Teach the separation of powers and checks and balances by asking your students to create a diagram or model that shows how a bill becomes a law. Provide textbooks and other materials or allow your students access to the Internet so they can gather the information. Allow them creativity when creating their diagram or model, but make sure to give specific guidelines and an example. Wormeli notes that unclear instructions can cause middle schoolers to lose interest.
After teaching your students about lobbying, ask them to write a letter to Congress or a state legislature about an issue of personal interest. Provide examples of topics so the students have somewhere to start but also allow them to generate their own topics. Some possibilities include food safety, texting and driving and bullying in schools. Teach students how to find reliable sources on the Internet or in books, and make sure they use sources in their formal letter.
Instruct students to do research on the roles of the president, such as head legislator, commander in chief and chief diplomat. Check your state standards for which roles you are required to teach. After their research is complete, ask students to write a play or make a movie that depicts a day in the life of the president in which he fulfills at least five of his roles. Consider giving them an example script to demonstrate how this might be done, as well as length and collaboration requirements.
The judicial branch is charged with determining when legislative and executive actions are unconstitutional, and most of their decisions are based on the amendments to the Constitution. Provide materials to your students about landmark court cases, such as Brown v. Board of Education or Miranda v. Arizona, and ask students to prepare for a debate in which they will argue which amendment to the Constitution is the most important. Consider requiring students to cite evidence from at least two court cases in their response, as well as both a written and oral presentation of their research.