Federal, State, and Local Government: Who Does What?

3rd Grade Social StudiesBranches of Government3 pages

About this worksheet

A 3-page 3rd grade sort on the three levels of government. A table at the top names the leaders: the President and Congress, the governor and legislature, and the mayor and city council. Students sort 12 jobs, from printing money and foreign treaties to state troopers and trash pickup, into federal, state, and local columns. Two written questions ask which job was hardest to place and for one new job at each level. The answer key puts four jobs at each level and adds a teacher note on schools, roads and police. It ties to C3 D2.Civ.1.3-5.

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Curriculum objectives covered

D2.Civ.1.3-5

โ€œDistinguish the responsibilities and powers of government officials at various levels and branches of government and in different times and places.โ€

The sort asks students to place each of the 12 jobs with the federal, state, or local government.

What's inside this worksheet

Leaders table

One row that names the leaders and lawmakers at each level of government.

Government jobs sort

Twelve jobs in a word bank, such as driver's licenses, fixing potholes and mail service, to write into a three-column table.

Think About It

Two questions: the hardest job to place, and a new job of the student's own for each level, with a reason.

Answers

The completed sort, a teacher note on school rules and police, and sample new jobs such as passports and the public library.

How teachers use it

Make it local

Before the sort, ask the class who your mayor and governor are. Write their names next to the leaders table on page 1.

Pairs on purpose

State highways and fixing potholes, and state troopers and local police, are matched pairs. Go over them together after the sort.

Take it home

Send question 3 home. Families often name a service students have not noticed, like the library or the fire department.

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