Matthew J. Yates

October 26, 2003

Grade 4 Teacher

SLM: 521MC

Instructor: Charles Phillips

Web Dropin #3: Social Studies – The Branches of Government

Introduction	After the student completes this web dropin, he/she will be able to name the three branches of government and what their responsibilities are.
Information	Students will access Ben’s Guide To U.S. Government page by clicking HERE or copying and pasting the following URL into their browser: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html. From there, they will click on “Grades 3-5” and then “Branches of Government.”
Definition	The three branches of government are the executive, judicial, and legislative.
Activity	1. Explore the “Branches of Government” section on this webpage. 2. Use the software program INSPIRATION to create an organizer to show the 3 branches of government. 3. In addition to the three branches, show what their responsibilities include. 4. Answer the following questions inside of a text box that is placed below your INSPIRATION organizer.
Questions	A. Tell which branch of government would be responsible for making a law to require kids to wear helmets and protective gear while rollerblading. Explain why. B. In your own words, explain why it is important that we have three separate branches of government.
Extension	Make a list of questions to try on a friend to see if they know which branch of government is responsible for various situations (similar to “Question A” in the box above.