The Literacy Project- Curriculum/Activity Description

Date: 3-5-2003

Submitted by: Dr. Olu. Odusina

Subject: Social Studies

Topic: The Three Branches of Government (The Executive Branch, The Legislative and The Judicial Branch.)

Level: ASE

Assessment/Evaluation: Students write brief description of the role that each branch of government plays. Oral examples follow. Scenarios: “The War Power act of 1973.”

Massachusetts ABE Curriculum Frameworks

Curriculum Framework(s): HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Strands and Standards addressed:

Strand: Power, Authority and Participation.

Learning Standard: Students will demonstrate an understanding of:

1. The dynamics among power, authority, and civic participation.

2. The allocation of power and authority.

3. The means and varieties of civic participation.

Duration: 2 to 3 Hours

Brief Description (for website index): Exploration of the internet to find out current news on national defense tactics against terrorism. What’s going on in Iraq now? How far have we achieved our national objectives

Lesson Objective(s):

1. Students will develop a clear understanding of the allocation of power and authority.

2. Students will discuss the relevance of war as a means of national defense against terrorism.

3. 3. Students should be able to correctly address and answer the issues/questions on the duties that each branch of government have to perform to ensure that the laws of the union are kept and that the citizens are protected and given a say in the democratic decisions to be made?

Lesson Procedure:

1. Print literature materials on the “Three Branches of .

2. Divide students into three groups (each group will take up the roles of each branch of government and describe the powers/limits)

3. Review recent newspaper articles, radio/TV/internet reports and discuss their relevance in details.

4. Discuss the “Bill of rights and relate to current events and situations.

5. Students play a scenario where the Executive Branch presents a proposal and this is passed on to the Legislative and Judicial branches

6. Members of the public are also asked to debate on an issue and offer their votes as members of a democratic society.

Materials Needed:

1. Papers on the Three Branches of Government” describing the rules and regulations binding each Arm of government.

2. Evaluation questions to assess students’ understanding of the roles of each arm of government.

3. Copies of the “Bill of Rights”.

4. Dictionaries.

Special Comments:

1. Students are asked to write about why one of the Bill of Rights is important.

2. Students are encouraged to use the dictionaries to find meanings of new words e.g. “pro tempore”.

Other Related Links and Resources (including citations for original sources):

The Family as a Social Structure and its similarities to the Political Structure.