The Founding of the American Government ‖ Separation of Powers

Goals & Objectives

Lesson Goal: Students will understand the concept of separation of powers and its
importance in American society.
Lesson Objective: Students will follow along with a lecture about the three branches of
government. During the lecture they will follow along by taking guided lecture notes. At the
end of the lesson (the start of the following class) the students will score at least a 7/10 on
a multiple-choice quiz about separation of powers.

California State Content Standards

Standard 12.1.5 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American
democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of
American democracy. Describe the systems of separated and shared powers, the role of
organized interests (Federalist Paper Number 10), checks and balances (Federalist Paper
Number 51), the importance of an independent judiciary (Federalist Paper Number 78),
enumerated powers, rule of law, federalism, and civilian control of the military.

Common Core Literacy Standards

Writing: 2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical
events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes. a. Introduce a topic and
organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that
which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Reading: 2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source;
provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and
ideas.

Driving Historical Question

How do the separate branches of government work to balance one another?

Is separation of powers seen as a fundamental base of the American government system?

Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time: 5 min

Students will analyze a political cartoon to access their background knowledge of the three
branches of government. This helps the teacher to gauge student understanding of the
three branches and helps students to make connections between the three branches and
current interactions between the institutions of government. The student will discuss the
cartoon in small groups of two or three for two minutes, then share their thoughts with the
teacher for three minutes. The entire activity should take no more than five minutes, and
the teacher should use guiding questions to help the students respond to the cartoon.
Vocabulary (Content Language Development) ‖ Time: Throughout the lesson
The students will learn the key terms throughout the lesson. They will be incorporated into
the lecture, and the teacher will give definitions when the key words become relevant to
the lesson.
Key Terms:
Great Compromise Separation of Powers
Cabinet Legislative
Senate Executive
House of Representatives Judiciary
Veto Enumerated Powers
Supreme Court Elastic Clause
Judicial Review Supremacy Clause

Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time: 45 minutes

A Power Point Presentation will accompany the lesson. The teacher will use the power
point to present key information and encourage student interaction within the lecture.

Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time: Throughout the lesson
Throughout the lesson the students will be following the lecture by taking guided notes,
which they will be given as a handout at the start of the lesson. The guided notes will follow
along with the Power Point Presentation and will help the students to think critically about
the topic.

Lesson Closure ‖ Time: 10 minutes

Following the lecture, the students will have ten minutes to discuss then write about why
they feel the Founders decided on having three branches of government. They will take
three minutes to discuss their answers, then will have the remained of the class time to
write out their answer in 2-3 sentences on a slip of paper. This paper will be used as the
student’s exit ticket to leave the class. The following class will begin with a short quiz.

Assessments (Formative & Summative)

Class Discussion (F), Critical Questions (F), Guided Notes (F), Exit Ticket (S), Quiz (S)

Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
For English Learners, Striving Readers, and Students with Special Needs, guided notes will
be provided with key term definitions already filled out. Extended time and preferential
seating will also be offered.

Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)

Textbook: American Government
Political cartoon
Guided notes, given as class handout
Powerpoint presentation
Quiz