A friend of yours who wants to be a teacher and is interning with a government class right now has been invited to share an activity with the class that illustrates the concept and reasoning behind separation of powers (involving the prevention of passion, etc.), and she needs your help in coming up with it. Devise that activity, explaining why it is a good one; it can be for any grade level from Grade 6 through Grade 12. You can’t use the six-legged race example described in the text, but other than that, the sky is the limit…and remember, it needs to be engaging!

Question

A friend of yours who wants to be a teacher and is interning with a government class right now has been invited to share an activity with the class that illustrates the concept and reasoning behind separation of powers (involving the prevention of passion, etc.), and she needs your help in coming up with it. Devise that activity, explaining why it is a good one; it can be for any grade level from Grade 6 through Grade 12. You can’t use the six-legged race example described in the text, but other than that, the sky is the limit…and remember, it needs to be engaging!

I am very confused as to what I have to do and what to do. I have to write an explanation that is at least 3 sentences long. Will someone help explain this to me and maybe give me a few ideas?

Answer 1

Separation of powers is the principle of having a different branch of government to do a different governing task. The legislative branch makes the laws. The executive branch enforces the laws. The judicial branch makes sure that the laws abide by the Constitution.

Think of a sports team. The coaches teach the players. The players actually play the game. The referees and umpires make sure that everything follows the rules.

Answer 2

Oh that makes more sense. So an activity could be playing a soccer or sports game with the students and them all playing different roles to make it work. Thanks for your help, I think I've got it now!

Answer 3

Yay!

You're welcome.

Answer 4

Sure! I can help you understand the task and give you some ideas for an engaging activity that illustrates the concept of separation of powers. The goal of the activity is to demonstrate how the separation of powers prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful, which helps maintain checks and balances in a democratic system. For example, you could create a simulation where students are divided into three groups representing the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and they have to work together to make decisions on a hypothetical issue. Each group would have specific powers and limitations, and they would need to negotiate and collaborate to reach a resolution. This activity allows students to experience the challenges and benefits of the separation of powers in a hands-on and interactive way.