Big Surplus, Big Plans For Maryland

	Maryland officials yesterday projected the state will amass a $925 million budget surplus this year as a result of a strong economy ... The extra money already has set off a frenzied call for increased spending from local governments and some lawmakers. Republican legislators have called for more tax cuts, but Glendening said he prefers to pour the money into school construction, transportation projects and other one-time needs that would not overextend the state if the economy sours. "It would be easy to say, 'Make further tax cuts.' It feels good," Glendening said. But he said those cuts have to be weighed against the opportunities the surplus offers. "We have to be careful with what we do with this money."
		---(Big Surplus, Big Plans For Md.; Economy Delivers Construction Cash ( The Washington Post ) Daniel LeDuc and Craig Timberg Washington Post Staff Writers; 12-15-1999)

How do you think this surplus money should be spent?

Task As a department head in the executive branch of Maryland's government, your goal is to have this surplus funding to support the services of the agencies in your office. You are to prepare a proposal either written or in the form of a video commercial to be submitted to the Governor for spending these surplus funds.

Product Your proposal should include the following: The agency in your department requesting the funds Proposed project Rational for the project Amount of funds requested Supporting evidence for the amount of funds requested Impact that this project will have on the citizens of Maryland

Culminating Activities Each department will present their proposal to the class. Based on the rational and value to the citizens of Maryland, the class will determine which projects should be funded. Forward the best ideas to the appropriate executive department head in the Governor's office.

Step One: Questioning and Planning As you look at the task above, list as many questions as you can that will help you to understand and investigate this topic. THINK ABOUT... What do you already know about the particular department? What do you need to know to begin your investigation? to inform others about the need for special programs? to argue for additional funding? to convince others to support your ideas? Jump start your thinking! These sample questions can be used to get you started, then add some of your own. What is the purpose of the department? What are the agencies within this department? What are the goals of the agencies? What population is addressed by the agency? What impact does this department have on the citizens of Maryland? What is the present state of public opinion on the programs sponsored by the agencies? How would increased funding for a special progaram impact the lives of Marylanders?

Graphic Organizers Use this chart of the Executive Branch of Maryland to begin your research process. As you use your various sources, be sure to take effective,detailed notes. Paraphrase the main ideas to avoid plagiarism. You can choose from a variety of tools to record your notes. Assessment Grading for this project will be based on the work with your partner, completion of your graphic organizer, presentation of your proposal to the Governor's office. You may want to use copies of the rubric to assess yourself as you progress through the project. rubric which will be used to assess your work with your partner rubric which will be used to assess your graphic organizer rubric which will be used to assess your proposed project for funding

Step Two: Gathering, Sorting, and Sifting

In this step you will be using a variety of library resources to find answers to your questions. Tip:If you did not formulate questions in Step 1, go back and do it now. A topic is not a question. Gather answers from variety of sources: Internet websites Electric Library articles Print materials Interviews with public officials Sort your research findings by using note cards or a graphic organizer. Sift through the resources, eliminating those that do not answer your questions.

Internet sites for Maryland Government Maryland Manual Online Maryland Archives Maryland Electronic Capital   Articles (keywords: budget surplus Maryland) Surplus Up Glendening Proposes Full Tax Cut Big Surplus, Big Plans for Maryland Already Flush, Maryland Reports New Windfall Print Sources for Maryland Government Maryland Manual Pamphlets from the League of Women Voters Use the automated card catalog for specific sources available in the library. Senators and Delegates for the State of Maryland Who are your elected officials? Contact Your Legislator

Step Three: Synthesis and Evaluation	Evaluate your work thus far! Have you gathered sufficient details about your agency to become a convincing spokesperson or advocate for it? Are your details organized in the right categories or sub-topics to make sense for your audience? Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on an audience?
Step Four: Refined Gathering/Sorting/Sifting 2	You may go back to Step Two and use any of the resources that were previously available, including the Internet websites. You also might want to try using Search Tools on the Internet to locate additional websites. A variety of search tools are available and each will produce a different set of results. Keep in mind that when using search tools, you need to critically read and evaluate what you find. Since any person can publish information on the Internet, reliability can be questionable.
Step Five: Final Synthesis and Evaluation	Synthesis is the act of pulling your research and ideas together to form a new whole. Recall your original essential question: How might you justify the spending of surplus state dollars for a specific department or agency? Do you have a fairly complete understanding of the department? Have you answered all of your questions? Do you have enough supporting ideas and details for each of your questions? Do you have sufficient facts and details to convince an audience to support funding for your idea?
Step Six: Preparing the Product	Review the elements of the scoring tool that will be used to evaluate your product. Review Writing Tips (Persuade, Inform, Express Personal Ideas) Outline or rearrange your note cards or use a graphic organizer to organize your information. Create your Product draft. Submit your work to a fellow student for Peer Response, if time allows. Prepare your Final Product.
Step Seven: Presenting Your Research and Your Product	It is now time to lobby for funding! You will use your research and your product to inform and persuade the Governor (and your class) to support the allocation of funds for your agency or department. Your peers may use this evaluation sheet to help decide which presentations are most compelling and therefore deserve funding. If you've done a good job, hopefully your chosen a project that will receive funding! Good luck!