Noelle DiTommaso

Lesson Plan Title: A Growing Nation

Concept / Topic To Teach: Three Branches of Government
Standards Addressed: 6.1.4.A.5 Distinguish the roles and responsibilities of the three
branches of the national government.

General Goal(s): Students will be able to explain the purpose of the

Constitution and will be able to compare the powers and functions of the three
branches of government
Specific Objectives: Students will understand the three branch structure of the United States
government. Students will also be able to identify that roles and rules that apply to each branch
of government within the checks and balance system.

Required Materials: Textbook, pencils, and colored pencils

Anticipatory Set (Lead-In): Step-By-Step Procedures: Teacher will tell the
students that they are going to discover how the U.S. government works.
Teacher will discuss the three branches of government that work together in
power balance system to run the United States. Today you are going to identify
and learn about each branch by exploring the Constitution. Teacher will hand
out the Articles of the Constitution for groups to read and learn about the
three branches, and discuss that the Judiciary is the transition to the courts
system.
Students then will break into three groups and each group will be assigned an
Article. Students will need their paper and pencil in order to complete the
assignment with their group. Each group is to go through their Article,
identify which branch of government their Article describes, (Legislative,
Executive, or Judicial) and write down as many facts about that branch. The
fact must be copied exactly the same and must be able to explain the facts they
pick in their own words. When time is up (approximately 15-30 min.) each
group will present their facts to the rest of the class while the rest of the class
takes notes on the other branches.
While the students are presenting the facts a premade three column chart
done by the teacher will be up on the Smartboard for the teacher to fill out
each section as the facts come up.

Plan for Independent Practice: Students then will draw a tree with three large
branches, teacher will hand out rubric for the project. They will label the
trunk federal government and then review the lesson to label the three
branches. Finally, they should use descriptive words on each branch that
represents what each branch does and then color it.
- Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set): With use of the completed government
tree to reinforce the concepts of checks and balances, through an analogy of
the tree as an ecosystem that would be threatened if one branch became weak,
or if another branch grew too strong. The government, like the tree, also
needs to maintain a delicate balance between the branches, or it will be at risk.
- Assessment Based On Objectives: Teacher will assess the tree the students
completed using a rubric which the students will have a copy of, a paper and
pencil quiz, along with students creating their own digital story on the
Branches of Government with a partner which they will also be given a rubric
for the digital story. The digital story that students will be working in pairs
allows students to collaborate together and explore the technology being used
and to incorporate their lesson learned by creating the digital story.
- Adaptations (For Students with Learning Disabilities): Students with
disabilities will be given a modified rubric for each assignment.
- Extensions (For Gifted Students): Gifted students will be given an extra
activity that reflects conflict and resolution and will be group together to
create and role play the situation for the class.
- Possible Connections to Other Subjects: This lesson can be connected to how
their community, school, sports teams, and their own house works together to
reach the same goals.
Rubrics A similar rubric will be used for both projects it will be student
generated during class time and teacher directed.
1. Three Branch Tree

2. Digital Story

https://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/3branches/front.htm