Where Do My Taxes Go?
ESL Lesson PlansWhere Do My Taxes Go?

Where Do My Taxes Go?

This ESL lesson plan introduces students to the role of taxes in society through a group listening activity for B1 level learners. In this 60-minute session, students will explore how tax dollars fund public services, with exercises including vocabulary matching, comprehension questions, and group discussions. The lesson emphasizes listening skills and encourages critical thinking about the allocation of government resources, helping students better understand the importance and impact of taxes on daily life.

Skills

  • Can understand a large part of many TV programmes on topics of personal interest such as interviews, short lectures and news reports when the delivery is relatively slow and clear.
Online Interactive
Based on CEFR
Fully Customizable
1

Discuss the following questions.

1
How would you explain to an alien visiting Earth why we pay taxes?
2
What do you think is the most important service that taxes help fund?
3
Do you think people understand where their tax money goes? Why or why not?
4
Can you think of five different services or goods that are funded by taxes?
2

Match these words to their definitions.

3

Watch the video about taxes in the US and choose the correct summary.

4

Watch the video again and answer the questions. Check your answers with a partner.

5

Discuss these questions in small groups.

6

Work in pairs to share your ideas. The class will vote on the top three services.

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