Separation of Powers:
What’s for Lunch?
How would you rate your
school’s lunches?
How would you rate the
food in your school
cafeteria overall?
Do you think the food
needs to be improved?
Is the food being served
healthy?
1=
Horrible
2=
Average
3=
Delicious!
4=
I don’t eat the
food in the
cafeteria.
1=
Yes!
2=
Some of it.
3=
No!
4=
No opinion.
1=
Not at all
2=
Sometimes
3=
Always
4=
What does
healthy mean?
Designing a New Menu:
• Today, you and your classmates are in charge
of designing a new menu for your school
lunches!
• One catch - it must be healthy!!!
• Second catch – no single student can decide
this on his or her own. This will be a group
effort!
Round 1: Choosing the Categories
• Role = Lead Chef
• Examine the menu
options.
• Debate amongst
yourselves, and then
CIRCLE the 5 categories
for your menu upon
which you can all agree.
• Remember, it must be
healthy!
STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!
Round 2: Creating the Menu
• Role: The Writers
• Using the categories
that the “Lead Chef”
developed, you are to
choose what foods to
serve.
• Tip: Your menu must
match the categories
that the writers created.
STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!
Round 3: Move Forward or Try Again?
• Role = Lead Chef
• If you agree with what
the WRITERS came up
with, vote YES for the
menu to be made.
• If you do not like what
the WRITERS decided,
vote NO. This is a
VETO!
STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!
Round 4: Where to go now?
• If the Lead Chef said YES,
your menu is one step
closer to being made!
• If the Lead Chef said NO,
then the WRITERS must
vote again on the menu.
• If everyone likes the
menu you created, it
moves ahead.
• If everyone does not agree, you
would try again to write
something the Lead Chef would
agree with. However, there is not
time for this today.
STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!
Round 5: Evaluating the Results
• Role: The Judge
• You have 2 important
responsibilities:
(1)Decide what “healthy”
means.
(2)Decide if the school
lunch menu meets your
definition of healthy.
STOP WHEN YOU’RE DONE!
Final Result: Will your lunch be made?
• Raise your hand if your lunch will be made?
• Raise your hand if your lunch will NOT be
made?
Quick Review:
What was the goal? To make a healthy school lunch!
• Round 1:
 The Lead Chef chose the
categories.
• Round 2:
 The Writers decided on the
menu.
• Round 3:
 The Lead Chef said yes or
no to the menu.
• Round 4:
 The Writers’ menu was
approved by voting to
overrule the Chef (if
needed).
• Round 5:
 The Judges evaluated
whether the menu was
healthy.
• Final Result:
 Either the lunch will be
made or it will not!
 If not, this all starts over
from the beginning!
In order for this to happen, what had
to occur?
• Each group had to perform its role.
• Each group had to follow the rules.
• The final product was a compromise of all
three groups.
Connecting School Lunches to Your
Government:
• The Lead Chef = Executive Branch
• The Writers = Legislative Branch
• The Judge = Judicial Branch
• Your goal = Making School Lunches
• The 3 Branches’ Goal = Making Laws
Role 1: The Executive Branch
• Main Part: The
President
• President’s job – There
are several!
– Set important issues for
Congress to work on
– Signs bills into law
– Or says no, which is called
a VETO
– Is the boss of the
government and makes
sure the government
carries out all the laws
• Who does the President
care about? ALL
Americans
Role 2: The Legislative Branch
• Main Part: Congress
• Includes:
• The House of
Representatives
• The Senate
• Job: Write and pass bills
• Who do they care
about? Their voters
Role 3: The Judicial Branch
• Main Part: The Supreme • Their job: To make sure
Court
the other two branches
are playing by the rules!
• What do they
represent? The
Constitution, which is
the official rulebook for
the U.S. government.
Checks & Balances
• First, because there are three branches in the
law-making process, there is a “Separation of
Powers” where no branch has more power
than another.
• To make sure that no branch is more powerful,
the rounds that the branches go through to
pass a law is known as “Checks & Balances.”
This is where each branch “checks” one
another to agree with the decisions each have
made about passing a law.
Let’s Review the Law-Making Process
• What’s the goal?
To make laws!
• What must happen?
– Round 1: President sets
ideas for bills.
– Round 2: Congress
writes and passes bills.
– Round 3: President says
yes or no (VETO)
– Round 4: If yes, bill is a
law. If no, Congress
votes again and tries to
override the President.
– Round 5: Supreme Court
evaluates whether the
law meets the rules of
the Constitution.
– Final Product: A Law or
nothing!
 If a law … then the
lunches will be made!
Bonus Question: Which branch would make the lunch (i.e.
carry out the law)?
Today I Learned:
•What are the 3 branches of the government, and
what is each branch’s main job?
•What is the goal the 3 branches are trying to
reach?
•Can any one branch reach the goal on its
own? Why/why not?
•Does any one branch have all the power? What is
this called?