For those who would like to know more about the branches of government after this activity has been completed, the links below are great sources of information:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch
Introduction
Have you ever wondered about how the United States government works? Have you ever wanted to be a teacher for a day? Well, with the help of this WebQuest, you will do both! For this activity, you will get interactive with learning about who makes up the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government and what the function is of each branch. When the activity is finsihed, you will be teaching your classmates what you learned about your specific branch!
Task
The main task of this WebQuest is to get students to understand how the government works. The information you find will be used to make a poster and a PowerPoint (or Prezi) to show to your class. For students who do not know how to use Prezi and would like to know, I have attached a video tutorial on how to use Prezi here:
Process
1. Students will be paired into groups (there will be a total of 3 groups), and each group will be assigned a branch of government (Legislative, Executive, or Judicial).
2. In their groups, the students will do as much research as they can on their respective branch, and write down their facts on a sheet of paper if they need to. This should take one class period, although extra time can be given to students who need it.
3. The next day, the students will bring in all of their facts and use them to make a group poster on their respective government branch. This should take a few (between 2 to 3) class periods, although extra time can be given to accommodate those who need it. ALL STUDENTS will contribute equally to their group's poster in order to receive credit for this portion of the assignment.
4. After the groups have finished their poster, the groups will then
Evaluation
Below is the listed criteria on which you will be graded:
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| CATEGORY | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Worked Cooperatively in Group | Student worked very well with all members of group, helped to keep group on task throughout the majority of the portions of the project. | Student worked well with all members of group, and actively participated in all portions of the project. | Student worked with the group for some of the assignment, but let the others do most of the work. | Student contributed little or nothing to group\'s poster and/or PowerPoint or Prezi. |
| Information- Poster | Poster has all of the required information/material, and is well-organized, easy to follow, and visually appealing. | Poster has all of the required information/material. | Poster has some information/material, but is missing some key facts or has incorrect facts. | Poster has little to no information on the group\'s government branch. |
| Information- PowerPoint/Prezi | PowerPoint or Prezi has all of the required information/material, and is well-organized and visually appealing. | PowerPoint or Prezi has all of the required information/material. | PowerPoint or Prezi has some information/material, but is missing some key facts or has incorrect facts. | PowerPoint or Prezi has little to no information on the group\'s government branch. |
| Presentation | Student took a leadership-style role in the presentation. | Student had an active role in the presentation of the poster and PowerPoint/Prezi, and all students participated equally with the presentation. | Student participated in the presentation of the poster and PowerPoint/Prezi, but let the other group members do most of the speaking/work. | Student contributed little to nothing to the presentation. |
Conclusion
It is important for students to understand how our government works, so that they can be informed members of and contribute to society.