Social Studies - The US Government

• Social Studies
• 3rd,4th Grade

The United States Government 

"A single good government is a blessing to the whole earth."

- Thomas Jefferson

Welcome to today's lesson!
How are you feeling today?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

How many branches does the government have?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

Let's start with a quick question.

Who is the head of the Executive Branch?

1. The Speaker of the House
2. The Avengers
3. The Vice President
4. The President

What two groups make up Congress?

1. The Judicial Branch
2. The Executive Branch
3. The House of Representatives
4. The Senate

Do You Know....

• How many people are in the United States of America?
• Who makes the rules for all of these people?

AHA! #1

331.9 MILLION people!

AHA! #2

The government makes the rules for the United States just like our parents and guardians make the rules  for us at home.

Think about the number of people living in your house right now. Now try to picture your house with people from wall-to-wall. It is probably loud and noisy. Think about what happens in your home when it gets a little too noisy. Our parents or guardians probably tell us to quiet down. Those parents are guardians make the rules of the house to help keep order. 

Why do we need
a government?

Answers:

• Safety of citizens
• Make laws to help set appropriate boundaries and expectations
• Help people work together
• Protect human rights
• Manage public resources
• Conduct public affairs
• Settle disputes among citizens
• Represent the people and their needs

How is the United States government structured?

Now that we have discussed why we need the government, let's look at how the United States government is structured.

Review entire video

The Speaker of the House is the lead representative of the House of Representatives. He/She/They are also the third in line in the succession of presidency.

President

Supreme Court Justice

Speaker of the House

Senator 

Based on the video we just watched let's do a quick exercise and match the images below.
Using www.LessonUp.app ask students to match the the branch of government to its representative. One branch of government will have two answers.

In your group's opinion, what is the most important branch of government and why? Give three reasons to support your answer.

Work in groups of 3 and discuss the question. Provide an answer for your group and be prepared to share with the class. Elect one person from the group to discuss your answer.

Describe the process of a bill becoming a law.

Work in groups. A new group member will present the response to the class during review and share.

Why is there three branches in the U.S. government and are they all necessary? Please explain.

Work in groups. A new group member will present the response to the class during review and share.

To Recap....

• The U.S. Government is made up of three branches of government - the Judicial, Legislative and Executive Branches.
• The Legislative Branch makes the laws. 
• A law is first drafted and presented by the Legislative Branch as a bill. 
• The President either signs or vetoes the  bill.  If the President signs the bill, it becomes a law.
• The Judicial branch makes sure the laws are fair.