Describe the structure and function of the three branches of government established in the U.S. Constitution.
| Name |
Description |
| 3 Branches of US Government Scratch: Lesson 3 | This is part 3 of a 3 lesson unit about the roles and responsibilities of the 3 branches of the U.S. government. Students will create code for their own Scratch program that informs others about the 3 branches of the U.S. government. |
| 3 Branches of Government Anchor Chart & Scratch Module: Lesson 1 | This is part 1 of a 3 part integrated coding unit.
Students will interact with a Scratch program module about the 3 branches of government. They will examine the code and create an anchor chart on the branches of the government. |
| Branches of Government Graphic Organizer: Lesson 2 | Students will research the given websites to complete a graphic organizer (attached) to identify the roles and responsibilities of each of the 3 Branches of the US Government as they are described in Articles I, II and III. This is Lesson 2 in a three lesson unit integrating civics and computer science. |
| Coding The Three Branches, Part 3 | Students will work in groups to assess their knowledge of the three branches of government using a scratch program. Classmates will provide feedback using a rubric and students will write a self-reflection based on the feedback. This is Lesson 3 of 3 in an integrated civics and computer science mini-unit. |
| Coding The Three Branches, Part 2 | Students will create code that will assess knowledge of the three branches of government. Flowchart information will be converted into scratch coding using if-then statements. This is Lesson 2 in a three-lesson unit integrating civics and coding. |
| Coding the Three Branches, Part 1 | Students will research the three branches of government and create a question and answer flowchart about them. The preparation of the flowchart will be used when coding with Scratch in the next lessons. This is lesson 1 of 3 in an integrated civics and computer science mini-unit. |
| Democracy at Work: Federal, State, and Local Elections - Federal Elections | In this lesson plan, students will learn about electing officials (President, U.S. Senators & Representatives), their roles, equal/proportional representation in Congress, and the purpose and function of the Electoral College. |
| Who's in the House? Part 3 | Students will use percentages and states' apportionment of representatives in the House to determine how much funding should be allocated to each state, in this integrated lesson plan. |
| Errors in Code: The Three Branches of US Government - Part 3 | Students will create a Scratch program about the three branches of government using work from previous lessons (Resources #208945 and #208958). Students will be required to include multiple Sprites, motion block, control block, looks block, conditional statement using the control block, sound block, and the use of an extension. This is the final lesson in a 3-part series that integrates civics with computer science. |
| Errors in code: the three Branches of Government Part 2 | Students will debug a Scratch program on the three branches of government where the roles/responsibilities are incorrectly matched. Student(s) will design a storyboard to create their own Scratch program to prepare for the next lesson. This is the second lesson in a 3-part integrated civics and computer science mini-unit. |
| Errors in Code: The Three Branches of US Government - Part 1 | Students will research the three branches of government and analyze the importance of each branch’s responsibility. Students will also complete an unplugged evaluation of the logical flow of a step-by-step Scratch program by cutting up and rearranging printed code. This is the first lesson in a three-part integrated civics and computer science mini-unit. |
| Who's in the House? Part 2 | Use data from U.S. Census Bureau that shows Apportionment Population, Resident Population, and Overseas Population for 2020 & 2010 Census to create and compare ratios in this integrated lesson plan. |
| WHO’S IN THE HOUSE? PART 1 | Students will use ratios to discuss and examine the relationship between a Census, state populations, and apportionment of representatives in the House of Representatives, in this integrated lesson plan. |
| Legislative Representation Lesson 2 | Students will calculate the net change in the seats for the U.S. House of Representatives for each state. They will add all the net changes to equal 0, since the total number of seats has remained constant at 435 during this time period. They will then calculate the percent change for each state from the 1960 U.S. Census to the 2020 U.S. Census, in this integrated lesson plan. |
| Analyzing Government Spending: Integrating math & civics | Students will practice their skills in interpreting data and creating graphical representations in this integrated civics lesson. Students will apply graphing skills to analyze government spending data and reflect on the importance of mathematics in communicating complex numerical information visually so the public can better stay informed. |
| The White House & The Executive Branch | In this lesson, students will identify the location of the White House and why it serves as a landmark that is emblematic of the United States. Students will also learn about the White House serving as the “home” of the executive branch, the structure of the executive, and the roles and responsibilities of the executive branch. |
| The United States Supreme Court & the Judicial Branch | In this lesson, students will identify the location of the Supreme Court of the United States and why it serves as a landmark that is emblematic of the United States. Students will also learn about the Supreme Court of the U.S. structure serving as the “home” of the judicial branch, the structure of the judicial branch, and the roles and responsibilities of the judicial branch. |
| The U.S. Capitol & The Legislative Branch | In this lesson, students will identify the location of the U.S. Capitol building and why it serves as a landmark that is emblematic of the United States. Students will also learn about the capitol serving as a “home” to the legislative branch, the structure of the legislative branch, and the roles and responsibilities of the legislative branch. |
| Exploring the U.S. Senate | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the function of the U.S. Senate and the qualifications and responsibilities of senators, while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then show what they know by completing and submitting a short written response to a provided prompt. |
| The Executive Branch | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the structures, functions, and processes of the executive branch while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then show what they know by researching executive branch departments. |
| The Legislative Branch | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the federal legislative branch while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then apply what they know by completing an exit ticket. |
| The Federal Lawmaking Process | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the federal lawmaking process while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then apply what they know by creating a flowchart to demonstrate the lawmaking process. |
| Who Can Serve? | In this lesson plan, students will identify the constitutional qualifications for holding state and national office while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then show what they know by completing and submitting a short written response to a provided prompt. |
| An Introduction to the U.S. Constitution | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the U.S. Constitution, with an emphasis on the Preamble, while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then show what they know by completing and submitting an exit ticket. |
| Let’s go back to the Electoral College | In this lesson, students will examine Article 2 as well as the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to learn about the Electoral College and how it works. Students will then interpret maps and population data to determine the impact it has on the political process. |
| The Judicial Branch | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the federal judicial branch while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then apply what they know by researching a landmark Supreme Court case and creating a one-pager. |
| The Presidency | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the powers of the American presidency while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then show what they know by discussing the topic and sharing their responses. |
