Activity
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: What Is a Law?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Find out what a law is and who makes them. Learn the step by step process of how laws are made on the national level.
Activity
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: The Senate

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Information about the qualifications and duties of the United States Senate.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: A New Nation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart reviews the 3 main branches of government and its system of checks and balances. Web links and 3tudent assessment items are included.
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Separation of Powers: What's for Lunch?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students find out how the three branches of government interact with each other and how decisions about laws are made by several parts of the U.S. government.
Website
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress for Kids

For Students 3rd - 5th
Take a tour of the federal government with Uncle Sam and learn the story of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the three branches of government, and elections. Along the way learn how laws are made, about the Bill of...
Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: Virginia Plan (1787)

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Read the complete text of the Virginia Plan that proposed a strong central government consisting of three branches. You can also view images of the original drafts.
Handout
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article Iii: Organizations of Court, Tenure, & Compensation

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource covers Article III, Section 1, which focuses on the judicial branch of the United States government.
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

C3 Teachers: Inquiries: The President

For Teachers 1st
A comprehensive learning module on government that includes three supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and source materials, followed by a summative performance task. Students look at leaders at the different levels of...
Website
iCivics

I Civics: Curriculum Units

For Students 9th - 10th
A large collection of Social Studies units, WebQuests, and games that focuses on teaching students how government works and the importance of being responsible, informed American citizens. Units are linked to state standards. A teacher...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: The Constitutional Convention Mini Lesson

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore how the U.S. government was created in the years following the Articles of Confederation.
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

National Archives: The Constitution in Action: Article Ii

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This activity can be used during a unit on the U.S. Constitution. Young scholars will analyze the Senate Journal of the First Congress and identify how the document demonstrates content contained within Article II of the Constitution in...
Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Debate and Compromise

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The 18th-century statesmen who met in Philadelphia were adherents of Montesquieu's concept of the balance of power in politics. This principle was supported by colonial experience and strengthened by the writings of John Locke, with...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Our Courts: Constitution Day Lesson: Checks and Balances [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn the roles and responsibilities of each branch of government and where the checks and balances are located in this role-playing lesson plan. Requires Adobe Reader.
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docs Teach: Separation of Powers or Shared Powers

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
In this activity, young scholars will analyze documents that illustrate the relationship between the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Using the scale in Weighing the Evidence, students will decide whether the United States...
Primary
Other

A Republic, if You Can Keep It

For Students 9th - 10th
An essay by U.S. Congressional Representative Ron Paul of Texas on the state of the American republic delivered at the dawn of the twenty-first century. He argues for the strong separation of powers among the three branches of government...
Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Classroom: The Constitutional Convention

For Students 9th - 10th
Travel back to 1787 and become a delegate to the convention in Philadelphia. As the Founding Fathers struggle to decide how the young nation will be governed, explore how very different men representing their states' conflicting...
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docs Teach: Checks and Balances in Action

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
In this activity, young scholars will analyze documents that span the course of American history to see examples of 'checks and balances' between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches in action. Students will then match the...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Constitution Day Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This interactive lesson gives students a quick snapshot of the Constitution, including the purpose of each article, the powers of the three branches, how a bill becomes a law, and the concepts of separation of powers and checks and...
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using primary texts and prior study of Colonial America and the Revolution, students examine "what type of government would best represent the ideals of the American Revolution." Worksheets, discussions, and role-playing within this...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: The United States Capitol Building

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A comprehensive site that provides three lesson plans which explain what takes place in the U.S. Capitol Building. This thorough site describes the function of the Capitol Building and includes many photos of both the building itself and...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Anatomy of the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson gives an article-by-article overview of the structure and function of the U.S. Constitution. Students learn about the duties and powers of the three branches, the amendment process, and the role of the Constitution as the...
Interactive
Quia

Quia: The 3 Branches of Government

For Students 6th - 8th
Complete the paragraph by filling in the missing terms. Collect coins by completing each exercise correctly.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: Republicanism

For Students 9th - 10th
The framers of the Constitution had a great distaste for the monarchial society of Great Britain. See how this was reflected in the checks and balances they wrote into the Constitution in an effort to create a working republic.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: So You Want to Be President

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart reviews the three branches of government and the qualifications to become President of the United States. Student assessment items are included.

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