1. Banner from http://government.pppst.com/3branches.html
Teacher’s Page

2. Audience 4th-5th Graders History/Social Studies Class
Students who need to learn the basics of the three branches of government and what each branch represents

3. Learning Environment As a class, or in small groups
In the classroom, or on a computer
Collaborative work
For “in the classroom” utilize discussion

4. Objective
Condition- After viewing the PowerPoint, students should have basic understanding of the three branches of government, the powers of those three branches, and the system of checks and balances
Performance- Quiz to assess student understanding on the the three branches of government and checks & balances
Criteria- Students are expected to pass each quiz portion with 100% accuracy (with multiple tries)

5. How To:
Next Slide
Previous Slide
Quiz

6. Why are there different branches of government?
Information adapted from

7. School House Rock - Three Ring Government (America Rock)
Video from

8. What would you like to learn today?
Judicial Branch
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Checks & Balances
Done with the lesson? Click below for more information and websites!
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9. Directions
Read through the slides and watch the corresponding videos about the Judicial branch.
As you read be sure to take notice of information and facts, as they could come up in the quiz proceeding the slides.

10. Just the Facts: The Judicial Branch of Government Trailer
Video from

11. The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court
The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they violate the constitution.
Banner from
Information adapted from

12. Powers of the Judicial Branch
Interprets laws
Decides if laws are constitutional
Decides court cases
Settles cases between 2 or more states
Information adapted from and

13. Quiz Directions Carefully read the questions
Choose the answer that best fits the question
You must answer all questions correctly; a right answer will let you move on to the next question, while a wrong one will prompt you to review the material and answer the question again.
Good luck!

14. Which one of these is not a power of the Judicial branch?
Interprets laws
Decides court cases
Makes new laws
Decides if laws are constitutional

15. Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Correct!
Good Job! Move on to the next question?
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16. Powers of the Judicial Branch
Interprets laws
Decides if laws are constitutional
Decides court cases
Settles cases between 2 or more states
Information adapted from and

17. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the powers of the Judicial branch.
Review

18. The Judicial branch is headed by the _________.
Senate
Supreme Court
Judicial Court
House of Representatives

19. Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Correct!
Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Clip art from

20. The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court
The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they violate the constitution.
Banner from
Information adapted from

21. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Judicial branch.
Review

22. The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court
The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they violate the constitution.
Banner from
Information adapted from

23. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Judicial branch.
Review

24. What do courts do? Decide arguments about the meaning of laws
Decide how laws are applied
Decide if laws violate the constitution
All the above

25. Good Job! You have completed the lesson on the Judicial branch.
Correct!
Good Job! You have completed the lesson on the Judicial branch.
Clip art from

26. Directions
Read through the slides and watch the corresponding videos about the Executive branch.
As you read be sure to take notice of information and facts, as they could come up in the quiz proceeding the slides.

27. Just the Facts: The Executive Branch of Government Trailer
Video from

28. The Executive branch is headed by the president and his cabinet
The Executive branch is headed by the president and his cabinet. His cabinet consists of the vice president, the heads of 15 executive branch departments, and other government officials chosen by the president.
Banner from
Information adapted from

29. Powers of the Executive Branch
Enforces laws and recommends new ones
Approves or vetoes Congress bills
National defense
Foreign affairs
Writes federal budget
Ceremonial duties
Information adapted from and

30. Quiz Directions Carefully read the questions
Choose the answer that best fits the question
You must answer all questions correctly; a right answer will let you move on to the next question, while a wrong one will prompt you to review the material and answer the question again.
Good luck!

31. Which one of these is a power of the Executive branch?
Writes Federal Budget
Decides how laws are applied
Crafts Bills
All the above

32. Powers of the Executive Branch
Enforces laws and recommends new ones
Approves or vetoes Congress bills
National defense
Foreign affairs
Writes federal budget
Ceremonial duties
Information adapted from and

33. Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Correct!
Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Clip art from

34. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the powers of the Executive branch.
Review

35. The vice president, the heads of 15 executive branches, and other government officials are part of the president’s _______.
Table
Book Club
Court
Cabinet

36. The Executive branch is headed by the president and his cabinet
The Executive branch is headed by the president and his cabinet. His cabinet consists of the vice president, the heads of 15 executive branch departments, and other government officials chosen by the president.
Banner from
Information adapted from

37. Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Correct!
Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Clip art from

38. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Executive branch.
Review

39. The Executive branch is headed by the _______.
The president of the United States
The Cabinet
The president and his Cabinet
None of the above

40. The Executive branch is headed by the president and his cabinet
The Executive branch is headed by the president and his cabinet. His cabinet consists of the vice president, the heads of 15 executive branch departments, and other government officials chosen by the president.
Banner from
Information adapted from

41. Good Job! You have completed the lesson on the Executive branch.
Correct!
Good Job! You have completed the lesson on the Executive branch.
Clip art from

42. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Executive branch.
Review

43. Directions
Read through the slides and watch the corresponding videos about the Legislative branch.
As you read be sure to take notice of information and facts, as they could come up in the quiz proceeding the slides.

44. Just the Facts: The Legislative Branch of Government Trailer
Video from

45. The Legislative Branch is headed by Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. The main task of these two bodies is to make the laws.
Banner from
Information adapted from

46. Powers of the Legislative Branch
Crafts bills
Can overturn vetoes to pass bills
Can impeach the president
Approves president’s budget
Approves and rejects president appointments
Approving treaties
Can declare war
Information adapted from and

47. Congress: The Senate Voters elect 2 senators from each state.
There is equal representation from each state.
Only the Senate can approve or reject treaties and presidential nominations for government offices.
Information adapted from and
Clip Art fromhttp://vector-images.com/image.php?epsid=11287

48. Congress: The House of Representatives
House is larger than the Senate
Representation according to state population (states with larger population have more reps).
Only the House can introduce spending bills.
Information adapted from and
Clip art from

49. Quiz Directions Carefully read the questions
Choose the answer that best fits the question
You must answer all questions correctly; a right answer will let you move on to the next question, while a wrong one will prompt you to review the material and answer the question again.
Good luck!

50. Which of these is not a power of the Legislative branch?
Overturn vetoes to pass bills
Can impeach the president
Can declare war
None of the above

51. Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Correct!
Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Clip art from

52. Powers of the Legislative Branch
Crafts bills
Can overturn vetoes to pass bills
Can impeach the president
Approves president’s budget
Approves and rejects president appointments
Approving treaties
Can declare war
Information adapted from and

53. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Executive branch.
Review

54. In the Senate, there are ____ people from each state.3
Depends on population 4 2

55. Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Correct!
Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Clip art from

56. Congress: The Senate Voters elect 2 senators from each state.
There is equal representation from each state.
Only the Senate can approve or reject treaties and presidential nominations for government offices.
Information adapted from and
Clip Art fromhttp://vector-images.com/image.php?epsid=11287

57. Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Senate.
Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Senate.
Review

58. In the House of Representatives, there are ____ people from each state.2
Depends on population 4 3

59. Good Job! You have completed the lesson on the Legislative branch.
Correct!
Good Job! You have completed the lesson on the Legislative branch.
Clip art from

60. Congress: The House of Representatives
House is larger than the Senate
Representation according to state population (states with larger population have more reps).
Only the House can introduce spending bills.
Information adapted from and
Clip Art fromhttp://vector-images.com/image.php?epsid=11287

61. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the House of Representatives.
Review

62. Directions
Read through the slides and watch the corresponding videos about checks and balances.
As you read be sure to take notice of information and facts, as they could come up in the quiz proceeding the slides.

63. Checks and Balances
By creating three branches of government, our founders built a "check and balance" system into the Constitution. This system was built so that no one branch of our government could become too powerful.
Information adapted from and

64. Flow chart from http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/lessons/oct6usg.htm

65. Examples
Each branch is restrained by the other two in several ways. For example, the president may veto a law passed by Congress. However, Congress can override that veto with a vote of two-thirds of both houses.
Another example is that the Supreme Court may check Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional. The power is balanced by the fact that members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president. Those appointments have to be approved by Congress.
Information adapted from and

66. Quiz Directions Carefully read the questions
Choose the answer that best fits the question
You must answer all questions correctly; a right answer will let you move on to the next question, while a wrong one will prompt you to review the material and answer the question again.
Good luck!

67. Why was the checks and balances system built?
So the president could balance his checkbook
So no one branch of the government becomes too powerful
So the government can check up on people around the country
None of the above

68. Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Correct!
Good Job! Move on to the next question?
Clip art from

69. Checks and Balances
By creating three branches of government, our founders built a "check and balance" system into the Constitution. This system was built so that no one branch of our government could become too powerful.
Information adapted from and

70. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Executive branch.
Review

71. True or False: When the president vetoes a law, it is the final say
True or False: When the president vetoes a law, it is the final say. That law is “dead”.
True
False

72. Good Job! You have completed the lesson on checks and balances.
Correct!
Good Job! You have completed the lesson on checks and balances.
Clip art from

73. Examples
Each branch is restrained by the other two in several ways. For example, the president may veto a law passed by Congress. Congress can override that veto with a vote of two-thirds of both houses.
Another example is that the Supreme Court may check Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional. The power is balanced by the fact that members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president. Those appointments have to be approved by Congress.
Information adapted from and

74. Oops!
Sorry, that is incorrect. Let’s go back and review the Executive branch.
Review

75. Next step…
Explore It has more information about the three branches of government and checks & balances. It also has quizzes to test your knowledge on the subject.
also has more information.
has free games and activities for students like you!
These website will help better your understanding of government as a whole.