Introduction

If there is one thing that our founding fathers and today's politicians would probably agree on, it's that our democracy depends on  citizens having a basic knowledge of government.  In the 18th Century, only a few people possessed this knowledge.  Today we expect that all citizens will know about our government.   In fact, some people, like new immigrants and high school students, are tested on their knowledge.

Task

Your team will be responsible for teaching a group of new immigrants about the United States government. They need basic information in order to pass the test.  They also want you to ask you some questions.

Prepare a visual presentation on the following topics. 

What are the three branches of the government and what do they do?  (They want a detailed answer on this question.)

How does a bill become a law?

Describe the system of checks and balances.

What are the six purposes of the constitution?

Be prepared to answer the following questions from the class.

If the constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, why does our  country have the death penalty?

Can anybody be President?

Where does the President live? Describe his house.

If the President commits a crime, what will happen to him?

How is the President elected?

Does "Freedom of speech" mean that you can say anything you want?

Process

1.  brainstorm possible answers to the questions

2.  divide up the questions and roles between the group members

The roles include:

Lead Presenter - You are responsible for presenting  the information to the class

Content Expert - You will answer questions from the audience.

Visual Coordinator -   You are responsible for assembling  the visuals for your presentation.

The Director - You are responsible for keeping people on task and coordination of the various roles. 

3.  conduct research for each of the questions

4.  Write your presentation

4.  Develop a visual display(s) of the information (web site, PowerPoint, poster, brochure, chart etc.)

5.  Teach your lesson to the class

Resources

You need to consult a variety of sources to complete this project.  Use the links on this web site, books, the U.S. Constitution and your text book. 

Evaluation

You will be evaluated using this rubric.