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The Library Letter and the Town Budget worksheet preview

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The Library Letter and the Town Budget

Read a student's letter about a public library, then explain why communities have governments and how taxes support public services.

Grade 3Social StudiesInteractive · Printable

Aligned toCIV.3.1

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What’s included

  • Single worksheet
  • Auto-graded online
  • 1 C3 Framework standard
  • Printable answer key
  • 14 questions
  • Classroom-ready

Details

Format
Interactive · Printable
Grade
Grade 3
Subject
Social Studies
Question types
Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

  • Students explain why communities have governments and shared rules.
  • Students connect community taxes to public services and budgets.

How to use

Read the letter together, discuss which services people share, and then have students use the budget display to answer the questions.

Curriculum

C3 Framework standard covered

CIV.3.1

Explain why communities have governments and how taxes pay for public services.

Preview

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Name Date

The Library Letter and the Town Budget

Learn how local government and taxes support shared services.

Read the library letter

Read Mina's letter. Then answer the questions using details from the letter.

A Letter About Larkspur's Library

Dear Room 3,
Last Saturday, I visited the Larkspur Public Library. The library has books, computers, and a quiet place for people to study. A librarian told me that children, adults, and older neighbors use the building. One person could not provide all of those things for the whole town.

Our town has a government led by elected council members. The council makes rules for shared places, plans a budget, and decides how to organize services. It also listens to residents who speak at town meetings. These jobs help people use the same roads, buildings, and safety services.

People and local businesses pay taxes to the town. The council places some of this money in the budget for public services. For example, tax money can help pay library workers, repair roads, and support fire and rescue workers. A service can be ready for many people, even when one person does not use it every day.

The council does not choose every private action. My family still chooses which book to borrow and what food to buy. The council's job is to make plans for needs that people share. That is why I think government and taxes are connected to our daily lives.
Your classmate, Mina

1.
Why do communities have governments, according to ideas in Mina's letter?
  • A. To let each family choose where town roads should go.
  • B. To organize shared services and community rules.
  • C. To lend residents money for their purchases.
  • D. To decide which books people read at home.
2.
Word bank: taxes · rules · books · tickets

Money that people and local businesses pay to the town for shared services is called  .

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