Current Events: Checks and Balances

A closer look at the…

3 Branches of Government

I can list the powers and responsibilities of
the three branches of government

Graphic Organizer

Responsibility
In general, what does this
branch do?

Members/Structure
Who makes up this branch?
How is it organized? How
many people? Groups?

Requirements and Term
Length
How can someone serve in
this branch? How long can
he/she serve?

Powers
What actions can this
branch take?

The Legislative

Branch

Choice Board

Vocab

Preview

Activity 1

Activity 2

Legislative Branch Choice Board

Goal: Complete the “Legislative
Branch” column in your 3
Branches Graphic Organizer

How?: The choice board gives you multiple ways to access the
same information. Choose the option that works best for YOU!

Videos

Infographics

Readings

The Constitution

Poll Question

1.) I enjoy being able to choose how I access new

information (video, reading, infographic, etc.)

2.) It doesn’t matter to me if I get to choose how I

access the information

3.) I feel lost when I have to choose an option and

would rather do things as a full class

Check Your Work

Add any information
that you might have
missed while you were
working independently

Legislative Branch:
Responsibility
● Makes laws

○ Proposed laws

are known as
“bills”

Check out some current bills
that are going through
Congress!

Legislative Branch: Members &
Structure

● Senate

○ 100 members
○ 2 senators per state

● House of Representatives

○ 435 members
○ # of representatives per state

depends on state populations

Who

Represents
Wisconsin?

Legislative Branch: Requirements and Term
Length

● Senate

○

30 years old

○

U.S. citizen for at least 9 years

○

Live in the state they represent
■

Term Length: 6 years (no limit)

● House of Representatives

○

25 years old

○

U.S. citizen for at least 7 years

○

Live in the state they represent
■

Term Length: 2 years (no limit)

Legislative Branch: Major Powers

● Raise and collect taxes
● Borrow money
● Control trade
● coin money (currency)
● Establish a post office
● Declare war
● Raise and maintain a military

(Army, Navy, Air Force, etc…)

Up Next: LawCraft

LawCraft is an iCivics game that
puts you in the House of
Representatives. It is your job to
represent the people of your
home district and to create laws
that will meet their needs. You’ll
also be challenged to
compromise with other
members of the House and
Senate to create laws.

Before you play, you’ll need a
solid understanding of how the
law-making process works.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

As we watch the
video, be ready to
discuss the answers
to each question with
those at your table.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Homework: Complete
the infographic showing
the process of how a bill
becomes a law.

*Assignment linked in
Canvas

Legislative Review

The Executive

Branch

Executive Branch Video

Complete the “Executive Branch” column in your graphic organizer as we
watch the video!

Executive Branch: Responsibility

● Enforces Laws

→to “execute” means
to make sure that
something gets done

Executive Branch: Members & Structure

● President
● Vice President
● Cabinet

○

The “cabinet” is a group of advisors that
helps the president make important
decisions

○

The cabinet includes the leaders
(“secretaries”) of 15 different executive
departments

Executive Branch

The president is just
the tip of the iceberg!

Executive Branch: Members & Structure

Executive Branch: Requirements and Term

Length

● President/Vice President

○ 35 years old
○ Born in the United States
○ Must be a resident of the U.S. for

at least 14 years
■ 4-year terms (maximum of 2)

Executive Branch: Major Powers of the President

● “Commander in Chief” of the military
● Make treaties with foreign nations

(head of state→diplomat)

● Can approve or reject (veto) laws

passed by Congress

● Appoint supreme court justices and

other government officials (must be
approved by the Senate)

● Can call Congress into session
● “From time to time” gives the State of

the Union address to Congress

Up Next: Executive Command

Executive Command is an iCivics
game in which you are the president.
In the game, you will be challenged to
accomplish your presidential agenda
while facing the challenges and
responsibilities that pop up along the
way. You’ll also need to delegate
(pass off) some responsibilities to the
executive departments.

Before you play, it will be helpful to
know what each executive
department is responsible for.

Executive Departments

Homework: Complete
activities A-C to learn
more about the
responsibilities of each
executive department.

The Judicial

Branch

Warm Up

Determine which
school supplies are
“necessary and useful”

Note Taking

Add the following to your
notes during the lesson

● Responsibilities
● Members and Structure
● Requirements and term

length

● Powers

Judicial Branch: Responsibility

● Interprets laws and

determines if laws have
been applied fairly

To “interpret” is to explain the meaning of

Interpret…

…the PPMS student
handbook

How do we determine the difference
between “excellent” understanding
of standards and “good”
understanding of standards?

Interpret…the 8th amendment

With your table team…

Complete pg. 2 in your Judicial
Branch packet to see how the
Supreme Court has had to
interpret the Constitution in
various situations

Protection against “cruel and
unusual punishment”

Judicial Branch: Members &
Structure

● Supreme Court

○ 9 “Justices” (judges) serve on

the Supreme Court

● Lower federal courts

○ Circuit Courts (Courts of Appeals)
○ District Courts

The Court System

Judicial Branch: Members & Structure

The Supreme Court is asked to hear over
7,000 cases per year…they only hear about
100 of them!

Turn and Talk: Why do we need
courts?

*Establish Justice

Settling disputes

Ensuring laws have been

applied fairly

Innocent until proven guilty

Accountability-punishment fits

the crime

Protecting our rights

Courts hear cases about many
different topics

Types of Cases-Criminal vs. Civil

Why might someone go to court?

Structure of the Judicial Branch

The court system is a
hierarchy with
different levels

-Different courts hear
different types of
cases

-Federal & State
courts

Federal vs. State Courts

What types of
cases do federal
and state courts
hear?

With a Partner

Use pg. 3 in your packet
(map of the court system)
to help answer the
questions about the court
system on page 4

Judicial Branch: Requirements and Term Length
(Supreme Court)

● No specific requirements listed in

the Constitution, except he/she…

● Must be appointed (chosen) by

the president, and confirmed by
the Senate

○ No term length; Justices serve

for life (until death, retirement,
or if they are impeached)

Judicial Branch: Major Powers

● Power to hear cases that

directly involve the
Constitution

● Judicial Review

○ The Supreme Court can

determine actions taken
by the legislative branch,
executive branch, or the
states as “unconstitutional”

An action is “unconstitutional”
if it violates the rights of
individuals that are protected
in the Constitution

Review: The Judicial Branch

Checks and Balances

I can explain why we have a system of
checks and balances, and can provide
examples of checks and balances

3 Branches = Separation of Powers

Each branch has
its own unique
powers and
responsibilities

Ex. the legislative branch can collect
taxes and declare war, while the
executive branch can create treaties
with other countries

Checks & Balances

The Constitution gives each
branch the power to “check”,
or limit, the powers of the
other branches…

…this helps to insure a
balance of power in the
federal government

Checks & Balances

“Check” = an action that
limits the powers of a
different branch

^in order to

Graphic Organizer

Why do we have a
system of Checks and
Balances?

Checks and Balances

As You Watch:
Identify at least
ONE example of
checks and
balances in the
video!

Checks and Balances Sorting

With your team…

1.) Organize each of the 10
statements into one of the 6
categories

-Use the hints provided along
with the Constitution to help
you correctly place each card

2.) Get it checked by your
teacher when you think you’ve
organized each card correctly

Legislative Branch CHECKS

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch CHECKS

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch CHECKS

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch CHECKS

Judicial Branch

Judicial Branch CHECKS

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch CHECKS

Legislative Branch

Can approve or reject

presidential
appointments

Has the power to

impeach the

president

Can reject treaties

made by the
president

Checks and Balances Sorting

Legislative Branch CHECKS

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch CHECKS

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch CHECKS

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch CHECKS

Judicial Branch

Judicial Branch CHECKS

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch CHECKS

Legislative Branch

Can approve or reject

presidential
appointments

Has the power to

impeach the

president

Can reject treaties

made by the
president

Transfer your correctly sorted
concepts into in your Checks and
Balances Graphic Organizer

Legislative Checks Executive…

● Can approve or reject presidential

appointments to the Supreme Court or
cabinet

● Can reject treaties made by the president
● Has the power to impeach the president
● Can override a presidential veto with a ⅔

vote

Legislative Checks Judicial

● Can impeach Supreme

Court justices

● Can propose

amendments to the
Constitution to overrule
judicial decisions

Executive Checks Legislative…

● Can veto bills passed by

Congress

Executive Checks Judicial

● Can appoint justices to the

Supreme Court

Judicial Checks Legislative…

● Can declare laws passed by

Congress as “unconstitutional”
(judicial review)

Judicial Checks Executive

● Can declare actions by the

executive branch as
“unconstitutional”

Quick Write Reflections

You’ll Need

● Pencil
● Notebook Paper

Directions: Explain
how the following
images reflect the
concept of checks
and balances. Use
the vocabulary
terms provided in
your response!

Word Bank

-check
-balance
-legislative
-executive
-judicial
-separation of powers
-Constitution
-Congress
-President
-Supreme Court
Explain how the image reflects the concept of “checks and
balances” using the words in the word bank.

Word Bank

-check
-balance
-legislative
-executive
-judicial
-separation of powers
-Constitution
-Congress
-President
-Supreme Court

Explain how the image reflects the concept of “checks and
balances” using the words in the word bank.

Checks and

Balances

Current
Events

Current Events: Checks and Balances

Supreme Court Leans Toward Upholding Law

That Could Ban TikTok

Purpose for Reading: Identify and explain how checks and
balances will impact the future of TikTok

Vocab

preliminary-coming before or leading up to the main action
bipartisan-involving the agreement of two political parties
divest-give up control
sue-to seek justice through the legal system
exert-to apply

Open Ended

Explain how the system of checks and balances is being used in this situation. Be sure to include which branches are involved, and use evidence from the text in your response.

"The _____branch is checking the powers of the _____branch because..."

Open Ended

Do you think the government should be able to limit citizens' access to social media platforms such as TikTok, even if there are concerns about protecting data privacy from foreign countries?

Current Events: Checks and Balances

Here’s the Confirmation Hearing Schedule for

Trump’s Cabinet Picks

Purpose for Reading: Identify and explain how checks and
balances will impact the selection of future cabinet members.

Vocab

inauguration-when a new president is sworn into office
GOP-”Grand Old Party” (AKA the Republican Party)
contentious-causing controversy

Open Ended

Explain how the system of checks and balances is being used in this situation. Be sure to include which branches are involved, and use evidence from the text in your response.

"The _____branch is checking the powers of the _____branch because..."

Multiple Select

How confident are you in your understanding of the 3 branches of government/checks and balances?

• NOT CONFIDENT AT ALL! PLEASE HELP ME!

• Somewhat confident but I know I need to study more

• Confident. I'll be ready for the quiz on Wednesday.

• PSSH...Give me the test now! I'll ace it!