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Economics and Geography Lessons

Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?


MCPS Status of Book as of 4/4/96:
Approved as Library Book for Grades 3-6


Title: Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? by Jean Fritz with pictures by Tomie de Paola, (Scholastic Inc., New York, NY, 1977)

Lesson Developed by Patricia King Robeson

Literature Annotation:
This book is the story of the life of King George the Third of England. It describes his early childhood, his marriage and events that took place during his reign as King of England. The book explains that he was very careful with his country's money, but when he tried to tax the colonists to help pay for a war, they objected. The events which followed are described in the story.

Grade Level:5

Duration: 2 class periods; this lesson could be used as the children learn about events which lead up to the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

Economic Concepts: Opportunity Cost, Interdependence

Geography Themes: Location, Movement

MSPAP Outcomes and Indicators:

Economic Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers in American society.

Indicators:

Geography Outcome: Students will develop an understanding of geographic concepts and processes as needed to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities.

Indicators:

Objectives: Students will be able to:

Vocabulary: taxes, duties, FICA

Materials:

Teacher Background:
Knowledge of various principles of taxation and purposes and types of taxes

Lesson Development:

Review/Motivation:

  1. Ask the students to think about "taxes" and what comes to mind when they hear the word. Write the word on the chalkboard. Allow one minute for the students to think about the word.

  2. Ask students to share their ideas with the class and write their ideas about taxes on the chalkboard.

  3. Tell the students that you are going to read a book to them called Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? This story will explain the idea of a government imposing taxes to raise revenues to pay for goods and services it provides.

  4. Ask them who they think the "Them" refers to in the title. Explain to the students that this book describes the life of King George III and the "Them" refers to the colonists.

  5. Read the story to the students.

Activities: Story Discussion: Discuss the story by asking the following questions:

  1. Why did King George III send scouts to advertise the fact that he needed a queen? (Communication networks were very limited, and the only way to receive information was to deliver it yourself or send information with someone else.)

  2. How did the king acquire the silver, pearls,, diamond tiara and other items which he needed for the wedding since the natural resources for these products are not available in England? (He had them imported from countries where they are produced.)

  3. Identify two reasons the king called mountains "useless things". (The King liked to walk everywhere; mountains are hard to walk on; it is not possible to see what is happening on the other side of the mountain.)

  4. Ask the students to look in an atlas and name the mountains to which the King might have been referring. (Appalachian Mountains in America, Apennines in Europe, Camerians Mountains in Wales and the Scottish Highland or Grampian Mountains in Scotland.)

  5. The Proclamation Line of 1763 stated that "Colonists could not live beyond the top ridge line of the Appalachian Mountains". Why do you think King George III made this proclamation? (After the French and Indian War, King George III gave the land on the west side of the Appalachians to the Native Americans. He wanted the colonists together in order to have control.)

  6. Why did the colonists protest the Sugar Act? (The colonists wanted representation in Parliament and did not want control over their trade.)

  7. Identify items which were taxed by the Stamp Act and explain the colonists' reaction to the act. (Items taxed included newspapers, pamphlets, and legal documents. Patrick Henry and Sam Adams led protests and threatened the stamp distributors.)

  8. In 1767, the British Parliament passed the Townshend Duties and said the money would be used to pay governors and judges in the colonies. Explain the Townshend Duties and how the colonists reacted. (Townshend Duties taxed paper, lead, painters' colors and tea. The colonists boycotted these goods and the Sons of Liberty was formed to pressure all merchants to support the boycott.)

  9. Describe the event which made King George feel like he was a father with very disobedient children. (The colonists were still being taxed without representation in Parliament, and when ships from the East India Company reached Boston, the colonists disguised themselves as Indians and threw the tea into the harbor.)

  10. The second section of the Declaration of Independence listed 27 ways King George III misused his power. Identify two ways related to economics that King George used that were unfair to the colonists before the start of the Revolutionary War. (King George III taxed the colonists without their consent or representation and closed Boston's harbor to trade.)

  11. On October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis surrendered his army to General Washington. Why didn't King George III receive the news until November 25, 1781? (It took 38 days for the ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the messenger to reach King George III.)

"Some Taxes We Pay In Maryland" Activity:

  1. Tell the students that after the French and Indian War, Britain needed money to pay for the ships, soldiers, food and supplies it provided in the colonies. King George III tried to acquire money from the colonists by forcing them to pay duties and taxes. When our founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they recognized the need for taxes to provide goods and services for the people, and we still have taxes today.

  2. Place students in groups of four and instruct them to complete as much of the "Some Taxes We Pay in Maryland" worksheet as they can.

  3. When students have completed the worksheet, discuss it with them. Help complete the parts they did not know, explain terms they did not understand and allow them to correct any incorrect or incomplete parts.

Newspaper Activity:
Divide students into groups of four and give each group copies of current newspapers and/or magazines and blank sheets of paper. Instruct them to find articles on taxes and to cut them out and paste them on the blank sheets of paper. Tell them to identify the articles as local, state or federal and to write a brief statement about the article and how it relates to taxes.

Conclusion/Closure:

  1. Give each student a copy of the "Paycheck After Taxes" worksheet. Explain to them that people in Maryland who receive paychecks from employers pay three main kinds of taxes and that the tax money is taken out (deducted) before they receive their paycheck. Tell them to look at the worksheet and identify the three types of taxes: state income tax, federal income tax, and FICA. (Teacher note: A few states, such as Florida, have no state income tax.)

  2. Instruct the students to look at the amount which is deducted for each of these taxes. Instruct them to cut out the money circle, use their math skills to measure the angle for each of the taxes and net pay, cut the circle into sections to represent deductions, and paste each under the correct heading.

  3. Tell them that if they had earned $100 today, they would receive approximately $59. Instruct them to list ways the state and federal governments use the tax money to provide goods and services for the people.

Thoughtful Application:

  1. Write the following statement on the chalkboard: "If there were no taxes, how would your life be different?"

  2. Divide the students into pairs, instruct each pair to make the following chart on a sheet of paper.

    If There Were No Taxes, How Our Life Would Be Different!

    Good Points

    Bad Points









  3. Tell the students to think about the lesson, to consider what they know about taxes, and to complete the chart.

Extension:
Have students examine the circle graphs, "Federal Revenue and Spending" and "The State and Local Dollar." Divide them into groups of two to four to decide on a different way to present the information. Allow time to prepare the new charts. Have groups volunteer to share their work with their classmates and to discuss which group(s) provide the clearest presentation(s).

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Last updated on March 10, 1997
Maintained by John L. Day
<jday@umd5.umd.edu>