Checks and Balances -- Issue 3 -- Jan. 14-20
This week's standard: Students understand the purpose of government. (Social Studies: Power, Authority and Governance) Students identify key ideals of the United States' democratic republican form of government. (Social Studies: Civic Ideals and Practice)
Activities:
- Find a picture of President George W. Bush in the newspaper. Paste it on a piece of paper. Now write a sentence telling something about Mr. Bush*s job as president.
- Find news stories about or photographs of U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives. Paste the stories/photos on a large piece of paper. Under each story/photo, write the name and party of the person. Write a sentence telling why that person is in the news.
- Find a news story about President Bush meeting with a leader from another country. Write a paragraph discussing the purpose of the meeting. Write a second paragraph explaining how the meeting illustrates one of the responsibilities of the president.
- Who in the U.S. government: (a) can veto a law, (b) decide whether or not a law fits our Constitution, (c) override a veto, and (d) declare war against another country?
- Collect news stories about a topic being discussed by members of Congress and White House officials. Write several paragraphs discussing the issue. Use these questions to guide your writing:
- What is the issue?
- What positions on the issue are taken by different representatives of Congress and the White House?
- What powers do the different branches of government have with regard to the issue?
- How do you think the issue will finally be resolved?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
|
