U.S. Constitution Web QuestCreated By Jonathon Sorel

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 China, how would the three branches of government make it happen? Good luck--the fate of the country is in your hands.

Task

• Here are your 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, or you will pick, one of the three branches of the U.S. Government

2. Once you have a role, you need to research the requirements and powers for your branch. Click on the Research button to begin.

3. After compiling information about your branch, you will create a visual that shows what you have learned. Click on the Visual button to begin.

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

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:

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

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

• 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?

• If there is an impeachment trial, what job would your branch have?

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

Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judicial Branch

Legislative Branch

• Whether you are a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives, you hold a lot of power in making laws. It may be increasing the speed limit to 95 m.p.h., or requiring all middle school students to shave their heads. Check out the following websites to find out information about the Legislative Branch. Again, remember to take notes on the requirements and powers that you have in this branch.

The Legislative BranchUnited States ConstitutionHouse of RepresentativesSenate

Now you are ready for the Legislative Branch quiz. Show your teacher the results when you are done. You may take the quiz over and over until you get most of the questions right. Remember, you will need to know all of these answers for the test, so cheating won't help you at all.

Back to Process

Executive Branch

• If you are the President of the United States, you hold one of the most powerful positions in the world, but what powers do you actually have? What does it mean that you have the power to "veto" a bill from the Legislative Branch? Check out the following websites to find out information about the Executive Branch. Again, remember to take notes on the requirements and powers that you have in this branch.

The Executive Branch White House United States ConstitutionDepartments of the Executive Branch

Now you are ready for the Executive Branch quiz. Show your teacher the results when you are done. You may take the quiz over and over until you get most of the questions right. Remember, you will need to know all of these answers for the test, so cheating won't help you at all.

Back to Process

Judicial Branch

• "All rise for the Judge!" Judges have always been held to a high position in our society, but what specific jobs are the Supreme Court Justices responsible for? Check out the following websites to find out information about the Judicial Branch. Again, remember to take notes on the requirements and powers that you have in this branch.

The Judicial Branch U.S. Supreme Court Supreme Court JusticesUnited States Constitution

Now you are ready for the Judicial Branch quiz. Show your teacher the results when you are done. You may take the quiz over and over until you get most of the questions right. Remember, you will need to know all of these answers for the test, so cheating won't help you at all.

Back to Process

Visual

• So, how did you do on your quiz for your branch of the government? Oops! Did you forget? If you did, go back to the Research page and take your quiz. If you have logged in your quiz score, then it is time to create a visual about your branch of government. Before you begin working on the visual itself, you should brainstorm exactly what you want your final product to look like. If you are working in a team of two or more, you may want to check out this site on brainstorming to help you get started.

• Your visual can be anything you choose, as long as it presents the information about the requirements and powers for your branch. Here are just a few ideas of what you can create for your visual:• Layout of images and facts in a AppleWorks drawing or paint file • PowerPoint presentation • Collage of pictures and facts using construction paper • Hand drawn picture • Your own choice

Back to Process

Simulation

• If you have taken your quiz, and have finished your visual, you are now ready to prepare for the simulation. What is going to happen is that everyone who was working on the Legislative Branch will sit in a circle, everyone in the Executive Branch will sit in another circle, and then everyone in the Judicial Branch will sit in a circle. When you first get into 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 a Middle School Student, but a Government Official.

The simulation has two parts:

• 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!

“Government in Action”

“Checks and Balances”

“Government in Action”

• The "Government in Action" simulation will give you a chance to exercise the powers that are in your branch. Your job for this simulation will depend on the branch you are in. The point of this simulation is to see how our government really works. Click on your branch to see your tasks.

Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judicial Branch

Legislative Branch

• If you are a member of Congress, your job for the simulation is to create bills that hopefully will become laws. The bill must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate before it can be sent to the Executive Branch for approval. Remember that the House of Representatives is the only component that can raise taxes (revenue). If you are in the Senate, you will need to approve any appointments or treaties that the President nominates. You may also need to bring someone up for impeachment during the simulation.

Back to Simulation

Executive Branch

• If you are a member of the Executive Branch, one of your jobs for the simulation is to approve or veto the bills that has passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate. You are also responsible to nominate people as Ambassadors, federal judges, as well as people to various positions in the President's cabinet. You also need to draft treaties between the United States and other countries.

Back to Simulation

Judicial Branch

• If you are a member of the Judicial Branch, you have a very important job. You will need to look at any laws the other two branches and decide if they are unconstitutional or not. What that means is does the law follow the rules from the Constitution, or does it goes against it. Prior to starting, you should vote on a Supreme Court Justice who will run the proceedings of your branch. In order to be successful, you will need to work cooperatively as a branch to decide whether or not the law will go into effect.

Back to Simulation

“Checks and Balances”

• The "Checks and Balances" simulation is a fun way to review the powers of each branch. Your job for this simulation is the same for all three branches. Your teacher will pose a situation that will affect each branch, and your job is to figure out all of the answers as a signature sheet is passed around your branch. When everyone in the branch knows the answers and has signed the sheet, they are to raise their hands.

• You teacher will then ask the questions to a random student in the branch that is finished first. If that person knows all of the answers, the branch will be awarded 10 points. If the person misses any of the questions, then the branch that finished second is given a chance. If that randomly chosen student gets all of the answers right, then that branch receives 7 points. If that person also misses some of the questions, then it is up to a randomly chosen person in the last branch. If that person gets all of the questions right, their branch receives 5 points. If they do not answer the questions correctly, no branch receives points.

1st branch with all the correct answers 10 points

2nd branch with all the correct answers 7 points

Last branch with all the correct answers 5 points

EvaluationIf you were working with a partner on the quiz and visual, you will be graded as a team. You will be graded individually on the two simulations.

Little or NoEvidence

5

ComponentsMissing

10

Approaches Standards

15

Meets Standards

20

Exceeds Standards

25

 Quiz on Branch

 

Misses seven or more

questions on the quiz.

Misses five or six questions on the

quiz.

Misses three or four questions on the

quiz.

Misses one or two questions on the

quiz.

Misses zero questions on

the quiz.

 Visual for

Branch  

Visual does not include any

requirements or powers of branch.

Work is sloppy and/or

incomplete.

Visual includes few requirements and powers for branch.

Work is sloppy and/or

incomplete.

Visual includes requirements and powers for branch, but contains a few

errors. No real creativity.

Visual includes requirements and powers for branch, and is error-free. Project is fairly

creative.

Visual is creative, complete, error-free,

and insightful.

 "Government

in Action" Simulation

  

Student does not participate in

simulation.

Student is not prepared for

simulation. Makes numerous errors about branch's

powers.

Student participates in simulation. Makes

a few errors about branch's powers.

Student participates in simulation (in

role). Accurately

contributes to work in

branch.

Student shows enthusiasm during simulation (in role).

Accurately contributes to work

in branch.

 "3

Branches" Simulation

 

Student does not participate in

simulation.

Student is not prepared for

simulation. Answers all questions incorrectly.

Student participates in simulation.

Answers a few questions

incorrectly.

Student participates,

in simulation. Answers

all questions correctly.

Student shows enthusiasm during

simulation. Answers all questions

correctly.

Conclusion

• Hopefully you have learned some information about the first three Articles of the U.S. Constitution. Now that you have a general understanding of how the government works, maybe it will direct you into a political career. If you are interested in going into politics at any level, there is one piece of sound advice: remember everyone's name that you meet. You never know when some random person will end up crossing your path later in life, and remembering them may lead to a job, favor, etc...