Young historians climb through the three branches of the US government in the third lesson of this five-part series. While reading the first three Articles of the Constitution in small groups, children write facts on paper leaves...

Students investigate the relationship between state and national governments. They define the principles of American federalism how the constitution outlines the powers of state and federal government. Lesson focuses on Nebraska...

The House of Representatives has a lot of responsibility  in the United States government. But how did it all begin, and why is it the way it is now? A comprehensive lesson answers all of these questions about the US Constitution...

Nearly every president has had the opportunity to name a nominee to the United States Supreme Court. But what makes someone an ideal candidate to become a Supreme Court justice? High schoolers test their prior knowledge about the...

Who has the power? Scholars investigate the creation of the three branches of government in the United States Constitution. They analyze just why the framers created the branches the way they did.

Pupils examine sections of the Nebraska Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, and compare/contrast the two. They research policy issues, and decide whether they should be solved at the state or federal level.

How is your state government organized? How many elected officials are women? What is the mean age of your state representatives? Young scholars answer these questions in a research project before creating a chart to reflect their...

Young sociologists explore how local, state, and federal governments work. This very impressive and ambitious lesson plan requires pupils to contact government officials who represent them and their families. They research elections, and...

After reviewing and reading about the three branches of US Government, complete this activity with your class. In groups, they will place their "cards" on the board under the correct branch. This lesson is weak and unclear. I'd make a...

Learners explore how the Constitution provides for separation of power and limited government, as evidenced by the three branches of government. They participate in role-playing situations, group discussions, and complete worksheets to...

To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...

Pupils explore the differences between the responsibilities of the local and the state governments in Ohio. The roles of the two different levels of government are investigated and applied to a variety of situations in this lesson.

Students explore the three branches of government. For this government and U.S. history lesson, students listen to a story about a boy who attempts to sponsor a bill to ban cartoons. Students interview three teachers who each represent...

Through detailed secondary source reading material and an interactive "true/false" activity, learners discover the depth and complexity of the executive branch in the United States government. Topics covered include executive...

Students determine the role of each branch of government in a system of checks and balances. They demonstrate the role of the judiciary in American government

Fourth graders, after studying the three branches of state government and gathering together a variety of art materials, create a mobile explaining all three branches of the government. They display their mobiles inside the classroom for...

Sixth graders discover details about the 3 branches of government. In this primary source analysis activity, 6th graders examine documents and images from the Library of Congress to investigate the structure of the U.S. government.

Fifth graders compare the three branches of government to a three-legged chair. In this government lesson, 5th graders discuss the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and checks and balances. Students study what each branch of government...

Middle schoolers complete a unit on the three branches of government. They compare/contrast the three branches of government, write a letter or e-mail to an executive in the Federal Government, and develop outlines for historical...

Explore the powers of the federal and state government. Learners use a Venn Diagram to classify tasks as belonging to the states, the federal government, or both. This activity provides a quick way to review these concepts.

The system of checks and balances is integral to the functionality of the United States government. Learn more about the ways the three branches of the government work together—and about the limitations of their power—with an informative...

Challenge your students with this activity on American government! Learners discuss the three branches of government and its responsilbities, and then go on to more complex critical-thinking activities. Students interview members of the...

Kids who take the Regents Exam really need to know a lot of information. This is a wonderful exam review tool that includes 26 pages of questions, charts, and suggested readings to help upper graders pass the test. It focuses on all...

Focusing on the judicial branch of government, the fourth lesson plan in this series explores the structure of the US courts system. Beginning with an engaging activity based on the short story The Lady or the Tiger,...