United States Government:
Three Branches of Government
Tiffany Ayres, Liz Schindler, Mary Walker, & Pete Yaksick
Standards
Social Studies VSC – Fifth Grade
Standard 1.0 Political Science
5.1.A.2.c. Explain the significance of principles in the development of the Declaration of
Independence, Articles of Confederation, Preamble, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of
Rights
5.1.A.2.d. Describe the three branches of government and their individual powers and
responsibilities, such as separation of powers and checks and balances
5.1.A.3.a. Identify the effect that regional interests and perspectives had on shaping
government policy, and compare such as middling class v. gentry, plantation owners
v. proprietors
5.1.B.2.b. Compare ways people can participate in the political process including voting,
petitioning elected officials, and volunteering
5.1.C.1.a. Describe responsibilities associated with certain basic rights of citizens, such as
freedom of speech, religion, and press, and explain why these responsibilities are
important
5.1.C.1.b. Describe the power and responsibility of the Supreme Court including the power
of judicial review
Standard 6.0 Social Studies Skills and Processes
5.6.B.1.b. Connect key ideas to prior knowledge (personal experience, text, and world)
5.6.G.3.c. Identify and formulate a position on a course of action or an issue
Brain Target 1 – Emotional Climate
•
Establish classroom routines and practices.
−
One routine specific to this unit: “Morning reporter” starts the day off with a current
events article. Then, students are given a few minutes to reflect on the article in
their journal.
•
Create a connection to the work – with opening activity on BT-3 slide.
•
Give choice in some classroom activities – promotes ownership.
•
Create an open environment where children feel like their ideas are
respected. Address cultural differences and model tolerance and
acceptance of others.
•
Present information in a variety of modalities to appeal to different learning
styles.
•
Convey concepts for "Civics" (Responsibility to be informed and get
involved) – Provides student with feeling of commitment and community
service.
•
Provide healthy sense of Nationalism/Patriotism. Students get an
appreciation of the strengths of our Democratic form of government.
Freedom and Self-Determination (Responsibility for our own successes and
failures). Gives students a sense of "American Pride".
Brain Target 2 – Physical Environment
Room arrangement: Dependent on topic we are teaching.
−
−
−
−
Judicial days -desks in line, facing forward to model the Supreme Court Justices.
Legislative days - groups of varying size to simulate small vs. large state debate.
Another day of seating in semi circle divided in the middle (D's on left - R's on right)
to simulate what is it like to be in Congress.
The rest of the time, in groups of four to promote discussion and group activity.
Changing desk arrangement addresses novelty in the classroom.
Visual Stimulation: Several government icons around the room
(http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/ for inspiration). Posters/ paintings
of U.S. Capitol, Annapolis Capitol, Baltimore City Hall, courthouses,
monuments. Students art from class assignments is displayed inside and
outside of the classroom.
Background sound: Traditional American songs can play softly as students
enter and begin work. (Would not include Star-Spangled Banner since that
requires standing up – Would include that in a lesson or two.)
Brain Target 3 – Learning Design
Big ideas mapped out by teacher before teaching. Could be used for wall display where each
element is added as it is taught/discussed.
Brain Target 3 – Learning Design
•
Introductory “Big Picture” Activity:
−
−
Students will be asked: “What do you
care about?” Discussion will follow to
elicit more information about what and
why they care about their topics. What
would you do to protect/take
care/keep the topic?
Relate this to the founding fathers
(following a Revolutionary War unit)
• Create a concept map with the
class to determine what the
founding fathers cared about.
−
−
A good model of a concept map
and a good review of the prior
unit.
Have students make their own concept
map about what they care about in
their journal.
•
Pose the question: “How do we effect
or create change in this country?”
•
Build entire unit off of these concepts.
−
Students may add info, take away info,
or create whole new maps if desired.
Teacher makes it clear that the initial
concept map is a working document.
Declaration of
Independence
No Monarch
Freedom from
King George
Determine their
own laws
INDEPENDECE
Representation
Use taxes for
their own needs
Protested
unfair taxes
Boston Tea
Party
Brain Target 3 – Learning Design
• Unit Learning Goal: Students will demonstrate the
important role that government plays in each of
their lives and how they can interact with the
system to make change.
• Unit Learning Goal: Students will understand how
and why the US Government is broken into three
separate branches.
Brain Target 4 – Teaching for Mastery
Learning Activity Ideas:
Learning Objective: Students will use currents events to identify and formulate a position on a
course of action or an issue. (5.6.B.1.b & 5.6.G.3.c)
When: Throughout the whole unit
Who: Individuals and Whole-Class
What: Assign students a day to report on a current event. After each report, students will journal
their feelings about the report. This activity will build awareness of issues in students’
community, state, and nation. It will help them when they get to the final application
project. Use the current events articles to create a class scrapbook organized by
government/not government. Break government articles into three branches. Extend by
bringing in a whole lot of articles to sort.
Learning Objective: Students will explain the significance of principles in the development and
relate it to American symbols. (5.1.A.2.c)
When: Towards the end of the unit
Who: Individuals
What: Design an American symbol and explain how it relates to what we learned. -or- Choose a
symbol of America. Explain why it symbolizes America to you based on what we learned.
-or- Choose a symbol of America. Write an American poem or song to go with it. (Real life
model – Star-Spangled Banner)
Brain Target 4 – Teaching for Mastery
Learning Objective: Students will describe the three branches of government and their individual
powers and responsibilities. They will use this knowledge to help inform them in civic duties
such as voting. (5.1.A.2.c & 5.1.B.2.b)
When: While teaching executive branch
Who: Table groups of 4.
What: Students will discuss the powers of the executive branch. Then, students will draw a
caricature of an ideal leader they might vote for the executive branch. Try to pull in idioms
for language practice. Goal is to be creative, but to include important traits students feel a
good leader needs to accomplish his/her job. EX: thinks fast on his/her feet so draw a person
with "Speedy Gonzales" fumes sparking from feet
Learning Objective: Students will describe the power and responsibility of the Supreme Court
including the power of judicial review. (5.1.C.1.b & 5.1.C.1.a)
When: While teaching judicial branch
Who: Whole class takes a role.
What: Discuss the role courts play in honoring the Constitution. Role-play an important
case. Assign lawyers, clients, judges, etc. Have judges decide what they think is right. Then,
discuss how the case really turned out. (Choose a case that is culturally sensitive.)
Brain Target 4 – Teaching for Mastery
Learning Objective: Students will identify the effect that regional interests and perspectives
had on shaping government policy and structure. (5.1.A.3.a)
When: While teaching legislative branch
Who: Whole class.
What: Mock debate over who gets more say in the classroom -- student groups of 2 or
student groups of 6 or 7. Elect one speaker to represent each table group in the
debate. Students may only talk through their representative. See if students can figure
out what to do. Then, discuss how Americans figured it out hundreds of years ago.
Learning Objective: : Students will describe the three branches of government and their
individual powers and responsibilities, such as separation of powers and checks and
balances. (5.1.A.2.d)
When: During legislative branch
Who: Individuals
What: Discuss how a law is made. Show School House Rocks video. Create a visual flow
chart from a community member citing a problem to a law being made (include
vetoing and overturning a veto).
Brain Target 4 – Teaching for Mastery
Learning Objective: Students will describe the three branches of government and their
individual powers and responsibilities. (5.1.A.2.d)
When: While teaching the legislative branch
Who: Whole Class
What: Break class into two parties based on these two statements: The more we help
ourselves, the more we help the group . -and- The more we help the group, the more
we help ourselves. Pose questions to the group to vote on to simulate Congressional
conversations. Ex: Would you prefer 4 days of school for 8.5 hours or 5 days for 7 hours.
Learning Objective: Students will describe the three branches of government and their
individual powers and responsibilities. (5.1.A.2.d)
When: Throughout lessons – once students have basic idea of the three branches
Who: Whole class
What: Use a reinforcement game. Hand out slips of red, white, and blue paper. Assign a
branch to each color. Ask trivia questions. Ex: Which branch interprets the law? Have
students raise the color for the branch they think is correct. Keep a class tally on a
classroom attendance sheet. Students enjoy the bragging rights.
Brain Target 4 – Teaching for Mastery
Learning Objective: Students will understand the major concepts that
formed and make up United States government.
When: Throughout the entire unit
Who: Whole Class.
What: Create a "Liberty Tree" with the class. The Liberty Tree in Boston
was a symbol of American colonists' desire for independence
before the American Revolutionary War. As a class, design a
"Liberty Tree“ as a visual representation of the unit.
−
What issues caused the tree to "grow" at first? On the roots and trunk, creatively
display the reasons for creating a new government.
− How does our government “branch out”? Create three main branches on the
tree.
− How does it all work together? Represent the checks and balances with
interlocking branches. Show American symbols on the leaves.
− How do we effect change? Draw each person looking towards the tree.
Brain Target 5 – Teaching for Application
• Write a persuasive letter to a representative attempting to
effect change in your community, state, or country.
-OR• Draw a persuasive political cartoon about a topic important
to you to send to a representative attempting to effect
change in your community, state, or country.
• Create a student government. Let students decide structure
and powers based on what they have learned in the unit.
Brain Target 6 – Evaluating Learning
• Timely feedback on activities and projects.
• Evaluate student understanding from discussions
and student government formation.
• Evaluate accuracy of flowcharts.
• All student responses from reinforcement game
from BT-4.
• Rubric for essay and cartoon evaluating three of
the six traits of writing (ideas, voice, and
organization).