ALEX Learning Activity

  

Branches of the Government Part 3 of 3: Executive Branch

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Jacquelyn Deese
System:Mobile County
School:J E Turner Elementary
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2443
Title:
Branches of the Government Part 3 of 3: Executive Branch
Digital Tool/Resource:
Ducksters.com The Executive Branch
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

This learning activity introduces students to the Executive Branch of the Government. The students will use Ducksters.com to locate the Executive Branch of Government article and read or listen to it with a partner. After this activity, students will be able to recognize the basic principles established in the Executive Branch of Government. In closing, students will design a poster with a minimum of 3 facts about the Executive Branch of Government.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 2
Living and Working Together in State and Nation
1 ) Relate principles of American democracy to the founding of the nation.

•  Identifying reasons for the settlement of the thirteen colonies
•  Recognizing basic principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the establishment of the three branches of government, and the Emancipation Proclamation
•  Demonstrating the voting process, including roles of major political parties
•  Utilizing school and classroom rules to reinforce democratic values
Unpacked Content
Strand: History, Civics and Government
Course Title: Living and Working Together in State and Nation
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Identify the reasons for the settlement of the thirteen colonies and relate these to the development of American democracy.
  • Recognize the principles of American democracy that are exhibited in primary documents and basic institutions, including: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the establishment of the three branches of government, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • Demonstrate the voting process and relate the role of political parties to this process.
  • Relate school and classroom rules to participation in a democracy.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • relate
  • American
  • democracy
  • identify
  • settlement
  • recognize
  • principles
  • executive
  • legislative
  • judicial
  • demonstrate
  • political parties
  • utilize
  • democratic values
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Reasons for the settlement of the thirteen colonies the voting process.
  • The three branches of government and how they were established.
  • The roles of major political parties within the voting process. School and classroom rules.
  • Democratic values as expressed in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • Vocabulary: American democracy, founding of the nation, settlement, thirteen colonies, Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, government, executive branch, legislative branch, judicial branch, voting process, election, political parties, Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, rules, democratic values
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Analyze a primary document.
  • Relate the founding of our nation to American democracy.
  • Identify the basic principles of democracy found in the Declaration of Independence.
  • Identify the basic principles of democracy found in the Constitution of the United States.
  • Describe the establishment of the three branches of government.
  • Recognize the roles of the major political parties in the voting process.
  • Utilize school and classroom rules.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • Democracy is the principle on which our nation was founded.
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.2.1- Participate in and identify classroom activities that reflect and reinforce democratic values in school and the community.
Learning Objectives:

The students will be able to discuss the principles of the Executive Branch of the Government.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

  • Place students with their assigned partner and pass out the electronic devices.

  • Begin by asking the essential question...Who is the leader of the Executive Branch of the Government? (Allow students to turn to their partner and have a discussion.)

  • Bring the class back to whole group and have a class discussion on who is the leader of the Executive Branch of the Government.  (Answer should be: the President of the United States.) 

  • Next, tell the students they will be researching the Executive Branch of the Government.

  • Instruct the students to go the following link: https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_executive_branch.php (The teacher will have the link pulled up.)

  • Students may choose to read or listen (with earbuds, headphones, etc.) to the article. If the students choose to listen to the article, they will need to scroll to the bottom of the article.

  • After all the groups have read or listened to the Executive Branch, use this online Quiz to measure students' comprehension of the Executive Branch of the Government.

  • Finally, pass out card stock paper to each group and instruct the students to create a poster with a minimum of 3 principles established through the Executive Branch of Government. (Encourage the students to be creative with their posters).

  • The teacher will use the poster to assess the students understanding of the Executive Branch of Government.
Assessment Strategies:

The teacher will assess the students through group discussions and the completed posters on the 3 principles established through the Executive Branch of Government. 
Advanced Preparation:

The teacher will need to have the following materials ready:

  • The teacher should have the Executive Branch link pulled up and ready to use.

  • Students should be in groups of 2.

  • Card stock for each group

  • Markers, crayons, colored pencils 

  • Electronic devices

  • Earbuds, headphones, etc.

  • Students need a general understanding of the jobs of the US Government.
Variation Tips (optional):

  • The students could present the posters to the class.

  • Keep the posters and make a display when all 3 branches of the government have been taught.

  • The teacher can have students take the Quiz for a grade instead of using it as a group discussion.

 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

This Learning Activity is one of three available on ALEX. The other two activities are listed as follows:  

Branches of the Government Part 1 of 3: Judical Branch

Branches of the Government Part 2 of 3: Legislative Branch 

 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: branches of government, executive branch, government