What does the government do, exactly? Scholars investigate the many roles government plays in the everyday lives of Americans. The short video clip leads to open discussion of the functions of government and politics in the United States. 

Concepts

government spending, government regulation, american politics, politics

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Brainstorm what students already think the government does for them before viewing the video
• Create a series of five key questions for viewers to answer during the clip
  
• Invite a local member of the government to speak to the class on what they do for the community 

Classroom Considerations

• Requires audio and visual technology
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Resource uses animation to provide differentiation for instruction 
• Introduces key questions usable for post-video discussion and reflection 

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.3 RH.11-12.1 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.3