Student Web Activity Lesson Plans

Chapter 10: The Federal Bureaucracy

Introduction
Nearly 3 million civilians work for the federal government. Federal agencies are located in more than 440,000 buildings scattered across the nation and around the world. In this activity, students will learn about the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), one of the many agencies that affect their lives daily.

Lesson Description
Students will explore the Web site of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They will read about various products and projects of this agency, and answer four questions. Students will then summarize an aspect of the agency that interests them.

Instructional Objectives

Learners will identify the various products and programs of NIST.
Learners will comprehend the relevance of the bureaucracy's activities to daily life.
Learners will analyze and summarize one of the many aspects of NIST.

Student Web Activity Answers

NIST falls within the Department of Commerce.
NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.
NIST employs about 2,900 scientists, engineers, technicians, and support and administrative personnel.
NIST has developed encryption standards for ATMs and standards for ballistic-resistant body armor. Closed-captioning for people with impaired hearing, now featured on all TV sets, was co-invented at NIST.
Students' summaries will vary, depending on the topic chosen. Have students share their paragraph summaries with the class.