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 education.

 

Concepts

political systems, the declaration of independence, the united states constitution, the articles of confederation, the bill of rights, federalism, representative democracy, the separation of powers, checks and balances

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Divide the class into jigsaw groups, have each expert group investigate a different aspect of government, and then regroup and have experts share what they have learned

Classroom Considerations

• The first in a series of 19 related resources designed for US government classes

Pros

• The four-page packet includes a detailed plan, an assessment, a worksheet, and a graphic organizer

Cons

• Provides minimal scaffolding for the activity