Name:__Rebecca Wallace________________________________

Lesson Title
Context
Please include contextual
information that will help me
understand the decisions you are
making regarding your essential
question and CCGPS. This
should include a description of
your placement with school
system, school, grade level or
levels, teacher name or names if
more than one, student
demographics, AND specific
types of exceptionalities.

Today we will be in a 3rd grade classroom that is

learning about the 3 branches of government. We
already know the responsibilities of each of the
branches.

Essential Question

How do the checks and balances make the 3 branches of

This should be a question that government equal in power?
helps you and the students
focus on the central purpose
and objective of the lesson.

SS3CG1 The student will explain the importance of the basic

You will select one CCGPS of principles that provide
focus. It is fine to select up to the foundation of a republican form of government.
3 additional standards or sub- b. Name the three levels of government (national, state, local)
standards that that
and the three branches
complement the essential
in each (executive, legislative, judicial), including the names of
question, focus, and purpose
the legislative
of your lesson. Do be sure to
branch (Congress, General Assembly, county commission or city
really focus on ONE standard
council).
for each lesson.
c. State an example of the responsibilities of each level and
branch of government.

CCGPS Standard(s)

Hook - Attention
Getter & Introduction
How will you introduce this
lesson? Remember it is
important to motivate students
and link this lesson to their
prior knowledge. Imagine that
you are writing a screenplay.
What will you say?

Teaching Strategies
Instructional Activities and
Body of the Lesson Include
step-by-step information

We have been learning about the three branches of government,

and today we are going to play a game that shows how all of the
branches of government work together to create an equal system.

Explain the game:

Three characters- Executive Branch/President (salute), Judiciary Branch
(slam a gavel), Legislative Branch (hold right hand up)

about what you will do/say

and what (exactly) will you
ask the students to do?

Closing
How will you close the
lesson? This should include a
brief review and connection
back to your essential
question.

Assessment
Explain how you will
determine your students
understandings of concepts
from the lesson. Remember
that this does not have to be a
paper/pencil assessment or
evaluation tool!

Materials
Be specific in listing the
resources and supplies you
will need to gather and
prepare prior to the lesson.

The game is played like rock, paper, scissors, but with the three branches of
gov. During the first round the President vetos bills from the legislative
branch, the Legislative branch approves judges for the judicial branch, and
the judicial branch can declare a presidential act unconstitutional (President
beats legislative, Legislative beats judiciary, and judiciary beats President).
During the second round the President has power to appoint judges for the
judicial branch, the judicial branch can declare laws passed by the
legislative branch unconstitutional, and the legislative branch has the power
to impeach to president.
The student will have a set amount of time for each round.
After both round the students will be asked which branch of government
was the most powerful in the game. This will lead to our closing statement
that no branch is more powerful than the other because of the checks and
balances.

Observe the students during the game to see if they are able to tell why their
choice wins or loses over the choice of their partner.

Possible Materials:
-chart of checks and balances
-cheat sheet for struggling students to carry while
playing the game