Local, state, and national levels of the government

General

Students will learn the importance of government and the three different levels of government. (local, state, and national.) Each level is explained and students practice sorting the levels of government. They will learn about the different leaders of each of the levels and how the responsibilities are shared.

Learning Objective

Students will be able to begin to understand that there are local, state, and national levels of government and will identify some actions that the government takes.

Introduction

Students talk to a partner about what school would be like if there were no teachers or principals. What might occur in the absence of leadership? Ask students what they know about the government and if they know of any leaders in their city, state, or country.

Instruction

Explain what a government is and review some examples of laws. Introduce the three levels of government: state, local, and national. First, describe the role of local government. Local governments can create parks, manage public transportation, and run schools. The mayor is the leader of a local government. Ask students if they know who their mayor is. Next, describe state government and their responsibilities like making state laws and building roads. Ask students if they know the governor of their state. Finally, describe the national government and its responsibilities like trading with other countries. Ask if they know who the president is. How do we decide who should be the president? After this, students drag the images to the correct box: local, state, or national government. .

Quiz

Check student understanding with ten multiple-choice and true or false questions.

Closing

Students spin the wheel and tell one fact about the level of government they land on. Discuss why each one is important.

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