Title – Branches of Government

By – Carolyn Currins

Primary Subject – Social Studies

Grade Level – 4th Grade

Materials needed:

• Posters describing three branches of government
  
• Pre-made poster boards and fact cards for group activity
  
• Branches of Government worksheet

Illinois State Social Science Standard:

IL-14.A Understand and explain basic principles of the United States government.

Objective: To familiarize students with the characteristics of the three branches of the United States Government.

Procedures:

• TTW (The teacher will) begin by talking about rules with the students and leading them into a lesson about the roles of the branches of the government.
  
• TTW will introduce how the three branches were set up by the constitution by putting a poster on the board outlining the roles of the branches.
  
• TTW talk about the characteristics of each branch and relate each branch’s responsibilities to the students. TTW also put up posters of the branches as each is mentioned.
  
• After the details of each branch have been covered, TTW have the students to work in groups to apply what was learned.
  • TLW (The learner will) work in groups based on how their desks are already organized – 3 groups of 5-6 students.
    
  • Each group will receive one poster board with the following already on it: Legislative, picture of The U.S. Capitol, Executive, picture of The White House, Judicial, picture of The Supreme Court.
    
  • TTW give the students various terms written on pieces of paper that the students have to post on the board under the appropriate branch. These terms include: Constitution, Makes Laws, Congress, House of Representatives, Senate, Enforces Laws, President, Vice President, Interprets Laws, Judges.
    
  • TLW report their finished products back to the class.
    
  • If time does not allow completion of this project, or if students do not work well in groups, TTW post one empty poster board in front of the classroom and have the class complete the chart as a whole.
• TTW ask students to read about how the branches work together in a system of checks and balances while relating this to the responsibilities of each individual branch.

Assessment/Evaluation:

• TTW ask questions throughout the lesson to check for understanding.
  
• TTW have students complete branches of government activity.
  
• TTW have students complete a worksheet reviewing what was learned for homework.

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Carolyn Currins

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