Teachers: Dull Days: 3 Course/Subject: Civics & Economics

Grade: 8th
Title of Unit: Structure of the US Government
Title of Lesson: The Three Branches of Government

VA SOL(s): CE.6 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the American

constitutional government at the national level by b) explaining the principle of
separation of powers and the operation of checks and balances

Vocabulary: All vocabulary from CE.6a checks and balances, veto, override,
impeach, justice, unconstitutional

Materials:
For Teacher: Computer, CE.6bChecksandBalancesPPT (slides 1-8 for direct
instruction, class copies of articles showing examples of checks and balances,
Large poster paper, Checks and Balances Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (for
review)
For Students: CE.6bUnitOrganizer (to be completed while reviewing slide 6),
computers, CE.6b Checks and Balances Articles Worksheet,
CE.6bWhoisCheckingWhomworksheet, CE.6b Checks and Balances Diagram
(scaffolded version to be copied)

Instructional Objectives:
All students will distinguish the difference between separation of powers and
checks and balances.
All students will identify how each branch protects against an abuse of power
by any other branch.

Language Objective:
All students will write sentences using checks and balances vocabulary in
context with a partner. All students will read statements about each branch and
decide which branch is checking another branch.

Day 1:
1. Anticipatory Set (5 minutes): Students will complete the warm-up on
the front board. Answer the following question in a complete sentence:
What would happen if you had one person controlling the gas pedal, one
person controlling the breaks, and one person controlling the steering
wheel of a car? The teacher will then call on several student volunteers
 to respond then inform students that controlling a car with three people
not working together would be difficult and would likely end a crash. The
teacher will explain that the three people in the car with different jobs are
like the three branches of the U.S. government. If the three branches
didnt work together to keep each other balanced, then the government
would crash and burn, too. The teacher will remind students that they
already know how our governments power is separated into three
branches, but today they are going to learn about how the system of
checks and balances causes these 3 branches to check/limit the power of
each branch so that one branch of government does not become too
powerful.

2. Direct Instruction (15-20 minutes): The teacher will go over slides 2-6
on the CE.6bChecksandBalancesPPT, finishing with the Flocabulary
video.

Students will complete their CE.6b unit organizer page by

displaying/going over slide 7.

3. Guided Practice (15 minutes): The teacher will display the vocabulary
words (on slide 8) for students to copy into their vocabulary packets. The
teacher will pair students into partners (this should be strategic, pairing
stronger writers with struggling students). Students will work with
partners to create sentences using checks and balances vocabulary in
context and draw a visual image with it.

4. Independent Practice (10-15 minutes) Students will play the checks and
balances BrainPop game (on computers), using their unit organizers when
needed, to show how the system of checks and balances keep each
branchs power equal.

5. Closure: Complete any words not finished for homework.

Day 2:
1. Anticipatory Set (5 minutes): Found on slide 10. Students will answer
the question: How is the system of checks and balances different from
separation of powers?

2. Direct Instruction (10 minutes): Students will watch the video to review
the previous days material. The teacher will review checks and balances
by going over slides 11-23.

3. Guided Practice (30 minutes): Directions also found on slide

24. Students will be divided into groups of 2-3 students. Students will
then rotate around the classroom, stopping at 12 different
stations. Students will then indicate on their CE.6b Checks and Balances
Articles Worksheet which branch is checking another. The teacher will
then go over the correct answers.

4. Closure (5 minutes): Back to back boards. Have students stand back to

back with a partner. The teacher will read questions while every student
writes an answer. Then, the teacher will have students turn around and
they will discuss their answers.

Suggested questions (found on slide 9)

What system explains that the three branches of the national government
limits the exercise of power by the other two branches?

What does the judicial branch do to check both the President and
Congress?

The President checks the judicial branch because he appoints

________________,

The legislative branch checks the executive branch because they have to
approve __________________ _______________________.
 The President can check the legislative branch by ______________ bills.

Which branch can impeach and convict the other two branches?

Day 3 and 4: Review

1. Anticipatory Set (5 minutes): Students will watch the short news clip
then answer the question: What has the national government done
recently that shows the system of checks and balances?

2. Guided Practice (5-10 minutes): Partner vocab. Check. Students will

trade their vocabulary with a partner who will check their partners
answers.

3. Independent Practice 30 minutes): The teacher will pass out the CE.6b
WhoisCheck Who worksheet and go over directions. The teacher will
call on another student to read the first statement and call on a student
volunteer to answer. The teacher will demonstrate how to complete the
first example, by write on a copy of the worksheet under the document
camera. The teacher will then tell students to complete the rest of the
worksheet and writing prompt with one table partner (by saying E, J, or L
is checking E, J, or L). The teacher will then go over answers, calling on
different students for answers.

Before beginning the writing prompt, students will find a partner to speak
about checks and balances with.
Students should use the speaking frame from slide 26 to compare and
contrast the branches in checks and
balances.

This worksheet also includes the writing prompt. Students should

complete a half sheet of Power Writing
boxes before writing their paragraphs. Directions are on slides 27-29.

Students will then peer-edit each others paragraphs. Students will look
at a checklist on the board. Students should number their peers
 examples, check their examples for accuracy, locate a conclusion, and
underline the use of transition words. The teacher will circulate the
classroom during this time, checking in with individual students. The
teacher will then ask students to share good examples that they read.

4. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Three Branches Carousel: Directions on slide 30. The teacher will have
5 large posters labeled Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, Judicial
Branch, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances. Students will be
grouped into 5 equal groups (smaller classes be be divided into less
groups if needed). Students will spend 3 minutes at each poster to write
down important information about each branch. When arriving at a new
poster, students should read what is already there and decide if anything
else needs to be added, changed, or corrected. If they agree with what is
there, place a check mark. A different person should write on each
poster. After going through each branch, the teacher will show the
posters to the class and make note of any errors or changes.

5. Independent Practice (10-15 minutes):Quiz, Quiz, Trade. Each Student

will be given one question and answer card that asks about the three
branches of government. Students will place their hand in the air to find a
partner and high-five a partner. Students will then take turns quizzing
their partner. When finished, they will trade cards and find a new person
to quiz. Student discussion and answers will be used as an informal
assessment.

6. Independent Practice (20-25 minutes): Checks and Balances Who

Wants to Be a Millionaire. Game can be played individually or as teams.

7. Closure: Any day can be closed with the review of motions for words 1-
15 and creating words 16-21.

Assessments:
Formative assessments: student responses on CE.6b Checks and Balances
Articles Worksheet, back to back boards (day 2) Whom is Checking Whom,
and Checks and Balances Diagram
Summative assessment: CE.6ab Quiz (day 4)

Scaffolding:
Partner work for vocabulary
Teacher selected heterogenous groups for CE.6b Checks and Balances Articles
Worksheet
Power writing boxes to plan writing activity

SOL Released Question:

A newspaper article titled: President Calls a Special Session of Congress to Pass
New Budget

The principle of United States government that is best illustrated in this

headline is
F popular sovereignty
G representative democracy
H concurrent and reserved powers
J checks and balances

Activities to be completed if there is additional time

Checks and Balances Simulation (materials needed: CE.6b Jobs for Checks and
Balances Simulation, slides 30-37 in the Presentation)
The room should be divided with three tables, labeled with the branch name
(found on slides 35-37). The teacher should divide students into three equal
heterogenous groups. The teacher will go over the instructions for the checks
and balances simulation (and display instructions on the board from slide
9). The teacher will then read out jobs, while each branch takes their job to the
branch they are checking, say stop, and show their stop sign.

Students will complete the CE.6bChecksandBalancesDiagram (or scaffolded

version, copied with number of ways they check). Students should complete it
without using their unit organizer so students can gauge their comprehension
without notes. The teacher will then review correct answers with students.