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Website
iCivics

I Civics: Games: Branches of Power

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Interactive and educational game puts players in control of all three branches of government and tests their abilities to turn issues of concern into full-fledged laws.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Portable Fluid Power Demonstrator (Pfpd)

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Working as teams, students learn the basics of fluid power design using the PFPD as their investigative platform. Students will investigate the similarities and differences between using pneumatic and hydraulic power in the PFPD. While...
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Handout
Cato Institute

Executive Orders and National Emergencies

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The subtitle of this essay is "How Presidents Have Come to 'Run the Country' by Usurping Legislative Power." It discusses how the Constitution defines executive powers in a general way, with few limitations on the power of the President...
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Primary
Other

A Republic, if You Can Keep It

For Students 9th - 10th
An essay by U.S. Congressional Representative Ron Paul of Texas on the state of the American republic delivered at the dawn of the twenty-first century. He argues for the strong separation of powers among the three branches of government...
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Constitution Day Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This interactive lesson gives students a quick snapshot of the Constitution, including the purpose of each article, the powers of the three branches, how a bill becomes a law, and the concepts of separation of powers and checks and...
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Lesson Plan
Other

Usa Gov: Three Branches of Government

For Students Pre-K - 1st Standards
Lesson plans for students to learn about the three branches of government. They can find information about the origins of the Constitution, separation of powers, and details about each of the three branches.
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Activity
Schools of California Online Resources for Education

Score: The u.s. Constitution Power Grab Game

For Students 9th - 10th
Politicians like power, but who actually gets to use their powers in different situations? Take this quiz to sort out the checks and balances that are used on the various power plays.
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Lesson Plan
Energy4Me

Energy4me: Tower of Power

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students will learn that heat is needed to separate crude oil/petroleum into useable substances to make the products we use every day.
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: United States Constitution: Article Ii

For Students 9th - 10th
Full text of Article II from the U.S. Constitution, as well as detailed annotations that explain the reasoning and subsequent impact of each clause and section of the Article. Content explores everything from the nature and scope of...
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Unit Plan
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum: Three Branches of Government

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Interactive teaching unit for Grades 5-8 that helps to explain the three branches of government and the the balance of power. Topics covered include balance of government, how a bill becomes a law, the amendment process, the Legislative...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: The President's Cabinet: Choosing the Right Members (Lesson Plan)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson that involves pupils in explaining the confirmation process of presidential appointees by testing the system of checks and balances and the separation of powers. The lesson also requires students to simulate the confirmation...
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Activity
Illinois Institute of Technology

Oyez: Schechter Poultry Corp. V. United States (1935)

For Students 9th - 10th
This U.S. Supreme Court case declared the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of the New Deal illegal because of the issue of separation of powers. The 'Case Basics' links have documents and more information from the court case.
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Primary
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: Constitutional Principles

For Students 9th - 10th
James Madison knew that a key challenge of maintaining just government was framing it in such a way that the government would be forced to control itself. How does a system of separated powers-and the checks and balances built into those...
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Activity
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum: Checks and Balances

For Students 3rd - 8th
Descriptions of the separate powers and functions of the three branches of the federal government. Site explains how the powers of one branch check and balance those of another.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Compromises

For Students 9th - 10th
Compromise was the name of the game when writing the Constitution. See how taxation, elections, and the power of the federal government were enshrined in the document. Marvel at the ideas that were rejected.
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Website
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Learning Adventures: Branches of Government

For Students Pre-K - 1st Standards
Introduction to a learning adventure on the Constitution and branches of government. Students click on their age group icon to find information on which part of the Constitution spells out the powers of legislative, executive and...
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: The Federal Court System

For Students 9th - 10th
Discussion of the structure, purpose, powers and Constitutional safeguards of the Federal Court System.
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Graphic
US Government Publishing Office

Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Branches of Government

For Students 5th - 8th
Students will visualize how the Constitution organized our 3 branches of government and the role each plays in our government. This infographic breaks down the powers of each branch and shows how they perform checks on the other...
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Activity
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: The Supreme Court: Landmark Cases: Schechter v. u.s. (1935)

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS provides details on the landmark Supreme Court case of Schechter v. U.S. which dealt with congressional powers under the Commerce Clause.
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Limiting Government

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Explore the five basic limits on government through the true story of Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, and other fictional cases of government power gone wild.
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Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Challenges Faced by the New Nation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This unit covers the content area featuring the challenges faced by the new nation including the writing of the Constitution, government powers, the Bill of Rights and the War of 1812.
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Unit Plan
Indiana University

Center on Congress: Learn About Congress

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learn about the role of the US Congress, how it works, its history, and the principles behind its creation and operation. Wonderful set of resources including FAQs, short articles and video clips, "interactive learning modules" (i.e., a...
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Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America: The Constitution: Fixed or Flexible?

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This unit explores the timeless qualities of The U.S. Constitution, the opportunities to amend it, and how it is a pillar of the American identity, through these activities, videos, and outside resources.
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

National Archives: The Constitution in Action: Article Ii

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This activity can be used during a unit on the U.S. Constitution. Students will analyze the Senate Journal of the First Congress and identify how the document demonstrates content contained within Article II of the Constitution in...

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