At a Glance:
| Grades: | 5 |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Civics; Social Studies |
| Topic: | How the U.S. Government Works |
| Lesson Length: | 40 - 45 mins |
Standards / Framework:
What will students learn in this activity?
Students will learn about the three branches of the U.S. government and be able to differentiate between them.
What should students know before this activity?
This lesson works well as an introduction to the three branches of government. The lesson on “Checks and Balances” serves as a great companion to this activity. Terms to know: constitution and democracy.
How can teachers introduce this lesson?
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Begin a discussion by asking: “Who is in charge of the United States government?”
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Use this discussion as a springboard to introduce the three branches of government and why the nation’s founders decided on this method of governing.
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Read and discuss the sample comic.
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Which branch of government is represented in the comic?
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What are the duties of this branch of government?
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What will students do?
- Have students select one of the three branches of government.
- Using the sample comic as a guide, have students demonstrate their knowledge of that branch in a two-panel comic.
- The comic should include:
- Which branch they selected.
- Who leads this branch.
- What the job of this branch of government is.
How can teachers wrap up the lesson?
- Use the "Jigsaw" method to group students.
- Have students present their comics to the group to teach other group members about their branch of government.
How can teachers differentiate this activity?
- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
U.S. Legislative Branch
U.S. Executive Branch
U.S. Judicial Branch
