Grade 2 - Our Government At Work

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Video Storyline:  When America was a new country its leaders created a plan called the Constitution. Our leaders, lawmakers, and judges still use this plan today.

Video length: 12:45 minutes.

Learning Resources with this Video*

Quizzes – PDF & Online

State Symbol Search

Finish the Sentence Government Worksheet

Our Government At Work – Blooket Quiz

Draw A Scene – Our Government At Work

Universal Resources 

National Standards

*Links are active on Full Video page.

Classroom Ideas 

Our Government At Work

Independence Day around the World

Compare/contrast celebrations such as Independence Day in the U.S., Bastille Day (France) and National Revolution Day (Cuba). Explore the similarities and differences between these celebrations.

 

Explore Vocabulary

Identify key vocabulary terms while previewing each video. Prompt students to find the meaning of each word as they watch the video.

Visual Learning

Offer videos to struggling learners as another means of creating knowledge and accessing information. 

Cloze Practice

A cloze piece has full sentences used in the virtual field trip with blanks where students can write in the information that is missing. This task requires close listening to the trip in order to complete it.

Coral reefs are the _______ type of ecosystem in the world. They’ve been around for over _____ million years.

Answers:  oldest; 240

Alternatively, you could have students create 5-10 cloze statements and they could share those with the class.

A third alternative is to distribute the cloze worksheets before watching the video.  Students can fill them in as they watch.

Art and Social Studies

Draw a scene from the video you just watched.

Classroom Ideas for ALL Videos

Here are dozens and dozens of ideas that you can use in your classroom along with our videos!

Topics Covered In This Video

Governments make laws

The first set of laws made by the new U.S. government was the Constitution

2 important sets of laws say that citizens have Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Religion

The Constitution says that the government is made up of 3 parts

The 1st part is run by the President, who helps to guide the lawmakers in the U.S. He lives in the White House

The 2nd part are the lawmakers who are known as the Congress, and they work from the Capitol building

The 3rd part are the judges in the Supreme Court who decide if someone has broken a law

These 3 groups are all based in the Nation’s Capital city, Washington, DC

Other famous buildings in Washington are the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial

All of these leaders have to win enough votes in an election in order to get their jobs

We also vote to elect leaders for our States, and even our cities

National and State symbols

The Statue of Liberty was an important symbol for new immigrants arriving in the U.S.

Many laws have changed over time to make the country a better place for all who live here

Videos in this Series

Grade 2 - Early Americans

Grade 2 - Land and Water Around Us

Grade 2 - Work and Money

Grade 2 - Living Together

Related Videos

Grade 1 - Let's Learn About The Government

Grade 3 - How Government Helps Our Communities

Washington, DC (Grades K-5)

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