A one-page graphic organizer that draws the U.S. government as a tree for 3rd grade. Three boxes in the leaves cover the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Each box asks who works there, what their job is and which building they work in. The trunk is The Constitution and the roots are We the People, each with three prompts and lines to write on. There is no answer key. It ties to C3 D2.Civ.1.3-5 and D2.Civ.5.3-5.
D2.Civ.1.3-5
“Distinguish the responsibilities and powers of government officials at various levels and branches of government and in different times and places.”
Each branch box asks who works there and what their main job is.
D2.Civ.5.3-5
“Explain the origins, functions, and structure of different systems of government, including those created by the U.S. and state constitutions.”
The trunk prompts ask what the Constitution is and why it splits the government into three parts.
Who, Job and Building prompts for each branch, nicknamed The Law Makers, The Action Takers and The Fair Referees.
Three questions on the Constitution, including why the founders split the government into parts.
Three questions on We the People, such as how citizens choose their leaders.
Unit review
Hand it out after you have taught all three branches. Students fill it in from memory, then check with a partner.
Class poster
Enlarge it to poster size and fill in one branch each lesson as the unit goes on.
Quick check
The Building prompts each have one answer: the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court Building. Check those first when you collect the sheets.
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