◂Social Studies Worksheets and Study Guides Third Grade. Government and Political Systems

Study Guide
Social Studies - Third Grade - Study Guide: Government and Political Systems
Government and Political Systems Worksheet/Answer key
Social Studies - Third Grade - Worksheet: Government and Political Systems
Government and Political Systems Worksheet/Answer key
Social Studies - Third Grade - Worksheet: Government and Political Systems
Government and Political Systems Worksheet/Answer key
Social Studies - Third Grade - Worksheet: Government and Political Systems
Government and Political Systems

The resources above cover the following skills:

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS)
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTITY
SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCES THAT PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTITY.
PRODUCTS - Learners demonstrate understanding by:
Studying important people in the community and nation, at the present time or in the past, to list qualities that make them special.
POWER, AUTHORITY, AND GOVERNANCE
SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCES THAT PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF HOW PEOPLE CREATE, INTERACT WITH, AND CHANGE STRUCTURES OF POWER, AUTHORITY, AND GOVERNANCE.
KNOWLEDGE - Learners will understand:
Fundamental values of democracy: the common good, liberty, justice, equality, and individual dignity.
The basic elements of government in the United States: executive, legislative, and judicial authority.
The ways in which governments meet the needs and wants of citizens.
PROCESSES - Learners will be able to:
Ask and find answers to questions about power, authority, and governance in the school, community, and state.
CIVIC IDEALS AND PRACTICES
SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCES THAT PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF THE IDEALS, PRINCIPLES, AND PRACTICES OF CITIZENSHIP IN A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC.
KNOWLEDGE - Learners will understand:
Concepts and ideals such as: individual dignity, fairness, freedom, the common good, rule of law, civic life, rights, and responsibilities.
Key practices in a democratic society include civic participation based on studying community issues, planning, decision-making, voting, and cooperating to promote civic ideals.
PROCESSES - Learners will be able to:
Analyze how specific policies or citizen behaviors reflect ideals and practices consistent or inconsistent with democratic ideals.
National Standards for Civics and Government (NSCG)
What is Government and What Should It Do? What is government?
Defining government: Students should be able to provide a basic description of government. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Describe government in terms of the people and groups who make, apply, and enforce rules and laws for others in their family, school, community, and nation and who manage disputes about them, e.g.,
Courts at all levels apply laws, manage disputes, and punish lawbreakers
What is Government and What Should It Do? What are the differences between limited and unlimited governments?
Limited and unlimited governments: Students should be able to explain the basic differences between limited and unlimited governments. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Explain that an unlimited government is one in which there are no effective controls over the powers of its rulers, who cannot be easily removed from office by peaceful, legal means, e.g., governments run by dictators
What is Government and What Should It Do? Why is it important to limit the power of government?
Importance of limited government: Students should be able to explain why limiting the power of government is important to their own lives. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Explain why limited government is important for the protection of individual rights such as
Political rights to vote
What are the Basic Values and Principles of American Democracy? What are the most important values and principles of American democracy?
Fundamental values and principles: Students should be able to explain the importance of the fundamental values and principles of American democracy. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Explain the importance for themselves, their school, their community, and their nation of each of the following fundamental principles of American democracy:
People exercise their authority directly by voting for or against certain rules, laws, or candidates as well as by voting in community or town meetings
People exercise their authority indirectly through representatives they elect to make, apply, and enforce laws and to manage disputes about them
What are the Basic Values and Principles of American Democracy? What are some important beliefs Americans have about themselves and their government?
Distinctive characteristics of American society: Students should be able to identify some important beliefs commonly held by Americans about themselves and their government. To achieve this standard, students should be able to describe the following beliefs commonly held by Americans:
Importance of the individual: Students should be able to explain that Americans believe
The vote of one individual should count as much as another’s
Importance of equality of opportunity and equal protection of the law: Students should be able to explain that Americans believe that
All people have a right to participate in political life by expressing their opinions and trying to persuade others; all citizens over 18 years of age have the right to vote; and citizens who meet age and other qualifications have the right to seek public office
What are the Basic Values and Principles of American Democracy? Why is it important for Americans to share certain values, principles, and beliefs?
American identity: Students should be able to explain the importance of Americans sharing and supporting certain values, principles, and beliefs. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Explain that Americans are united by the values, principles, and beliefs they share rather than by ethnicity, race, religion, class, language, gender, or national origin
Explain the importance of shared values, principles, and beliefs to the continuation and improvement of American democracy
What are the Basic Values and Principles of American Democracy? How can people work together to promote the values and principles of American democracy?
Promoting ideals: Students should be able to identify ways people can work together to promote the values and principles of American democracy. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Explain how they can promote the values and principles of American democracy by
Participating in government, e.g., voting, becoming informed about public issues, attempting to change laws by writing to legislators, serving on juries
How Does the Government Established by the Constitution Embody the Purposes, Values, and Principles of American Democracy? What does the national government do and how does it protect individual rights and promote the common good?
Organization and major responsibilities of the national government: Students should be able to give examples of ways the national government protects individual rights and promotes the common good. To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain that
The judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, makes decisions concerning the law that are intended to
Protect individual rights, e.g., the right to a fair trial, to vote, to practice one’s religious beliefs
How Does the Government Established by the Constitution Embody the Purposes, Values, and Principles of American Democracy? What are the major responsibilities of state governments?
Organization and major responsibilities of state governments: Students should be able to explain the most important responsibilities of their state government. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Distinguish between the national and state governments
Describe how state government officials are chosen, e.g., elections, appointment
Explain how people can participate in their state government, e.g., being informed and taking part in discussions of state issues, voting, volunteering their services, holding public office, serving on governing committees and commissions
How Does the Government Established by the Constitution Embody the Purposes, Values, and Principles of American Democracy? What are the major responsibilities of local governments?
Organization and major responsibilities of local governments: Students should be able to explain the most important responsibilities of their local government. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Distinguish among national, state, and local governments
Describe how local government officials are chosen, e.g., election, appointment
Explain how people can participate in their local government, e.g., being informed and taking part in discussions of local issues, voting, volunteering their services, holding public office, serving on governing committees and commissions
How Does the Government Established by the Constitution Embody the Purposes, Values, and Principles of American Democracy? Who represents you in the legislative and executive branches of your local, state, and national governments?
Identifying members of government: Students should be able to identify the members of the legislative branches and the heads of the executive branches of their local, state, and national governments. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Name the persons representing them at state and national levels in the legislative branches of government, e.g., representatives and senators in their state legislature and in Congress
Name the persons representing them at the executive branches of government, e.g., mayor, governor, president
What is the Relationship of the United States to Other Nations and to World Affairs? How is the world divided into nations?
Nations: Students should be able to explain that the world is divided into different nations which interact with one another. To achieve this standard, students should be able to explain that
The world is divided into many different nations and that each has its own government
What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy? What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States?
The meaning of citizenship: Students should be able to explain the meaning of citizenship in the United States. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Explain the important characteristics of citizenship in the United States. Specifically, citizenship
Means each person has certain responsibilities, e.g., respecting the law, voting, paying taxes, serving on juries
What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy? What are important responsibilities of Americans?
Responsibilities of individuals: Students should be able to explain why certain responsibilities are important to themselves and their family, community, state, and nation. To achieve this standard, students should be able to identify such responsibilities as the following and explain their importance:
Civic responsibilities, e.g., obeying the law, respecting the rights of others, being informed and attentive to the needs of their community, paying attention to how well their elected leaders are doing their jobs, communicating with their representatives in their school, local, state, and national governments, voting, paying taxes, serving on juries, serving in the armed forces
What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy? How can Americans participate in their government?
Forms of participation: Students should be able to describe the means by which citizens can influence the decisions and actions of their government. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Identify ways people can monitor and influence the decisions and actions of their government
Voting
Taking an active role in interest groups, political parties, and other organizations that attempt to influence public policy and elections
What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy? How should Americans select leaders?
Selecting leaders: Students should be able to explain and apply criteria useful in selecting leaders in their school, community, state, and nation. To achieve this standard, students should be able to
Identify the major duties, powers, privileges, and limitations of a position of leadership, e.g., class president, mayor, state senator, tribal chairperson, president of the United States
National Center for History in Schools (NCHS)
Topic 3: The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage
How democratic values came to be, and how they have been exemplified by people, events, and symbols.
The student understands historic figures who have exemplified values and principles of American democracy.
The student understands events that celebrate and exemplify fundamental values and principles of American democracy.
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