[{"_1":2,"_196":-5,"_197":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4},"pages/Activity.page",{"_5":6,"_7":8},"origin","http://mizzen.org","dehydratedState",{"_9":10,"_11":12},"mutations",[],"queries",[13,42],{"_14":15,"_16":17,"_36":37,"_40":41},"dehydratedAt",1756465065004,"state",{"_18":-5,"_19":20,"_21":22,"_23":-5,"_24":25,"_26":25,"_27":25,"_28":-5,"_29":-5,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35},"data","dataUpdateCount",1,"dataUpdatedAt",1756465064987,"error","errorUpdateCount",0,"errorUpdatedAt","fetchFailureCount","fetchFailureReason","fetchMeta","isInvalidated",false,"status","success","fetchStatus","idle","queryKey",[38,39],"activity-collections","featured","queryHash","[\"activity-collections\",\"featured\"]",{"_14":15,"_16":43,"_36":192,"_40":195},{"_18":44,"_19":20,"_21":15,"_23":-5,"_24":25,"_26":25,"_27":25,"_28":-5,"_29":-5,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35},{"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_32":53,"_54":55,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":75,"_76":77,"_78":79,"_90":91,"_121":122,"_123":124,"_132":133,"_140":141,"_164":191,"_69":46},"id","a4f266b6-717f-4ed5-a5b5-9a8d68c0d6f0","createdAt","2025-07-28T19:34:46.210Z","updatedAt","2025-08-13T21:05:56.310Z","title","What Is the Legislative Branch?","PUBLISHED","partner",{"_45":56,"_47":57,"_49":58,"_59":60,"_61":-5,"_62":-5,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":31,"_68":-5,"_69":56},"f3c582e9-3453-48bf-a918-5399d6672576","2025-07-28T19:03:42.435Z","2025-08-18T23:55:36.044Z","name","Mizzen Education, Inc.","contact","profilePhoto","logo","13f7c227-1e7b-4390-a552-412ae92cca5e","visible",true,"deleted","slug","slugOrId","overview","Students explore the legislative branch of the U.S. government by distinguishing the 3 branches of government and describing the main purpose of the legislative branch at the local, state, and federal levels.","duration",45,"gradeFrom",6,"gradeTo",8,"tags",[80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89],"government","legislative branch","politics","political systems","history","civics","communication","collaboration","public speaking","digital literacy","heroImage",{"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":93,"_59":94,"_95":-5,"_32":96,"_97":98,"_99":31,"_100":101,"_102":101,"_103":104,"_105":94,"_106":107,"_108":109,"_110":111,"_112":94,"_113":96,"_114":101,"_115":-5,"_116":-5,"_117":118,"_119":120},"8adf590c-449a-45ac-8c0f-cb3ed42698a4","2025-08-05T16:35:20.177Z","hero-image-ck597s6h1g1f1078131by7m04","note","ACTIVE","type","FILE","isAttachment","fileUuid","5b77d6bd-d8e5-4d1a-800c-6127952cec51","fileS3Key","fileS3Bucket","mizzen-platform-asset-uploads-production","fileName","fileExtension","jpeg","fileMimeType","image/jpeg","fileSize",931367,"legacyFileKey","fileAutoThumbnailStatus","fileAutoThumbnailUuid","linkUrl","thumbnailUuid","fileUrl","https://ucarecdn.com/5b77d6bd-d8e5-4d1a-800c-6127952cec51/","thumbnailUrl","https://ucarecdn.com/5b77d6bd-d8e5-4d1a-800c-6127952cec51/-/resize/1000x/","template","DEFAULT","categories",[125,129],{"_45":126,"_59":127,"_69":128},"baf84e54-cbad-4323-8a5a-7fd740e42fa0","Stories and Perspectives","storytelling",{"_45":130,"_59":131,"_69":84},"f378c596-7d1f-47ef-b10c-3372b23de539","We The People","learningStandards",[134],{"_45":135,"_47":136,"_49":136,"_59":137,"_138":139},"55b2ff53-9253-4254-9989-e3fca5ca5925","2025-07-28T19:03:40.573Z","Common Core (ELA)","description","","collections",[142],{"_45":143,"_47":144,"_49":144,"_145":146,"_166":167,"_188":-5,"_189":46,"_190":168},"f8fdd413-d627-46d6-995f-8787a58757c5","2025-07-28T21:53:08.541Z","activity",{"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_32":53,"_54":56,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":75,"_76":77,"_78":147,"_148":149,"_150":151,"_152":153,"_154":139,"_155":139,"_156":157,"_158":139,"_159":139,"_160":161,"_90":92,"_121":122,"_123":162,"_132":163,"_164":165,"_69":46},[80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89],"learningObjective","

Distinguish among the 3 branches of government.
Understand that Congress makes up the federal legislative branch and that citizens elect members of the legislature.
Distinguish between local, state, and federal legislative bodies and their powers.
Describe lawmaking and other powers of state and federal legislatures.
Identify state and federal legislators.

","materials","

For the whole group:

Photographs of the U.S. Capitol, members of Congress, and 1 or more statehouses or state legislators
Handout about 3 branches of the federal government (see link in Preparation section)
Chart of 3 levels of government (see link in Preparation section)
Optional: Projector to display photographs, handout, and chart

For each small group:

Computer with internet access
Computer with slideshow software or sheets of paper and writing and drawing materials
Pens and pencils
Paper

","preparation","

Read through and familiarize yourself with the activity.

Gather all materials, including obtaining photographs of federal and state lawmakers, the U.S. Capitol, and statehouses.

Ensure access to and familiarize yourself with the internet resources. Be sure you and the students can locate the relevant information on your state and local legislative branches.

State Legislature Websites

What Is Congress?

Chart of three levels of government

Handout about three branches of federal government

","worksheets","multimedia","steps","

Display photographs representing the legislative branch. Ask: \"What do these pictures show?\" (the legislative branch)
Write legislative on the board. Underline legis, and explain that the Latin root word means “law.” The entire word means “related to making laws.”
Remind students that citizens in the United States vote to elect leaders to act on their behalf in government. That includes electing lawmakers who write and vote on bills to become law.
Distribute or display the first page of the Three Branches of Government handout. Recall that in the United States, the federal—or national—government is organized into 3 branches that share power.
Briefly review each branch and explain that in this activity, students will be exploring what the legislative branch does and creating a slideshow about the legislative branch at the national, state, or local level.
Organize students into 3 small groups.
Display the 3 levels of government chart. Highlight that each level has legislative bodies or officials.
Designate each group as local, state, or federal government, and direct them to the appropriate websites. Remind students to look for websites that end in .gov.
Instruct groups to use those resources to learn more about the legislative branch at their level. Have them answer these questions:
- How is the legislative branch organized at this level? How many houses are there? Are the members elected?
- What are its responsibilities?
- What types of laws or ordinances does it make? (Define an ordinance as a law that applies only to a city, town, or other small region.)
- What other powers does it have?
Based on the information they found, have groups prepare a short PowerPoint presentation or other slideshow about the legislative branch at their level of government, using text and visual aids. The slideshow may be created on a computer (if available) or using sheets of paper. Remind students that each slide should focus on 1 main fact. If there is too much information, students should create a new slide. Emphasize that each group member needs to contribute to the slideshow. Circulate and provide guidance as needed.
Have groups present their slideshows to the class.
If time permits, discuss these questions:
a. How are the legislative branches of the 3 levels of government similar? How are they different?
b. Which level of government do you think is most important? Why?
c. Why do you think each level of government has legislative powers?

","examples","versions","variations","

Have students work in small groups to answer the questions on the Three Branches of Government handout. To further explore how the branches work together, you can have them work on the Checks and Balances handout and questions as well See the link below.

Have individual students identify a local, state, or national lawmaker who represents them or their community. Next, the students write a short profile of the lawmaker. Students then contact the lawmaker about a law or other important issue. Advise students they can email, telephone, or visit a lawmaker. Call on students to report on their contacts.

Junior Scholastic: Checks and Balances Handout

",[126,130],[135],"facilitationTips",[],"collection",{"_45":168,"_47":169,"_49":170,"_97":171,"_51":172,"_32":173,"_54":56,"_174":175,"_72":176,"_74":75,"_76":77,"_177":-5,"_90":178,"_186":31,"_39":31,"_78":-5,"_187":-5,"_68":-5,"_121":122,"_69":168},"d7e2a154-e1c9-48f4-a3cc-970666506715","2025-07-28T21:53:08.540Z","2025-08-05T18:12:59.933Z","MODULE","U.S. Government Structure","ARCHIVED","introduction","

Students learn about the government structure in the United States and then compare the U.S. to other totalitarian governments.

",450,"updatedBy",{"_45":179,"_47":180,"_49":180,"_59":181,"_95":-5,"_32":96,"_97":98,"_99":31,"_100":182,"_102":182,"_103":104,"_105":181,"_106":107,"_108":109,"_110":183,"_112":181,"_113":96,"_114":182,"_115":-5,"_116":-5,"_117":184,"_119":185},"49f0c76a-b6e8-4f08-a3f8-f35600dce9c2","2025-08-05T18:12:59.814Z","hero-image-ck9llnzod9zvh0713e02t662t","34097d68-8564-489a-a027-2470dc8345ea",132507,"https://ucarecdn.com/34097d68-8564-489a-a027-2470dc8345ea/","https://ucarecdn.com/34097d68-8564-489a-a027-2470dc8345ea/-/resize/1000x/","hideListing","exploreOrder","order","activityId","collectionId",[],[193,46,194],"activities","preview","[\"activities\",\"a4f266b6-717f-4ed5-a5b5-9a8d68c0d6f0\",\"preview\"]","actionData","errors"]

What Is the Legislative Branch?

What Is the Legislative Branch?

What Is the Legislative Branch?

Overview