Street Law
The Challenge of Selecting an Ideal Supreme Court Nominee
Nearly every president has had the opportunity to name a nominee to the United States Supreme Court. But what makes someone an ideal candidate to become a Supreme Court justice? High schoolers test their prior knowledge about the Supreme...
Curated OER
New Supreme Court Justice Sworn In
Students react to a series of statements about the Supreme Court, then read a news article about the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
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Types of Branches
Fourth graders study the three branches of government. In this politics lesson, 4th graders list the three branches of government, understanding what each branch does, and compare and contrast how government is run with how the school is...
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3 Branches of Government
Fifth graders explain the process of making and passing laws within Congress by simulating this as a class. They review the three branches of government and focus on the legislative branch for the purposes of creating a bill.
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The Role of the Judiciary in a System of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
Students determine the role of each branch of government in a system of checks and balances. They demonstrate the role of the judiciary in American government
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Leaders in the Judicial Branch
Students examine the leadership roles and qualities of members of the judicial branch in public life. They view and discuss video clips from a federal judge and two Supreme Court judges.
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The Three Branches of Government (Legislative, Executive, Judicial)
Fifth graders compare the three branches of government to a three-legged chair. In this government lesson, 5th graders discuss the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and checks and balances. Students study what each branch of government...
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Three Branches of Government
Fourth graders listen to a lecture about the government of Indiana, and the three branches of government. They discuss the reasons for the three branches and read from their text the information on government. Students play a game to...
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Separation of Powers Between the Three Branches of
Students investigate the concept of the three branches of government by dividing into three teams. They record the powers of the three branches.
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Indiana Courts: How Do They Work?
Young scholars identify the branches of Indiana's judicial system and determine the differences between the different courts and different types of cases. Students create a flow chart showing how a court case works its way through the...
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Is it Legal? - The Judicial System
Fourth graders explore the judicial branch of government; in particular, Florida's judicial branch of government.
School Improvement in Maryland
Dividing the Powers of Government
Who does what? To develop an understanding of the balance of power between the US federal and state governments, class members research responsibilities in terms of legal systems, security issues, economic activities, lawmaking, and...
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The Three Branches of Government
Seventh graders discover details about the responsibilities of the 3 branches of government in the United States. In this checks and balances lesson plan, 7th graders view a SMART Board supported lecture that reveals the jobs of the...
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Charting the Three Branches of Government
Learners review CongressLink on the internet and study the branches of government. They work in groups to create charts showing the structure and functions of the three branches of government as outlined in the first three articles to...
Delegation of the European Union to the United States
Structure of Government within the EU
The political system of the European Union is historically unique and has been constantly evolving. To better understand the structure of the EU, class members compare the EU's branches to those of the United States Federal Government.
Curated OER
Citizens of the Future
Young sociologists explore how local, state, and federal governments work. This very impressive and ambitious lesson requires pupils to contact government officials who represent them and their families. They research elections, and hold...
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Utah's Judicial Branch
Seventh graders explain that the judicial branch of Utah's government interprets laws and reviews the consitutionality of laws.
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Public Trust and Confidence
Learners analyze the judiciary system. In this government lesson plan, students participate in a class discussion on methods to prevent unfairness in the Judicial courts.
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Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 2
Students 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.
American Constitution Society
Constitution in the Classroom: The Right to Vote
The system of checks and balances is integral to the functionality of the United States government. Learn more about the ways the three branches of the government work together—and about the limitations of their power—with an informative...
Heritage Foundation
Courts and Judges
If the Supreme Court is so supreme, why do all cases not just start there? High schoolers learn why every case does not start at the Supreme Court as well as the importance of hierarchy in the US judicial system in the 11th installment...
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Lesson 2: The Tired King
Learners are introduced to the three functions of government (legislative, judicial, and executive). They read and discuss a story about an overworked king who must handle all the tasks of government. Students give a description of the...
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Branching Out
Students research structure, function and primary responsibilities of each office of the Executive branch, create a chart displaying their research.
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Makers of the Law, The Legislative Branch
Students, in teams, research the legislative branch and complete a "Legislative Information List." Teams research different parts of the list and jigsaw teach the other groups about each part. One group researches names of state officials.