Which branch of government carries and enforces laws in the United States? What two governing bodies make up Congress? Using this simple graphic organizer, your young historians will organize the flow of responsibilities afforded to the...

How did the United States Congress determine how the new president and vice president would be named when the nation was first established? Who would provide money for the government, and how would the executive branch be organized? 

Students research structure, function and primary responsibilities of each office of the Executive branch, create a chart displaying their research.

Learners explore how the structure of the state and federal judicial systems affect them. They select an appropriate media and create a presentation on the structure of the judicial system, the criminal judicial system and a guide to the...

Explore the structure and content of the US Constitution in the second lesson of this five-part social studies series. A collection of activities, games, and videos complement a class reading of a document summarizing the US...

Fourth graders brainstorm of what they think of when they think about the word state government and list their suggestions on the board. They listen to lecture about the three branches of government understanding how each branch is...

Middle schoolers identify the courts that make up Michigan's judicial system. They state the responsibilities of each court and diagram a flow chart of how a case moves to the Michigan Supreme Court. They participate in a quiz about the...

Supreme Court justices debate the meaning of the US Constitution, but we expect teachers to explain it to scholars with far less training and experience. A daunting task for sure, but it's not insurmountable with resources that simplify...

Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.

Young scholars trace the history of the Michigan Supreme Court from when the state was still a territory. They define procedures as they relate to the Court. They compare and contrast the territorial court to the new Court.

High schoolers observe the procedures of the Michigan Supreme Court. They identify the processes and procedures being used. They debate a case that was presented to the Court and analyze the oral arguments of the case.

Students examine the role of the Michigan Supreme Court. They diagram the procedure one must follow to bring a case before the Court. They discuss the order of business for oral arguments as well.

Fourth graders gain an appreciation of knowledge about recent history by interviewing senior citizens. They summarize their interviews and organize them into a written presentation.

Students discover the links between population and Congressional representation. In this government lesson, students research population statistics and create spreadsheets that compare population to the number of Congress members per state.

This lesson describes how, using the guidelines provided in the Constitution, the First Congress in April 1789 named the new president and vice president, provided funding for the new government, organized the executive branch, organized...