Give learners a crash course in balancing the books on the United States federal government level with an economics and government resource. Class members engage in a warm-up discussion and brainstorming session before answering...

Young analysts examine two letters, one written by President Hoover and one written by FDR. Each letter contains that president's response to the role of the Federal Government during times of crisis (The Great Depression). They analyze...

Over the past two decades, the federal government has shut down at least four times. Pupils may have a tough time understanding the significance of these events without appropriate background. A graphic resource traces the budget...

Who does what in the US government? If your class has a handle on the basics of local, state, and federal government, then reviewing with a game will be great fun. They answer 12 different questions that cover topics such as, governors,...

Help your learners work their way through a reading assignment for informational text. Using context clues, they answer five comprehension question based on a short passage about the three levels of government: local government, state...

What is the difference between federalism and nationalism and how did those differences shape the US Constitution? This is the focus of lecture five in a series on understanding the US Constitution. Centralized powers, the role of the...

Break down the powers of the government as they are stated in the US Constitution. Older learners will have a lot to think about as they listen to this lecture on the three branches of the US government and the powers each holds. Primary...

Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...

Students work in small group with a sheet of poster board and old magazines. They fold the poster board as indicated on the pyramid diagram. Students label each side with one branch of the government. They glue pictures from the magazine...

Students are taught that there is more to executive branch of the federal government than the president and cabinet. They identify in pairs the names and fucntions of different departments under the executive branch of federal...

The divide between federal and state government is responsible for much of tension that continues to this day, partly because of the US Constitution. The activities in the 14th instructional activity in a series of 20 are designed to...

Students make executive decisions. In this Social Studies lesson, students explore the concept of executive decisions through a game of chess. Students role play a year-level formal plan and implementation.

Explore the powers of the federal and state government. Learners use a Venn Diagram to classify tasks as belonging to the states, the federal government, or both. This activity provides a quick way to review these concepts.

The Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution delegates rights that have not been defined by the federal government to the states. But what are the responsibilities of state governments? What about county and city governments?...

Set down the basics of the three branches of government with the reading passage included here. After reading, class members answer five questions related to the passage.

Federalism divides power to protect individual rights while giving the government enough power to be effective. The concept comes from a balance the Founding Fathers struck between authority and freedom. Scholars explore the relationship...

Twelfth graders examine the U.S. Constitution. For this American government lesson, 12th graders read the Preamble and 7 Articles of the Constitution. Students complete a handout titled "A Student's Guide to the Constitution" and discuss...

Explore the unique structure of the federal system of government in the United States. Class members will learn about how most nations were organized before the establishment of the Constitution, how power is currently divided between...

Should states or the federal government have more power? With this fantastic online interactive, your pupils will be charged with the task of identifying arguments that support either federal or state power.

High schoolers engage in a good lesson on the court system. Learners will examine how the Judiciary affects the executive and legislative branches of government. The develop and discuss arguments for and against greater public influence...

Young scholars explore the structure and powers of the federal government. They assess the validity of recent criticisms of each branch of the federal government and create pyramid posters which simulate the structure of government.

Have you ever wondered how much cash is actually available at any point in time in the United States? Scholars research how the monetary system is set up in the 48th installment of a 50-part series covering the United States government...

Rules, rules, and more rules. Scholars analyze the role bureaucracy plays in the United States government and politics. Using the 15th installment in a 50-part series that explores US government and politics, a short video clip...

What is the difference between the CIA, FBI, and the Department of Defense? Scholars investigate the different bureaucracies that exist in United States government and politics. They analyze the roles of different agencies while forming...