solutions?
Civics Lesson: How will I take action to address a civic problem?
Part of the "Civic Action - A Closer Look" collection
Civics Lesson: How do state senators and their constituencies influence each other?
Civics Lesson: How should citizens utilize Nebraska’s legislative process to accomplish their goals?
Interdisciplinary Lesson: How does scientific data influence the legislative process?