Introduction   ı   Tasks   ı   Process   ı   Research  ı   Presentation Evaluation  ı  Simulation


 

Introduction:

The United States Government needs your help! Your mission for this project is to become a member of one of the three branches of government, and to investigate information about your branch of government. You will need to research websites that deal with the United States Constitution. Once you uncover information about your particular branch, you will participate in a simulation where real life situations will be posed, and you will need to decide who in the three branches has the power to do what. For instance, if the President of the United States wants to make a treaty with North Korea, how would the three branches of government make it happen? Good luck--the fate of the country is in your hands.

Tasks:

Here are the goals for this WebQuest:

• Assume the persona of a someone in your assigned branch

• Research information about the U.S. Constitution Article that deals with your branch

  • Article I = Legislative Branch

  • Article II = Executive Branch

  • Article III = Judicial Branch

• Create a visual to represent your branch

• Prepare yourself for the three branches simulation

• Participate in the simulation

Process:

1. First you will be assigned to one of the three branches of the U.S. Government

2. Once you have your role, you will need to research the requirements and powers of your branch.
Click on Research.

3. After compiling information about your branch and taking the quiz, you will create a Power Point presentation about what you have learned.

4. Once you have become an "expert" on your branch, you will prepare for the simulation where you will simulate how the three branches of government function. Click on Simulation.

Research:

In order to be ready for the simulation, you need to research your branch of the government and find out requirements and powers that are specific to that branch. Here are a few example questions you may need to know:

1. If we need to make a treaty with a foreign country, what role does your branch play?

2. What is the youngest age you can be in order to become a U.S. Senator?

3. What power do you have when it comes to laws? Do you create bills, approve/veto bills, or look at the Constitutionality of new laws?

4. If there is an impeachment trial, sound familiar, what job would your branch have?
    

Now you are ready to begin researching.
Choose your branch from below,
and remember,
you will be taking a quiz at the end of your research,
so you make sure to take some notes as you research.

Legislative Branch   ı   Executive Branch   ı   Judicial Branch 

Presentation Evaluation:

Now you that you've become an expert on your branch of the government, you can begin using your research to create a Power Point project! You will create a slide show with at least 5 slides and no more than 10 using Microsoft Power Point. Remember to give credit to your resources when needed. You may use a separate slide for this, but this does not count as one of your required 5.

Requirements:

Content -
  Give as much information about what your branch of the government does as possible. 
  Give examples.  Also give requirements to become a member of your branch of the government.
  If you are in the Legislative Branch, give information about Representatives AND Senators.
  If you are in the Executive Branch, give info on the President, Vice President, AND Cabinet members.
  If you are in the Judicial Branch, give all the information you can about being part of the Judiciary.


Mechanics -
  Use of correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Slide Show -
  Included 5 - 10 slides with the required information about the topic. 
  Include 1 resource slide (does not count in your required 5). 
  No more than two backgrounds.
  Use text and graphics.
  Text is readable.
  Examples of animation - Do Not OVERUSE animation.

Work Habits -
  Use class time wisely.
  Effective use of the Internet during research.
  Did not visit sites not related to assignment.

(attached rubric to your information packet)

Simulation:

Once you have taken your quiz, and have finished your Power Point presentation, you are ready to prepare for the simulation. Each branch of the government: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial will sit in a circle (this part of the project will occur in History class).

When you first get in the circle, you need to introduce yourself to everyone in your branch AS IF YOU WERE THE PERSONA YOU CREATED. What that means is for the simulation, you are no longer Ryan the 8th grader, but Senator Gwynn from California.

After you check out what will happen in the two simulations, you should think of ideas of how you will use the knowledge of your branch when the simulation begins. Good luck, but more importantly, have fun!

Lesson Links