Paul and Anne Ehrlich noted in The Stork and the Plow, "Earth can support a larger population of cooperative, far-sighted, vegetarian pacifist saints than competitive, myopic, meat-eating, war-making typical human beings. All else being equal, Earth can hold more people if they have relatively equal access to the requisites of a decent life than if the few are able to monopolize resources and the many must largely do without. The problems of population, social and economic inequity, and environmental deterioration are thus completely intertwined."
Will our students be "cooperative, vegetarian pacifists" or are they more concerned with their own welfare? Most students in their early teens are somewhat self-absorbed and competitive--with good reason; our society encourages and rewards competition. In this final project, however, students will confront a future with environmental and societal costs associated with population growth. People will be taxed on how much the government thinks they contribute to air pollution. For example, if they work in manufacturing, they will be taxed for the dirt, smoke and chemicals from the which pollutes the air. Many people commute to work, causing air pollution, water pollution, and sometimes noise pollution. Commuters will be taxed tremendously. These are additional considerations for students as they plan their future in an increasingly populated world.
Activities
A. Planning your Future (one week)
Objective: Students will plan their future in the year 2010. As this unit is prepared for eighth grade students, most will be 25 or 26 years old. They will attempt to balance a budget, with and without environmental expenses and taxes. They will include family costs and consider family planning expenses and issues. They will decide if family planning is important to them and their group. They will deduct future "creature comforts" are dependent on group efforts.
Materials:
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*Occupation Card assigned (Divide salary by 12 for monthly income)
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*Home Listings/Real Estate Section of Newspaper
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* Household bills: Fixed: utilities, water, sewage and trash removal Variable: food, taxes, car payments, insurance/medical (collect monthly bills from four different households -remove identification)
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*Spreadsheet
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*Calculators
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*Index (situation) cards
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* Connecticut Magazine's "Rating of the Towns", November 1996, p.53 or Connecticut census data obtained when analyzing social stresses
Procedure:
1. Create "Situation Cards". Copy each (and create your own) on index cards
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"There's too many people retiring. Deduct 20% of your income for additional social security."
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"We now have a national health plan. Your contribution is 10% of your income. Deduct 10% from your pay"
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"You commute 20 miles to work. Pay a 5% commuters tax. Deduct it from your income."
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"Water pollution in your area is so bad you have to pay a private company to install a special water purification system. The cost is $6,000. You have two years to pay. Create a payment plan and add this cost to expenses."
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"Welfare will end for all this month. Your salary goes up 5% because you will pay less taxes. However, because there is no where to go for help, crime is rising. You get robbed of a TV, VCR and $500 in cash. Add the 5% to your salary, but add a one-time expense of $500.00"
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"There is an air pollution alert. No one is allowed out of the house for two days. You lose two days' pay. Deduct 10% from your monthly income."
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"Social Security benefits will be decreased 50%. Your parent cannot make ends meet. They need to move in with you. Add $150 each month to your expenses to cover the additional costs of caring for them."
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"You drive a Lexus which gets 22 miles per gallon. The government has introduced a penalty tax for cars that get less than 30 miles per gallon. You pay $20.00 for each gallon under the 30 gallon threshhold each month. Add this tax to your expenses.
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"With so many pressures on social services, income tax is 50%. Deduct 1/2 your monthly income."
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"With crime rising, the need for additional police requires additional property task. Add $150.00 to your expenses if you own a home"
*students should refer to figures gathered in "How Much Space Do I Need Anyway" to calculate the following:
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"Your house/apartment is too big. Pay an excessive consumption tax of $7.00 for each square foot of personal living space over 120 square feet each month. Add this to your monthly expenses."
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"You use too much water. You are allocated 150 gallons of water per day. You will pay a supplemental water bill of $.25 per gallon per day for each day you go over the 150 gallon limit. Multiply how much water you use each day; subtract 150 gallons. Multiply this difference by the excess fee of $.25 and multiply by 30 for a monthly estimate of this expense. Add it to your monthly expense column.
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"There is no room at the land fill to take you town's trash. You have to pay a premium service to take your garbage away. It costs $5.00 per pound to haul your trash away now. Will you recycle? Start a compost? Plan how to minimize garbage and estimate how much trash you will generate. Deduct this cost from your monthly budget."
2. Organize students into groups of four or five.
3. Each student will create a "Budget Spreadsheet"
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In the upper left-hand column of each student's spreadsheet, label "Income"
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In the upper right-hand corner, label "Expenses" (Costs)
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In the Income column, students post their monthly income earned on their
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"Occupation Cards".
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4. Calculate adjusted gross income: Multiply monthly income by 25% for a 25% flat tax.
Deduct this 25% from net income (salary). The remaining 75% income will start student budget calculations. Post this gross income below the monthly income earned on their "Occupation Cards".
5. Total fixed monthly expenses: utilities, water, sewage and trash removal. Post these fixed expenses in the first section under expenses on their worksheet.
8. Students should subtract their fixed household bills (expenses) from their income.
9. From previous activity, "How Much Space Do I Need Anyway", students should estimate their food budget. They might want to complete this piece at home with their parents for a realistic food expense. Add this to expense column on worksheet.
10. Using Connecticut Magazine's rating of the towns, students select a town in which to live. Using the average home value, calculate a monthly mortgage at 9%. Add property tax or using the local real estate listing, select a rental property.
11. Deduct rent or mortgage, food and taxes from the income column.
12. What remains is disposable income.
13. Pass out "Situation Cards" . Students calculate their environmental adjustments to income.
14.For each child the student plans to have, itemize childcare expenses (provided by a parent or teacher), or deduct $260.00 per month.
15. Each group should total their balance. The group with the highest balance survives. Even if one individual in the group maintains a large balance, their survival is dependent upon group survival. Remind students of the "Tragedy of the Commons".
16. Students prepare an oral report with illustrations: they will describe their home, their family, and their way-of-life given their disposable income.
Worksheet Example (Given a $40,000 annual salary)
Monthly
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Income
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Expenses
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$3,333
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- 25% income tax
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Adjusted Gross
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$2,600
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Fixed Expenses:
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Utilities
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Water
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Sewage Removal
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Trash removal
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TOTAL
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Adjusted Income:
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Food
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Rent/Mortgage
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Real Estate Taxes
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Automobile
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Insurance
Adjusted Income:
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Environmental Costs:
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_
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(specify costs)
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Adjusted Income:
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Childcare Expenses:
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Itemize or x $260.00 per child
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Adjusted TOTAL Disposable Income:
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