Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: 10 Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Economics
Lesson Topic: Definitions of government budget
Learning Objective/s:
  • Define government revenue, expenditure, and overall budget balance.
  • Distinguish between current (recurrent) and capital expenditure.
  • Explain surplus, deficit, primary, structural and cyclical balances.
  • Analyse how these fiscal components affect the sustainability of public finances.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Printed handout of the budget summary table
  • Calculator for each student
  • Worksheet with practice calculations
  • Kahoot or similar quiz platform
 Introduction:
Begin with a quick poll: “What do you think the government spends money on?” Connect this to prior learning about taxes and public services. State that by the end of the lesson students will be able to accurately define key budget terms and explain their significance. Outline the success criteria for the lesson.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5’) – Students write their own definition of a government budget.
  2. Mini‑lecture with slides (10’) – Present revenue, expenditure, surplus/deficit and introduce primary, structural and cyclical balances.
  3. Guided practice (15’) – Using the handout, students fill in the summary table and calculate a primary balance.
  4. Group activity (10’) – Classify given examples as current vs. capital and structural vs. cyclical.
  5. Check for understanding (5’) – Quick Kahoot quiz on key terms.
  6. Recap (5’) – Teacher summarises the main concepts and answers lingering questions.
Conclusion:
Review the four main budget components and their interrelationships. Students complete an exit ticket writing one real‑world example of a budget surplus or deficit. For homework, ask them to research the latest UK government budget headline and identify the primary balance.