Taxes can be daunting. Here are 3 Desmos Classroom activities to help students visualize how taxes really work. 

1. Piecewise Functions: Introducing Marginal and Effective Income Tax Rates

How are income taxes calculated? Visualize and pinpoint the difference between marginal and effective tax rates. 

In this activity, students...

• Write the piecewise function for marginal tax rates
• the Piecewise Equation for Marginal Tax Rate
• Visualize how tax brackets work using an interactive graph
• Calculate effective tax rate
• Compare marginal and effective tax rates

2. Piecewise Functions: Calculating Effective Income Tax Rates

Level up your understanding of marginal and effective tax rates. 

In this activity, students...

• Write equations for piecewise functions representing total taxes paid and effective tax rate
• Compare the graphs of marginal and effective tax rates
• Analyze why your marginal tax rate is always higher than your effective tax rate

3. Exploring Tax Rates by Income Level and Tax Type

Does the median American pay more in sales tax or income tax? This activity illustrates how different taxes impact people based on their income level. 

In this activity, students...

• Interact with a graph of average tax rates by income level
• Explore how a person's total effective tax rate is broken down into sales taxes, payroll taxes, income taxes, corporate and property taxes, and estate taxes
• Categorize taxes as progressive, regressive, or proportional (flat).

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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