How do I Teach Government to my Students?

No matter how you slice it, the United States government is a difficult concept to cover with young learners. Identifying who does what, who is involved, and how it all works is confusing! Congress, the Supreme Court and other high courts, state governments, and many other political actors make up the U.S. government’s vast branches. Learning about their roles can be a lot to take in. This resource is designed to help your learners discover:

• What are the three branches of government?
• Which branch of government makes laws?
• What branch of government declares war?
• What branch of government vetoes bills?
• And more!

Branches of Government  Worksheet

This activity is perfect for helping students study the three branches of government, who is involved, and their responsibilities. The Three Branches of Government Sorting Worksheet requires students to sort a series of statements into the correct “branches” on the government tree to demonstrate their understanding of the primary learning objectives.

Differentiate and Scaffold the Three Branches of Government Worksheet 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your Social Studies lessons. 

In addition to individual student work time, use this sorting activity to enhance learning through whole class lessons or remote learning assignments. 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

Help students who need help understanding the concepts by 

• Completing the activity as a whole group or in a small group session.
• Provide students with a Branches of Government anchor chart or reference sheet to use during the completion of the activity.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

• Have students make an anchor chart or slide presentation about the different branches of government.
• Have students turn their learning into an infographic or research project.

🧑‍🏫 Group Lesson (or Other Activity)

• Complete the sort together underneath a document camera and discuss the concepts during the lesson.

Easily Prepare This 3 Branches of Government Worksheet for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the Google Slides or PDF version of this resource.

This resource was created by Beth Hindi, a teacher in Texas and Teach Starter Collaborator.