EOC Review Lesson 1: Checks & Balances

Why does the US have three
branches of government?

Let’s play!

How do the players, referee, and coach work together in a game?

Referee says what’s
legal and what’s not.

Coach makes up the
plays and strategies.

Players carry out the
plays. Sometimes they get
stopped by the referee.

Each has a separate role. Their actions balance one another’s to keep the
game moving forward and keep it fair.

Open Ended

How does playing sports relate to the 3 branches of government?

The game… of government!

How does playing sports relate to the branches of government?

●

Each branch has a separate role.

●

But they work together to make and
enforce laws that work for our country.

●

Their roles check and balance each
other’s power.

What are the three branches called?

Executive

Legislative

Judicial

Fill in the Blank

What historical document created the three branch structure of our government?

Multiple Choice

Which Enlightenment thinkers ideas about government influence the writers of the U.S. Constitution to separate the powers of government into 3 branches?

• John Locke

• Baron de Montesquieu

• James Madison

• Thomas Jefferson

Three branches

What historical document created the three
branch structure of our government?

RAISE YOUR HAND: Why did the writers of the Constitution create a system where the powers of government are split between 3 branches?

The Constitution!
It’s the document that explains how the U.S.
government works. It’s the highest law of the country.

Three branches

What historical document created the three
branch structure of our government?

Why, you ask?

The Constitution!
It’s the document that explains how the U.S.
government works. It’s the highest law of the country.

So no one person in the government could become all-powerful.
The power is spread across three different branches.

The Three Branches

Quick Review

Executive Branch

●Who serves in this branch?

Key words:
press conference, approve,
veto, values

ACTIONS

1. Propose an idea for a bill
2. Hold a press conference to
generate public support
3. Review a bill from Congress: sign it or veto it and send it back

●What happens here?

The President, Vice President,
Cabinet

Legislative Branch

●Who serves in this branch?

Key words:
clause, deliberate, vote,
hearing

Congress is made up of two chambers:

●the Senate (100 members), led by party
leadership

●the House of Representatives (435
members) led by the Speaker of the House

●What happens here?

ACTIONS

1. Introduce a bill
2. Hold a hearing to share facts and
opinions on a bill
3. Deliberate on a bill
4. Vote on the bill (and if it’s passed, send it to
the president’s desk to be signed)

Judicial Branch

●Who serves in this branch?

Key words:
constitutional, deliberate,
uphold, strike, violate, rule/
ruling

9 Supreme Court Justices led by the
Chief Justice

ACTIONS

1. Hear case (review the law’s clauses and
decide if they are constitutional)

2. Deliberate
3. Make a decision (uphold the law, revert it to
a bill, strike clauses…)

●What happens here?

Checking & Balancing

Who does what?

Executive

Legislative

Judicial

Includes the President

Includes the Supreme Court

Includes Congress

Declares laws unconstitutional

Vetoes or signs laws

Impacts the content of a law

Holds hearings about a bill

Writes clauses for the bill

Takes a vote on the bill

Deliberates on what’s in the bill

On the next few slides, you will be determining which branch each fact is describing.

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

Dropdown

The ​

Select answer

Branch includes the president.

Dropdown

The ​ ​

Select answer

Branch includes the Supreme Court.

Drag and Drop

The ​

Placeholder

Branch includes Congress

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Legislative

Executive

Judicial

Dropdown

The ​

Select answer

Branch can declare laws unconstitutional.

Dropdown

The ​

Select answer

Branch vetoes or signs laws.

Dropdown

The ​

Select answer

Branch holds hearings about a law.

Dropdown

The ​

Select answer

Branch writes clauses for bills.

Dropdown

The ​

Select answer

Branch takes votes on a bill.

Check & Balances Is All About “But”

The legislative branch
____________

BUT

the president can
______________

The legislative branch
____________

BUT

the judicial branch can
_______________

The president can
____________

BUT

the legislative branch can
_______________

The president can
____________

BUT ONLY

the legislative branch can
_______________

makes laws

veto them

makes laws

declare them unconstitutional

veto laws

override the president’s veto

suggest a law

pass it

Some powers belong to the legislative branch, others to the executive, and yet others to the
judicial. The Branches of Power game will help you explain how the powers for impacting and
shaping laws are divided among the three branches.

Drag and Drop

The ​

Placeholder

branch makes laws, but the ​

Placeholder

can veto them.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

legislative

president

judicial

Drag and Drop

The ​ ​

Placeholder

branch makes laws, but the ​

Placeholder

branch can declare them unconstitutional.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

legislative

judicial

president

Drag and Drop

The ​ ​

Placeholder

can veto laws, but the ​

Placeholder

branch can override the veto.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

president

legislative

judicial

Drag and Drop

The ​ ​​

Placeholder

can suggest a law, but only the ​

Placeholder

branch can pass it.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

president

legislative

judicial

Directions: Read the bill. Choose whether you would add the clauses or not.

Will Your Bill Pass?

Clause 1:
All routine dental procedures will be
covered by the government.

Bill: Everyone needs organized healthcare at some point in their
lives. What role does the government need to play?

Clause 2:
Allow individuals and families to choose
how best to support their own health.

Deliberating is hard. Lawmakers have to decide which
clauses to add to a bill and which to remove.

Poll

Would you include this clause in the bill?

All routine dental procedures will be covered by the government.

• YES

• NO

Poll

Would you include this clause in the bill?

Allow individuals and families to choose how best to support their own health.

• YES

• NO

Is this constitutional?

You are a Supreme Court Justice. You are evaluating a law about civic engagement. Decide if each clause
is constitutional or unconstitutional and why. Use the amendments on the side to help you.

3rd Amendment:
Not House Soldiers

1st Amendment:

Freedom of Expression

Bill:
Let's find a way to increase civic engagement
opportunities in communities large and small.

Clause #1: Require all residents to host a local soldier in
their home to help the military save money.
__________________

Clause #2: Encourage schools to teach all students
about their rights under the Bill of Rights during social
studies.
__________________

Clause #3: Allow citizens to work together to shut down
newspapers and websites that criticize the government.
__________________

Constitutional means
that the clause does not
violate the constitution.

Unconstitutional means
that the clause violates an
amendment.

Dropdown

Is this clause Constitutional?

Clause #1: Require all residents to host a local soldier in their home to help the military save money. ​ ​

Select answer

Is this constitutional?

You are a Supreme Court Justice. You are evaluating a law about civic engagement. Decide if each clause
is constitutional or unconstitutional and why. Use the amendments on the side to help you.

3rd Amendment:
Not House Soldiers

1st Amendment:

Freedom of Expression

Bill:
Let's find a way to increase civic engagement
opportunities in communities large and small.

Clause #1: Require all residents to host a local soldier in
their home to help the military save money.
__________________

Clause #2: Encourage schools to teach all students
about their rights under the Bill of Rights during social
studies.
__________________

Clause #3: Allow citizens to work together to shut down
newspapers and websites that criticize the government.
__________________

Constitutional means
that the clause does not
violate the constitution.

Unconstitutional means
that the clause violates an
amendment.

Unconstitutional

Dropdown

Is this clause Constitutional?

Clause #2: Encourage schools to teach all students about their rights under the Bill of Rights during social studies.​ ​ ​

Select answer

Is this constitutional?

You are a Supreme Court Justice. You are evaluating a law about civic engagement. Decide if each clause
is constitutional or unconstitutional and why. Use the amendments on the side to help you.

3rd Amendment:
Not House Soldiers

1st Amendment:

Freedom of Expression

Bill:
Let's find a way to increase civic engagement
opportunities in communities large and small.

Clause #1: Require all residents to host a local soldier in
their home to help the military save money.
__________________

Clause #2: Encourage schools to teach all students
about their rights under the Bill of Rights during social
studies.
__________________

Clause #3: Allow citizens to work together to shut down
newspapers and websites that criticize the government.
__________________

Constitutional means
that the clause does not
violate the constitution.

Unconstitutional means
that the clause violates an
amendment.

Unconstitutional

Constitutional

Dropdown

Is this clause Constitutional?

Clause #3: Allow citizens to work together to shut down newspapers and websites that criticize the government. ​ ​

Select answer

Is this constitutional?

You are a Supreme Court Justice. You are evaluating a law about civic engagement. Decide if each clause
is constitutional or unconstitutional and why. Use the amendments on the side to help you.

3rd Amendment:
Not House Soldiers

1st Amendment:

Freedom of Expression

Bill:
Let's find a way to increase civic engagement
opportunities in communities large and small.

Clause #1: Require all residents to host a local soldier in
their home to help the military save money.
__________________

Clause #2: Encourage schools to teach all students
about their rights under the Bill of Rights during social
studies.
__________________

Clause #3: Allow citizens to work together to shut down
newspapers and websites that criticize the government.
__________________

Constitutional means
that the clause does not
violate the constitution.

Unconstitutional means
that the clause violates an
amendment.

Unconstitutional

Constitutional

Unconstitutional

Exit Ticket Question

If you were going to be a member of a branch of government, which one would you want to be a part of? Why?

Open Ended

If you were going to be a member of a branch of government, which one would you want to be a part of? Why?

Mini-Quiz

Test Your Knowledge

Multiple Choice

The president represents which branch?

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

Multiple Choice

The Speaker of the House represents which branch?

• legislative

• executive

• judicial

Multiple Choice

The Chief Justice represents which branch?

• legislative

• executive

• judicial

Drag and Drop

Each branch of the government has the ability to influence what the other branches can and cannot do. This is called ​

Placeholder

​ .

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Checks & Balances

Government Approval

Executive Agenda

Multiple Choice

How can a bill gain support in Congress?

• Include clauses to gain more votes

• Hold hearings to learn about the issue so the bill can be stronger

• Both are correct

Multiple Choice

How much support is needed to pass a bill in the Legislature?

• At least 70% of the House

• More than 50% in both chambers

• More than 50% in the Senate; less than 50% in the House

Multiple Choice

7) What are the options when a bill to be signed comes before the president ?

• The president can approve or veto it.

• The president can hold a press conference about it.

• The president can call for a vote on it.

Drag and Drop

If a bill receives 2/3 majority support in both chambers, Congress can override the president's​ ​

Placeholder

.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

veto

approval

deliberation

Drag and Drop

What do the Supreme Court justices use the ​

Placeholder

as the rulebook for judging laws.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Constitution

Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

Multiple Choice

What happens if a clause (in a law) is not allowed by the Constitution?

• The Court will send it back to the president to veto.

• The Court will let it pass.

• The Court will strike (remove) the clauses from the law.

Are you ready to experience the role of
all three branches of government? Play
the game!

Next...