The Constitution
Standards: SS3CG1a, b, &c
EQ: What is the Constitution?
Hook/Opening: watch Ssssh We’re Writing the Constitution
Vocabulary:
Constitution – a plan for government
Framers – The men who wrote the constitution
The Constitution
• Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers
wrote the Constitution.
• The Constitution is a basic design for how our
government should work.
• The Constitution divides the government into
three branches. They are the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches.
• The Constitution has been changed 27 times!
The Constitution
• The Constitution is organized into three parts:
1. Preamble: Describes the purpose of the
document and government.
2. Articles: Establish how the government is
structured and how the Constitution can be
changed. There are seven articles.
3. Amendments: Changes to the Constitution;
the first ten are called the Bill of Rights.
Work Period
• The Bill of Rights lists the individual rights of
every citizen’
• TTW conduct the Bill of Rights activity.
Reflection
• What was the purpose of the Constitution?
National Government
• Standards: SS3CG1a, b, &c
• EQ: How is our national government
organized?
• Hook/Opening: Do you recognize this
building?
• Vocabulary:
Separation of powers – power divided between
the three branches of government.
National Government
• For two years, the capital city of the United States
was Philadelphia, PA not Washington, D.C.
• The US Capitol building has 540 rooms.
• The bronze Statute of Freedom is on the top of
the dome.
• National leaders meet and
work at the capitol in
Washington, D.C.
National Government
• The Constitution established the national
government.
• The Framers decided that there should be a
separation of powers of our government into 3
branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
• This separation would limit powers of a
government.
• The Framers believed in a system of checks and
balances in order to limit the powers of
government.
National Government
• The Framers believed that the powers needed to
be balanced.
• That means that no one branch is given so much
power it can completely control the other
branches.
• The Framers also decided to include a system of
checks and balances. Each branch could check
the other branch.
• For an example, The President can check the
power of the Congress by refusing to approve a
law that the Congress passed.
Reflection
• What are the three branches of government?
The Framers of the Constitution of the United States of America.
Legislative Branch
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•
•
•
Standards: SS3CG1a, b, &c
EQ: What is the legislative branch?
Hook/Opening: Read-Aloud House Mouse Senate Mouse
Vocabulary:
• Legislative branch – branch of government that makes laws;
Congress
• bill – a proposed law
• law – a bill that Congress has approved and the President has
signed.
Legislative Branch
• The first branch of the United States
government is the legislative branch.
• This branch of government is responsible for
making the laws, taxing people, creating a
court system, and declaring war.
• This branch of government is also called the
Congress.
Legislative Branch
• The Congress is made up of two parts:
– 1. The House of Representatives
• The number of representatives that each state can send
to the House of Representatives is based on a state’s
population.
• There are 435 members!
– 2. The Senate
• Each state can send two representatives to the Senate.
• There are 100 members!
Legislative Branch
• How does Congress make laws?
A member of congress writes down an idea (bill).
The member must get the majority of the Senate
and House of Representatives to vote for the bill.
Finally, the bill must be sent to the President. If he
approves, the bill becomes a law. If not, the
President will veto the bill.
Georgia State Senators
Johnny Isakson
Saxby Chambliss
House of Representatives from
Georgia
• There are 13 members of the House of Representatives. These
members represent Georgia!
Barrow, John, Georgia, 12th
Bishop Jr., Sanford D., Georgia, 2nd
Broun, Paul C., Georgia, 10th
Gingrey, Phil, Georgia, 11th
Graves, Tom, Georgia, 9th
Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" Jr., Georgia, 4th
Kingston, Jack, Georgia, 1st
Lewis, John, Georgia, 5th
Linder, John, Georgia, 7th
John Lewis represents Clayton
Marshall, Jim, Georgia, 8th
County!
Price, Tom, Georgia, 6th
Scott, David, Georgia, 13th
Westmoreland, Lynn A., Georgia, 3rd
Work Period
• TLW complete graphic organizer on the
responsibilities of the legislative branch.
Reflection
• What are the responsibilities of the legislative
branch of the United States government?
Executive Branch
• Standards: SS3CG1a, b, &c
• EQ: What is the executive branch?
• Hook/Opening: Read-Aloud My Teacher for
President.
• Vocabulary:
Executive branch – branch of government that signs
laws; President
President – The President is the person who runs
the United States.
Executive Branch
• The second branch of government is the executive
branch.
• Responsibility of the executive branch is to carry out
laws.
• The President is the head of the executive branch.
• The President is commander in chief to the armed
forces.
• The President is responsible for dealing with other
countries.
Executive Branch
• How are the powers of the President limited or
checked by Congress?
1. The President has the power to appoint people
do important jobs, but the Congress has to
approve.
2. The President has the power to make a
treaty/agreement with another nation, but the
Congress has to approve it.
3. The President can conduct/lead a war, but only
the Congress can declare war.
4. By 2/3 vote, Congress can approve a bill over the
President’s veto.
5. The Constitution gives the Congress the power
to impeach/remove the President from office.
Executive Branch
• So you want to be the President?
– Only native-born U.S. citizens (or those born
abroad, but only to parents who were both
citizens of the U.S.) may be president of the
United States.
– One must be at least 35 years old.
– One must live in the United States for at least 14
years to be president, in addition to being a
natural-born citizen.
Work Period
• TLW complete the graphic organizer that
details the responsibilities of the executive
branch.
Reflection
• TLW answer the EQ.
Quiz
1. One way the Congress checks the power of the president is
by
A. Its veto power
B. appointing judges
C. declaring war
D. Voting on presidential appointments
2.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which part of the government makes laws?
The president
Congress
the courts
the executive branch
Democracy and Power
• The Constitution states that all three branches
(executive, legislative, and judicial) have to
work together.
• Separation of powers limits what each branch
can do.
• Separation of powers means that the three
branches of government have different
powers and different jobs to do.
• Separation of powers helps to protect rights in
a democracy.
Work Period
• TLW complete the graphic organizer (tri-fold)
on the separation of powers according to the
chart on page 220 in Social Studies book.
Reflection
• TLW answer the EQ.