Lesson Plan

• Define a government budget deficit and express it mathematically.
• Identify and differentiate the three types of deficits (primary, structural, cyclical).
• Explain why deficits matter for public debt and macro‑economic policy.
• Analyse a simple bar chart comparing government expenditure and revenue to determine deficit status.

• Projector and screen
• PowerPoint slides summarising definitions and types
• Printed worksheet with calculation exercises
• Calculator or spreadsheet software
• Simple bar‑chart handout illustrating G vs T

Begin with a quick poll: “If the government spends more than it earns, what happens?” Connect to students’ prior knowledge of personal budgeting. State that by the end of the lesson they will be able to define a budget deficit, distinguish its types, and explain its macro‑economic significance.

1. Do‑Now (5 min): Students calculate a deficit from a short table of G and T.
2. Mini‑lecture (10 min): Present formal definition, formula, and visual bar chart.
3. Interactive activity (12 min): Group work to classify sample deficits as primary, structural, or cyclical.
4. Guided practice (8 min): Teacher walks through solving a real‑world example on the board.
5. Check for understanding (5 min): Quick quiz using Kahoot or show‑of‑hands.
6. Summary & exit ticket (5 min): Students write one way deficits can affect the economy on a sticky note.

Recap the key definition, the three deficit types, and their relevance to fiscal policy. Collect exit tickets as a retrieval check and assign a homework task to research a recent country’s budget deficit and its reported impact.